It seems an awful long time in producing this! Module 3 Chapter 1

Strapwork - I have really enjoyed researching this subject, something I have never studied before or even thought I was interested in! But it has been fascinating. I looked at the obvious things first such as costume and as you can see I have taken it chronologically. I was going to separate the men from the women but in the end mixed them together. It is interesting to see the progression of the designs and also Henry and Elizabeth.
I left many of the images whole as they are such wonderful examples of the whole image.
Hope you can understand my writing! I probably took this too far in as much as I copied Queen Elizabeth's hand although somewhat squatter.

Note the lovely E R on the cushion in the above portrait
I became fascinated by armour and also this wonderful little jewel above from Torre Abbey in Devon.
Then a friend said did I know about Exeter Communion Cups - NO! but I do now. We are lucky in Exeter with St. Nicholas Priory which was turned into a Tudor home and has recently been refurbished in Tudor style. I was able to see an example of this silver and draw the design.
Tudor lettering and illumination was also a rich source for study.
then there was the influence of carpets!
and Spain.
I looked at domestic textiles and Blackwork separately.

I am interested in Ceylon stitch which I found on this coif above. Would it have been called that in Tudor times? I have to admit I never want to do these stitches EVER again! I was almost in tears till I discovered PIN TANGLE and two great videos showing me Plaited Braid stitch.

Now i have posted this I feel I am getting somewhere!

Back at last!

it seems a long time since my last blog entry but i am back now and ready to go!!! so before any new course work blogs, thought i would share a few Edinburgh notes. new find for us on the streets of Edinburgh and it tied in with my recent study of faces! these stickers are by Sam Knest an australian. he also did some monumental faces which i am sure i took a photo of but can't seem to find, anyway he has a blog with some awesome faces on.
also this little chap!!
as usual we went to numerous exhibitions! 'Another World' Surrealists at the Dean Gallery which i am ashamed to say above child found boring (sooner he goes back to school the better!), Joan Mitchell at the Botanical gardens which he related to better, Atsuo Okamoto at the Corn Exchange (one of my favourites),Craigie Aicheson and Martin Creed to name but a very few. Martin Creed at the Fruitmarket Gallery was quite amusing and one that my son did find interesting. there were musical stairs and a wonderful lift, which had to be re-booted every so often because so many people were using it to hear the tonal installation.
the main reason we went up earlier was to catch the '62 Group' exhibition 'Bending the Line'at the Collins Gallery in Glasgow - I WENT BY MYSELF!!!! it was great i had a chance to really absorb work by people i had seen in photos but not in the thread (or not in some cases). Sian had a piece that she had talked about at Summer School but there were also pieces by Hannah Streefkerk who repairs nature and Jan Miller whose installation i loved. Unfortunately i found the lighting a bit dull in places (rich coming from a textile conservator!) but nevertheless a great exhibition.

Yesterday i caught up with another Collins Gallery exhibition 'Sashiko' at Plymouth Museum. Do go its really comprehensive and such wonderful textiles but only until I think till the end of this month.