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Tuesday, April 9, 2019

"QUEEN MARY'S GARDEN" © 2019 - BLOCK 2


The blocks just keep on coming.  This tapestry is such a wonder and mystery to me.


This is a little 5 x 8.5 inch booklet I ordered from England after seeing the above picture on the Internet.  The small, pamphlet-like  pages were published in 1984 by Traquair House, which is where the "slip" stitcheries were found and some are displayed.

The best picture, and only one in color, is the cover.  Oh, how I wish more pictures could have been taken, especially close ups!  I have ordered a few really old, falling-apart books on Amazon that have a few of the same pictures, mostly black and white, and a little more of the history.

Margaret Swain, the author of the booklet (now deceased), saw several pieces when touring the historic great house, Traquair, in Scotland.  She loved embroidery and stitchery.  There was interest in these linens as stitchery patterns.  In fact, several of the flower slips were charted for needlepoint in the 1970's.  

The needlepoint charts may still be for sale through the Traquair House.


Image result for traquair house embroideries


Reproduction of a Traquair House (Scotland) tapestry by Phillipa Turnbull

Here is an antique slip from Mary's time.  When trimmed, the narrow edges are turned under, ready for stitching on a large bedding or apparel piece.

Much easier to work the intricacies of the tent-stitched slips on small pieces of canvas.  The actual whip-stitching to the larger fabric pieces comprising the bed hangings and such would not require much effort each, and would be hidden.

Embroidered Slip (England), 17th century | Objects | Collection of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

The color on this piece is pretty good...probably put away, out of the light, in the early 1600's, until it was needed.

I have used an arrow to point out my first block attempt below.  I posted that block last time.  I wasn't sure what kind of fruit the block was meant to be (as they look reddish-orange), but I made mine purple plums.



I chose to make some of my plums with 2 fabrics, hoping to represent some perspective...not sure if I succeeded.

Damson Plum



Some rows on the top and bottom of the sampler piece are cut off, so I had to do some drafting guesses to make on this next block...

                                              Lazy Lily

As they are stitched, I have been placing them on the design wall in no particular final setting.  I will trim the blocks so that there is a small strip of blank space between them.  They will not be touching and on top of each other, as in the original utility sampler.


Some of my blocks will have reverse-appliqued leaf veins, like below.  They can be worked with the centers appliqued "on top," or even as a solid leaf if wished.  

I have simplified some of the leaf shapes, smoothing out frilly edges and lessening the severity/number of the leaf veins.  This makes the overall effect of the blocks less busy.  I really wanted to make the blossom pop and be prominent.  I thought some of the blocks too fussy.

And to be honest, as I find myself guessing about which flower the canvas marker was depicting; the leaves either aren't the right ones for my guesses...or for my wishes.  

I'm sure the herbalists had the proper leaf shape drawn in their scientific journals, but many of the court canvas markers mostly took liberties with the emphasis being on design rather than biological accuracy.

I mean really, how many of us actually know the shapes of proper flower leaves, except maybe our favorites. Those of you with a green thumb are probably frustrated by their...and my...design choices.



I tried to make leaves or stems that were in the background darker than the foreground, again for shadowing and perspective. 


Mary Queen of Scots, did stitch this kind of flower/fruit slip in later years, but mostly as a young lady.  As an older royal, she had a small team of ladies who made the more utilitarian domestic and clothing items while she and her smaller circle of ladies worked on quite impressive medallion wall hangings (I will show some of this work soon).

She was quite the clothing and fashion maven.  Most of the info about her that I have found has been inventories of her gowns, clothing, jewelry, baubles, embellishments, and bed linens. These inventories were made and recorded every time she moved, which was constantly.

She had a smaller, close group of ladies and attendants, including Lady Bess of Chadwick.  They traveled with their lady to and from houses and castles while Mary was under house arrest by her cousin Catherine, Queen of England.  

There could only be one Queen, and Scotland was to be ruled by England and the English cousin, Catherine.  Mary, who also had claim to the English thrown, was also a Dowager Queen of France (second behind Catherine de Medici, her mother-in-law.)  

Being Catholic was also a disadvantage for Mary.

On to the next block!

In stitches, 
Teresa   :o)

On another thread...

I seem to be like a member of the ferret family..."pop goes the weasel!"  I come to my senses, realize that it has been a long time since the last post, then "POP," here I am!

"What has she been up to??"  I've been learning some important lessons.

