No not me, although I am beginning to feel somewhat antiquated! I find old embroidery fascinating, don’t you?, and have noted that over time it acquires a slightly rumpled, wrinkly look to which I can relate…

Seriously have a bit of a rummage around on the internet and you’ll see what I mean. The above picture is of a 19th century piece which has been worked on by a conservator, you can see the wrinkled ground fabric between the embroidered elements with the whole lot covered over with conservation net, to prevent further damage to the piece.

In a way it is quite a charming look. Faded beauty, a sort of shabby chic – is that passé? Anyway I set about to mimic it.

I threw out a bit of a peek at these a while ago. I actually started with the brown one as a stitching experiment but much preferred the blue version. This little item, worked up as a chalice pall, is a concept piece for – maybe – an altar frontal. Himself was blathering about shells! We shall see. But in the meantime let’s have a look:

I deliberately worked so as to not have the fabric be drum tight and kept loosening the tension so as build in that old look. I’m quite pleased with it…

It has a little handmade linen on the back too.

This one actually took more than a month to make as I slowed down a bit over Christmas and New Year. Entirely handmade, various types of silk and cotton threads on silk lined with cotton. Mounted on acid free board and backed with linen. Himself rather liked it but I refused to hand it over, horrid creature that I am, hehe…

Thanks for reading.