What a nice project to do…….

Julie (SilkLover) sent me this bookmark awhile ago.
Wouldn’t it be a lovely project to embroider?

From the back -

”Detail from a Stole
Designed by A.W.N. Pugin
Worked in satin stitch, couching and raised and laid work.
English c 1840-1850”

I’d do it on the same shot purple silk that I just used for Roses and Pansies.
The outside border looks like stretched out pearl purl in two lines, with an inner line of passing thread.
All of the rest of the metal thread looks like pearl purl too.
The thistle isn’t clear in the scan – it’s actually gold passing couched down with minute stitches in green thread.
The dragon looks more heavily raised than the rest. All the motifs look raised.
Aren’t the little crosses on the border, with purl and spangles just sweet?
I’d love to embroider it, – it’s added to my ‘to-do’ list. Gods only know when. Meanwhile, the bookmark lives on my bedside table, propped against my lamp so the gold shines in the light.
I have ahead of me

• to add trim to Roses and Pansies (finished the backing – post on that when trim arrives and is attached and project is completely finished)
• Julie’s Butterfly. I’ve done the design transfer, and ready to start embroidering. I’ll blog on it soon.
• 2 more ribbon embroideries (Daisies and a Sunflower)
• 2 x 3 linen hankies to monogram to the recipient’s specifications

…..end of Thankyou presents

• 16thC Historical Sampler (half done….about another 9 months work there)
• Gold MasterClass Pincushions
• and this project, which I’ve wanted to do for a long time now. It involves some Long and Short stitch, and I’m just *itching* to do some more needlepainting. It’s been too long……. :

It’s from the British Library of Book Bindings.
I may not do the exact same flower. Or then again, I may. (Oh, sweet decisions!)
Note the heavy, heavy raising, covered with passing thread.
And the outlining of the major petals of the flower in passing thread as well.
But I’m really looking forward to doing this project when I get that far…….

• I also have 3 Thistle Thread mini-projects tucked away.
• I’d also like to finish doing Mary Corbet’s lessons on Long and Short Stitch, and her on-line course on embroidered lettering.
• ….and the Bookmark above

I don’t actually intend to do the Gold Masterclass Sampler in the short-medium term. I’ll learn the 17thC gold stitches necessary for the pincushions, and any others as and when I want to use them on various projects.
This is because of my own 16thC sampler. By the time I’ve finished that, I think I’m going to be a bit Sampler’ed out for awhile. I will have been working on it over a period of some 3 years by the time I’ve finished it (given the break I’m taking now, doing SRE Cards, and Pieces as Thankyou presents for various people that have helped me in various ways in the last year).
I’ll save it up for the future sometime. Or use my favourite motifs on a smaller project. Or something.
So many projects! And I’d like to get back into some illumination (painting with gouache) if the Pain Clinic sorts out some better drugs for me, and I can spend extended time sitting in a chair again. (I embroider on the couch – that was the whole reason why I swopped from Calligraphy/Illumination to Embroidery a few years ago – being unable to sit in a chair for long any more).
And that’s another whole list of projects I’d like to do!
I’d like an extra lifetime, please. Maybe I should add that to my 40th birthday present wishlist!