Winter Progress
We have learned over the last two years that making progress on the jacket from Thanksgiving to the thaw is tough. Between the holidays and the threat of snow, getting groups together is difficult. Here in New England, we have had an unusual string of big weekend storms all through December and January so I am glad we didn’t plan sessions for those months – especially since I have to drive over an hour to get to them myself. Allot of people have been emailing and asking about sessions (thank you, thank you!). We will be looking to start getting together big sessions in either late February or early March when the snow hazard starts to die down.
That doesn’t mean we can’t accommodate the occasional embroiderer under special circumstances. Kris Andrews was in the area last week and was able to carve out a day to work on the jacket. Her plaited braid is shown here. We are almost done with the gusset frame entirely. We need to add a few spangles and we can take it off the frame and celebrate.
The lace is also progressing under Carolyn’s hands and Justin has let me know that the silk is off the loom! I hope he can hear the cries of delight from hand weavers (and those who wish our wingspan was big enough) everywhere. He and Kate will be indigo dying it soon and he promised me a bevy of photos of the process for the blog. Mark is reviewing the photos of historic hooks and eyes and figuring out how to make them to close our jacket on the museum form. We have also been making plans on how the jacket will be mounted on a form with Joanna Hill, a textile conservator. I have learned much about carveable mannequin forms. I never knew they existed! So progress continues, slow with the weather but I expect to speed up toward the finish line in a few weeks.
Tricia
Tags: embroidery, plimoth, plimoth plantation, plymouth
February 1st, 2009 at 4:14 pm
It is great to see things progressed so far – really exciting! I have a question about the spangles though – do you carry the thread across the cack between spangles or start and finish each one off individually?
February 1st, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Oops! I meant ‘across the back’ of course.
February 1st, 2009 at 8:33 pm
I can only imagine how Jill’s fingers are beginning to itch to start sewing on the jacket instead of stitching on it!
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Beautiful plaited braid stitch! I think I need Tricia/Wendy/Kris advice on how to even mine up. But I also learned that the drawing underneath does make a difference. Mine is better when the vine lines are more perfectly parallel.
http://flickr.com/photos/jenthies/3245647137/