"QUEEN MARY'S GARDEN" © 2019 - Blocks 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

When last we talked about Mary Queen of Scots, she was a widow and Dowager Queen of France.  She had married the younger Dauphin, Frances, son of King Francis, whom she had grown up around and liked very much.

Due to her mother's place in the French court, Mary had been sent at a young age, from Scotland, to be raised in the "royal nursery" of France.  That is where Mary knew and got close to the young Dauphin.   Here she was "finished" and polished as she grew up (the Scots were considered course in manner with speech and accent undignified.)

With her young husband, she was to be queen, but when he died, she was named the Dowager Queen.  Then her father-in-law died, and HIS wife, Catherine de Medici also became Dowager Queen.

One Dowager Queen was enough.

Mom, Marie de Guise, had stayed in Scotland separated from her daughter, as Regent, a "place keeper" for Mary.  Mary Queen of Scots had been Scotland's rightful queen since 9 months of age (her father died when she was 6 days old and she was, at that time, named as eventual queen.  Her dad had never even laid eyes on her.  

Time to sneak back into Scotland (the English didn't want her returning to be queen of Scotland.)  Mary, by birth, also had a claim to the English throne, but that is a whole other story.

ROW ONE of "Mary's Flower Garden" is all stitched up.  Also, six new blocks to complete the row.

French Marigold

Bijou Watermelon

Scotch Thistle

Some time ago, I made and installed a new and improved design wall downstairs near the quilt cave.  BUT, I recently brought the two old, saved pieces of design wall (from our Michigan to Alabama move) up to our large bedroom.  (I have started to take over the bedroom as well as the downstairs, ha!)  I just stand them up wherever they are out of the way at the time (I keep moving them around the room).

Golden Tulip

The husband is cool with this, unless the pieces are standing up against his bureau, the recliner, the TV, or the route to the kitchen.  Nice guy.

Moss Rose

Queen's Tea Rose

Millifiore Peony was blogged on 10/08/2020.  

It's really starting to get fun and ever-so-much-more motivating to see it all coming together!  

Having to walk by (or trip over) the boards all the time reminds me that I should be putting Mary ahead of housework, etc.

The 16th century embroidered pieces and collections of slips were worked butted up against each other on a single piece of waste canvas to be lifted and appliqued on clothing, extensive bedding, etc. Therefore, the multi-slip, possibly unfinished pieces could have been small wall hangings, incomplete and waiting for borders.  To me, this is unlikely.  Why cram them together?  

Even the slips of the first example are kind of close together.  The next two, with the repeated pears and blue flowers, seem to be worked lifting and applying to some kind of soft furnishing. 

I guess everyone who inked the images on waste canvas had a different idea.

The multiple directions of slips or "little flowers" pictured below show its probable future of utility purpose.

The motifs were worked this way to save canvas and make it possible to work them comfortably using a hoop in the lap rather then a floor frame.  This made it easier to gather in little groups and enjoy castle gossip and rumors/stories of intrigues.

Some lifted slips...

Gossipers...

Motifs were trimmed close enough to have just a thread or so to attach it to a larger expanse of cloth, as for bed curtains.  Decorative threads were satin-stitched over the motif edges to keep them in place...some with metallic thread.  Due to bulk of huge background, it was still probably tedious to apply the motifs, but much easier than working the intricate little slips on the huge expanses of fabric.

Background fabric was usually heavy wool or velvet.  Stony Scottish castles are damp, drafty, and cold!

(The caption above attributes Mary as the actual maker and talks about the "little flowers," or slips.)

ROW TWO is coming up next...so excited!

In stitches, 

Teresa, Queen of Quilt Cave

On another thread...

We still hanging out and isolating in NW Alabama.  Riley came home from Atlanta for a couple of days at Thanksgiving.  We were distanced and not hugging (frowny face), and she insisted that we wear masks the whole time (she's afraid she is going to kill her old parents). 

(will most likely be our Christmas card picture...second chin tucks right in there and my Covid-19 moustache/beard is hidden)

I will, most likely, mentally associate every individual block I've stitched on this "Mary" project since February with a movie or TV show (including episode, mind you.)  Thank you Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.

Do you do that?  I usually remember a general period of time with a quilt, but this is excessive!

Carve out some December for yourself!  I am, come Hell or high water.