Happy Birthday! One year ago today, this community was born. I really didn’t know what to expect, but I jumped into blogging with both feet (and the lifeline of Rich’s help) and found all of you! This year has been more than I could have imagined, and (maybe you’re tired of hearing it but it’s true) the bestest best part has been meeting – online and in person – all of YOU. All of you talented, thoughtful, enthusiastic, generous, just plain wonderful people who are interested in historic embroidery, historic costume, lace, knitting, spinning, and more. Thank you all for coming along and making the ride so enjoyable.

Tomorrow we start the first work session at which we’ll have TWO (two, two, two hahaha!) lace pillows working at once. Not to mention some embroidery. See you.

Look what we got from Susan D in Australia! This is our very first sample received from Australia. I was so excited to see the return address on the package. Thanks, Susan, for sending it back. We’ll use your beautiful work in the exhibit (along with the other samples), so visitors can see the stitches up close, can see the backs, and can appreciate the extent of support and enthusiasm for the jacket project from stitchers all over the world. The returned samples really do contribute to the success of the project. Don’t feel that coming here to embroider is the only way to participate.

Susan sent a lovely note along with her sample. (And the notecard’s cover is a photo of a piece in the Royal School of Needlework’s collection, so that was a treat too!) She said she checks the blog regularly and enjoys the progress photos and the “show & tell” pieces from the embroiderers. She sent two photos of her work to share. With Penny’s help I managed to scan and resize them so I could post; they don’t zoom, though, unfortunately. The worm is Susan’s first attempt at Elizabethan Raised Embroidery. The drawnwork sampler is a work-in-progress “the closest I am ever likely to come to making lace” Susan wrote. I don’t know what you think, but to me this IS lace, not so much close to making lace but actual lace.

This is another work in progress, “Sharon Cohen’s 17th century sampler (with modifications).” Your work is just beautiful.

Thank you so much for sharing these, Susan, and for supporting the jacket work in general. I feel so encouraged. Does anybody remember the children’s book Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel? Mike and his steam shovel, Marianne, work harder and faster when people are watching and encouraging them. I feel like that; this is a long project (!) and sometimes a little encouragement goes a long way. That, and knowing someone will notice if you slack off. . .

Here are more of my needlework challenges.

This is the first try at a wavy line of ceylon stitch. A straight line is OK, but the worms “squiggle”. (Click on “ceylon stitch” for the pdf of the instructions.)

A subsequent (I won’t say how many tries were in between!) attempt yielded this red worm. It’s still a little wonky, but getting better!

Nicole R left this in the comments on “Hooked” from May 24, 2007 about how I got hooked on embroidery:
I came from a family of knitters, quilters, and crocheters too, but I’m the only one so far for whom embroidery is the needlework of choice. But we all know how to do it, and learning it seems to have been a matter of course, because I really don’t remember not knowing how. Until I was about 20, though, it was the other thing I did. I was primarily quilting and making garments then, but I wanted more of a challenge. A friend showed me counted cross stitch, and soon after that, I saw Sharon Cohen’s pieces in Just Cross Stitch and decided to try. JCS used to publish much more challenging pieces then, and I taught myself detached buttonhole, trellis, cutwork, etc. from those illustrations. I’m working to learn crewel now–if I can find the time! Of all the things that have been cut back since we started a family, I miss my stitching time the most.

Thanks for sharing your story, Nicole. Do you remember how you got hooked? Leave a note in the forums (link on upper right of the page).

Carol asked how wide is the frame that the jacket front is on. I’ll have to measure, but for now, the actual width of the embroidered part of the linen is about 16″ wide. Add to that the blank linen on either side, the lacing, and the wooden bars. Long arms helpful. This one may be the widest frame, though; if not it is only an inch or two smaller than the widest one.

Here’s another snapshot of a piece in progress. This is the left (as the wearer sees it) front, and was taken on May 5. The shallow curve at top left is the neckline; the deeper curve at right is the armhole.

The two fronts are the least-favored pieces to work because the frames are so wide. It’s hard to reach around the frames to work on the middle. Still, quite a bit has been done, and hopefully more will be added next weekend.

The other day I decided it was time to branch out beyond the detached buttonhole stitch. I hadn’t worried about the other stitches since there was (and still is) so much buttonhole to do.

Here’s my first try at trellis stitch. I gave up halfway through the shape, hopelessly confused. (If you click on “trellis stitch” it should link you to the directions for it. I hope.)

Here’s my second try. Much better, although it is only one color, not stripes like the butterfly bodies on the jacket, but you have to start somewhere. Next time I’ll try putting in a stripe.

I share these ugly trials with you in the hopes of encouraging anyone who is afraid to try the stitches or afraid to come embroider; a little practice makes a big difference, I’m finding, and one of the objectives of the whole project is to encourage embroiderers to try new techniques (these ones; when the jacket’s done you can try OTHER new techniques). Incidentally, another of the objectives was to increase the embroidery knowledge base of the Colonial Wardrobe Department staff. Check.