1)  I've learned that poison ivy is not just a short, annoying growth around your ankles...it can be an invasive vine that covers beautiful hardwood trees.  Who knew? And it is just as toxic in the winter when you can't look for the three leaves.  I have been trying to free some beautiful oak trees, so I've been miserably itchy, ugly, and on steroids (not to mention, in a really CRAPPY mood for the duration).  I have been "rough and tough and hard to diaper."

2)  I realized that my annoying double vision has less to do with the quality of the current pair of glasses, but caused by cataracts.  The cataract in one eye took me from -13 to -18 in my right eye in the matter of months. Hopefully there will be surgery between Riley's college graduation and blueberry picking season.

This may have also been messing with my perception of color and my opinion that none of my camera choices take good quilt block pictures.  Hand sewing has been a very tough task due to fuzzy and double vision.

3)  A wet, windy winter has meant a lot of removal of downed limbs and trees.  I'm also coming to the realization that a lot of the maintenance of this sibling-shared legacy property is going to fall to me and my husband, who still works, so...to me.  

4)  Dealing with Father-in-law's continuing decline due to Parkinson's in the Philadelphia area.

5)  Coping with changes around doses and kinds of medications that I started taking after my parents were killed in the accident.  I'm still trying to find the right cocktail for me.  Some dull my creativity, which is unacceptable and frustrating.  What a roller coaster!

I know many of you struggle with something from my list and many others.

God bless all of you!

15 comments:

  1. I am so glad you are back, but so sorry to hear of all your troubles this winter! Life can be crappy sometimes that is for sure. The worst thing is your eye problems and I do hope that will be remedied soon! If we don't have our applique we get cranky!! I love the second block as much as the first. Absolutely gorgeous! I'm looking forward to the next one! Happy Spring!

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  2. OMG .... you are sure going through difficult times lately. Hang in there, things will sort themselves out. Love all your applique blocks.

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  3. yes watch out for those vines of ivy in the winter - sorry you have gotten rashes and stuff - hubby stays away from that stuff - allergy for sure. I have been lucky and it has never gotten me.
    Get your cataracts taken care of soon - you will see so much better and hope the doctor gets all your meds straightened out

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  4. Saw a beautiful appliqued quilt at Pigeon Forge that made me think of you.

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  5. Been wondering about you, girlfriend. Glad to hear from you. I'm still in awe of your embroidery. I'll be posting pictures of my Across the Wide Missouri soon.

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  6. Poison Ivy isn't fun. It took 2 rounds of meds to clear me up, when I got it. We were clearing a trail, and I never saw it. I was the only one who was affected (chiggars at the same time). Nice blocks.

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  7. I know the miserable feeling of poison ivy. I just have to look at it and I get it! Look for those hairy vines on the tree trunks, always poison!
    Your blocks are beautiful! I think you have not lost your good color sense (-:

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  8. Hello to you. I love your applique designs. I know that Mary was under house arrest on the order of her cousin Queen Elizabeth 1 of England. How I love looking at the beautiful pearl jewellery worn by the Tudor clan of women and also their lovely embroidered clothing. After Elizabeth 1 death the English throne went to James - Mary Stuart's only son and child. The weather is finally getting cooler on the East coast of Australia so I am getting stuck into my winter knitting.

    Maryanne

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  9. So glad you're back to posting. I always enjoy the projects you're working on- so inspiring!

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  10. Welcome back to blogland! Your blocks are beautiful, as always, and the history behind the designs is so interesting. Hope you continue to feel better. Riley graduating already?? That was fast!

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  11. Fantastic. And you managed such beautiful objects with cataracts and poison ivy! I hang my head in shame. LOL

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  12. I had a very small bit of poison ivy - that's enough. Beware though, it can also take the form of a shrub. And don't breathe the smoke if you burn it! Sorry about the other things hitting you as well. I'm debating how bad cataracts need to be before surgery is recommended.

    Your quilt is going to be gorgeous! As usual.

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  13. Such an interesting design project that you are working on. I will enjoy following along as you create the different parts.

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  14. I love your work, I love your blog. I am so thankful that you create your blog thereby inspiring so many people to add beauty ( and whimsy) to the world. I admire your large outdoor projects too, and the strength you possess in order to undertake them. Your list of lessons sounds familiar and I’m glad we have so much in common there. I hope you can hold on to your creativity and get your sight back. Again, thank you for your blog!

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  15. Lovely, lovely, it's a joy to watch it unfold! My wish for you is that the sales of the eventual pattern can fund a trip to Scotland so you can view the original tapestries.

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