At the start of August, I anticipated a month of embroidery research. I aimed to study the embroidery on the vestments of the Golden Fleece and turn it into a goldwork course. But you know what they say: “The universe laughs when you make plans”. For the first three weeks Read more
Planning a new embroidery course is always quite exciting. For starters, rummaging through beautiful materials to find the perfect combinations to create the project is a real treat. But it is also quite nerve-racking. After all, creating a new medieval goldwork project, writing instructions, and taping videos takes a lot Read more
My last blog post on the Cappa leonis in Aachen sparked quite a discussion amongst scholars and practitioners of needlelace embroidery. As most of it was sent via private email, I am going to summarise its contents in this additional blog post. By the way, I had to restrict the Read more
In today’s blog, we will examine the so-called Cappa leonis held in the Cathedral Treasury of Aachen, Germany. A perfect example of more is more. It was likely used as the coronation mantle for Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, crowned in AD 1349 in Aachen and Charles V, Holy Roman Read more
Today, I am sharing a free medieval embroidery pattern with you. Late last year, I visited the Treasury of the basilica of St Servatius in Maastricht, the Netherlands. Among the display cases with medieval textiles sat this very damaged alms purse. Colours faded and threads fallen out. When I studied Read more
Let’s trace changes in embroidery techniques from the 14th to the 16th century by examining a popular biblical story. The scene of Noli me tangere (touch me not), in which Mary Magdalene visits the grave and finds it empty, is one of my favourite biblical scenes rendered in medieval embroidery. Read more
Today’s embroidery tutorial was inspired by the tablecloth of the Last Supper in a 14th-century Italian embroidery. By couching down a pair of twisted cream silk threads with a thin, untwisted cream silk thread, it looks as if the tablecloth is made of damask. This is a clever way to Read more
This week, we’ll return to the Museu Episcopal de Vic in Spain. Apart from the Vic Cope, the museum has many more medieval embroidered textiles worth exploring. First up is an antependium that was likely made in the workshop of the Monastery of San Joan de les Abadesses. Between AD Read more
After having shown you a chasuble cross and a chasuble with outstanding medieval stumpwork, you might feel a little disappointed with this week’s chasuble from Domschatz Fritzlar. Although perhaps not immediately apparent, the embroidery, likely made around AD 1500 in Germany, is actually quite unique. It combines mass-produced standardised design Read more
Last week, we examined a medieval stumpwork chasuble cross from the Domschatzmuseum Chur in Switzerland. This week, I have a very special stumpwork chasuble for you, which is also on display at the Domschatzmuseum Chur. So far, scholars have mainly been interested in the pseudo-Arabic silk fabric of the chasuble. Read more