Alison Wodehalle

Challenges Entered: Plan your Project, The Planning Stages, Wool Applique Cushion

Projects: Russian Goldwork Embroidery, Wool Cushion, Goldwork Dragon

Goldwork Embroidery

I chose, for this challenge, a project I did in the last months of 2020 as part of a gift exchange. The planning details were fresher in my memory, and I followed a process that is pretty normal for me, so this seemed like a good choice.

For full photos see version at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hys972Xpf3eWEnfCz-nUNa938DA5PVKy/view?usp=sharing

The purpose of starting a project is always the first decision point. So, this project began by entering a Maunches and Laurels gift exchange. I was assigned to my recipient, after filling in a form describing what I thought my skills were. I wanted to do something that would be personal for my recipient, so I started by researching him a little. What is his persona? Are there any interests of his, that I can connect to? I found that he is an embroiderer, and has a Russian persona, and owns and loves greyhounds.

From there I looked into Russian iconography as an embroidery idea, and noted there was a lot of goldwork. I was not confident about using the iconography due to the religious nature of it, and decided that since the recipient also has greyhound dogs, that might be a better subject matter. I immediately thought of the Gaston Phoebus “Hunting Book”, knowing they had some beautiful greyhounds within the pages. At this point the books all came down off the shelves, I was surrounded by books of illuminations, and books on medieval embroideries.

Of the pictures above that I looked at in the Gaston Phoebus book, I chose the 2nd image, of the light and dark greyhounds running, and traced them onto tracing paper. From there I darkened the lines, placed the tracing paper onto a light table, and traced it onto plain white paper. Then I began to sketch different designs. I wanted the finished design to be 4x4 inches, so the boxes created on the paper are measured at 4x4 inches.

The background of a diagonal basketweave was first sketched on another paper, then using the light table, traced into the quatrefoil.

Concurrently while working with the sketches, I also pulled out every book I have on medieval goldwork embroidery. I researched design style, techniques, materials. To be fair, I have a base knowledge, but not a detailed knowledge, and wanted this project to be a reasonable representation of something that could have been in the middle ages. Using the research, I decided on a goldwork background, framed in a quatrefoil using the depiction of the running greyhounds from Gaston Phoebus. Originally, I had thought to make the entire background in goldwork, as the sketch above indicates. That changed while I working on the project.

I had most of the materials needed already, but ordered very tiny pearls for the project. I chose silk velvet for the ground fabric. I had never worked this before and wanted to try. In the research I had done on medieval techniques, I found that they often layered linen over and under the silk velvet, to do the embroidery. So, using that method, I next traced the design onto a piece of fine linen that would be on the surface of the work.

I then layered the linen with the silk velvet, and the bottom piece of linen which would stabilize the work, and basted them together. Since I was trying to stretch and try things new to me, I also decided to use a frame I had purchased years before that was a reproduction medieval embroidery frame, and mounted the work on the frame.

I tend to continue to make design decisions while I work. And this project was no exception. I decided after laying in much of the gold thread, that green hills would a better choice for the base. After playing the style on paper, I drew directly onto the linen, and sketched in some hills.

The methods and the stitches are familiar to me, or I would have needed to do some practice pieces first. I do actually have some binders of information, but that is not the best method for me to use in planning, because I have not managed to get them organized enough to be useful. I do save images, and research papers in files that I can find easily in my computer, and although I do not recall specifically if I looked at any saved files for this project, I might have. I also, always look on the internet for scholarly papers on the topic I am looking at. I did this for Russian iconography before I abandoned the idea, and decided to make the grey hounds. This project was a lot of fun, and I hope it was a reasonable illustration of my methods of planning a project.

Please also see my blog for very detailed documentation on the project itself. http://wodehallesmusings.net/index.php/2021/02/23/a-book-cover-for-needles-and-notes/?preview_id=371&preview_nonce=31662e72cd&preview=true&_thumbnail_id=425

Elizabet Marshall wrote on June 4th, 2021

Wow. I love having your progress shown like this, and that you gave us examples of your sampling as you made your decisions. The dragon badge which is your inspiration piece is one of my favorite embroideries, and maybe some day I'll have the nerve to start on this road you are so far down. Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to more as you continue your study of this work.

Scolastica Capellaria wrote on June 2nd, 2021

Your goldwork project is so incredible. I loved reading about it and it gave me some great insights into how to approach my own similar project. I can't wait to see your dragon come to life!

Amalie von Hohensee wrote on May 29th, 2021

All of your pieces are stunning, but the dragon especially just blows my mind. I can't wait to see more of it - I really admire your work!

Sarah Davies wrote on May 27th, 2021

I love, love, LOVE how your applique is coming along! You are doing a fantastic job, and I can't wait to see the finished product. Well done!