"QUEEN MARY'S GARDEN" © 2019 continues - Birds, Birds, Birds!

 

As I've mentioned several times, inventing a border for something that probably was never meant to have one has definitely stumped me for a while now.  I do have a habit of starting something I'm really exited about without thinking it through thoroughly.

In my opinion, this actual antique embroidery piece was never meant to have borders.  My guess is as follows:

This piece was only meant as a source of motifs to be teased apart and applied to large spans of whole cloth, often wool or something like velvet.  This enhanced whole cloth was used for decorative domestic items, such as bedding (spreads, valences, dust ruffles, and bed drapes), upholstery, wall coverings, religious alter cloths, and such.  

Bed drapes of heavy cloth made the sleeping environment much warmer, and certainly more private.  Beds of the 16th century were much larger than the king size beds of modern times.

While looking at the following two pictures, notice the smaller little motifs sprinkled between the larger floral blocks...flowers, bugs, birds, and even a mermaid.  Can you find her?

The photo of our initial inspiration piece shows the first and last row a little chopped off, top and bottom.  Were the edges a little ragged when found?  Had some motifs already been removed and cropping employed just to clean things up for a photo?

Rows 6 and 7

Rows 1 and 2

Also if you look closely, the squares are defined by very faint lines that aren't very straight or continuous.  I think the lines are left from when the motif pattern outlines were softly inked.  A large grid was drawn, then each block was sketched out.

(Sorry, I know these lines are hard to see at this magnification...the lines are not seams, as it appears that leaf tips hang over into next block.

These motifs are really crammed together with no space to spare.  They were meant to be cut out and applied to larger domestic pieces of fabric, spread out with distance between them.  These forty-two blocks would go a long way to make many yards of ornate heavy material.

I've found a few good photos of tapestries on castle walls.  These are usually extremely large scenes, some being painted on a finer weave of fabric...most as decoration.  Maybe they were also employed to cover up the stone walls, add some interest, and perhaps a little warmth and protection from moisture.

Curated museum pictures and locations for castle tours are not always the best representation of what things looked like in Mary's time, the mid 16th century.  Later generations or owner/inhabitants added things and updated, like the crown molding.

OK, where are the aforementioned birds?!?  I see them flying toward us now.  Similar embroidered pieces from Traquair House have the same crammed together block style.   

There are two of these similar tapestries, one with random flower sprigs in the border and one with birds and beasts.  These randomly placed bird and beast motifs are pictured below.

These do not look like borders to me, but rather like more motifs to stitch and transfer to the larger works, along with the florals.  The finished birds, bugs and animals were sprinkled in between the larger floral motifs in a final large project.

The following piece is the same two borders, charted into a needlepoint project about 35 years ago.  This is a totally random arrangement of birds and beasts, only on two sides of the embroidered set of blocks (blocks to be revealed at a later date).

It is as if there was a little left over waste canvas after the floral blocks were inked.  The space was economically used to ink additional motifs.

So, here are some of my bird-brained attempts of trying to use bird representations from Mary's time to influence my birds.  I still need to insert the eye for a few of them, and I thought that three head feathers made this one look less like the Lock Ness monster.

(9th bird down in colored version)

I love how quirky the birds from Mary's time have been depicted.  It was all fine and acceptable: any shape, any feathers, any color, any size feet and legs.  These larger legs/feet are MUCH easy to applique!

(4th bird down in colored version)

See if you can figure out which birds in the following picture were inspiration for my next few birds.

My owl looks the Muppet Gonzo.  Hmmm.

I am not going to commit to any border ideas until I try a few more birds that I already have sketched.  I don't want the borders to be too silly for the floral blocks.  I kind of like the quirkiness of mocking incorporating the original 16th century birds, maybe also some animals and bugs.

Maybe a mermaid!

I think Queen Mary herself is going to make an appearance in her garden...

It has been fun to pick out fabrics for these guys from my stash.  I'm getting to use pieces that look a little like feathers.

In stitches,

Teresa  😏  

On another thread...

If you are looking for some comedic binge TV to watch while gift wrapping, licking Christmas card envelopes, or breaking coal into the proper sized lumps, I have found something that really 'gets my geek on.'

It is called "The IT Crowd," where 'IT' stands for 'Information Technology.'  It is about two guys and a new departmental manager who are supposed to solve computer and IT problems for a large corporation.  Of course, that is the least of what they 'do.'

It is on Netflix...I have gotten through three seasons.

It is a British show that started in 2006.  The Brits do my favorite kind of comedy!

Yes, I am married to a computer geek, so I am constantly hearing some of the snarkier lines from the show when Steve answers my computer questions.

"QUEEN MARY'S GARDEN" © 2019 - Blocks 32, 33, 34 and ROW 3

While Queen Mary was away in France, a real stew was beginning to boil over in Scotland.  Her step-brother (older, illegitimate) had been acting the King during the latter period of Marie de Guise's Regency.  Mary's mother had counsel, and interference, from her de Guise brothers, powerful men in the French court.

Also, England was trying to weedle the Protestant faith into Scotland.  There were some Scots, especially around Edenborough, that were fine with this choice.  France and Scotland were both Catholic nations and allies against the English.

England's previous king, Henry VIII, had been Catholic until he wanted to divorce his wife.

Mary made the dangerous journey home, not encountering the British, feeling confident that she could gain control and fulfill her destiny to be the rightful ruler.  She wanted a strong, independent Scotland.  Some wanted Scotland to be Catholic and some were open to John Knox and the Protestant movement from England.

Mary might have been open to both religions, just as long as she herself could practice Catholicism. 

There was also opposing political pressure for Mary, a widow, to marry again.

Let's finish the THIRD ROW!

Blue Diamond

Barlowe Scuppernong

Lumos Posie

Dianthus Carnation was blogged on 05/11/20.

Country Rose was blogged on 02/26/20.

Baby Blue Eye was blogged on 03/22/20.

Concorde Pear was blogged on 03/22/20.

There has been some cozy quilting weather here in NW Alabama...very chilly.  This has made for the perfect time to be inside stitching and decorating Christmas trees.

Next time I am going to share my initial thoughts on the border.  I have come up with several ideas, but I am now leaning toward an unusual border actually seen on another tapestry in the collection.

In Stitches,

Teresa   :o)

On another thread...

Am I the last person on the planet to have discovered the "Outlander" series of books by Diana Gabaldon???  The first book of the series was published in 1991.  I think I must have been under a rock or something.  I was too busy reading Dr. Seuss, "Little Bear," and "Good Night Gorilla" aloud to my daughter...followed by all the Harry Potter books, etc.

There are eight of the planned ten books available now, with number nine hopefully coming out in early 2021.  Gabaldon has certainly been slow about dribbling them out...her impatient fans call themselves "draught-landers," LOL.  She has done a lot of time-consuming historic research for these books, which gives a realistic frame to the unusual storyline.

I started listening to the books on Audible almost a year ago.  These books are of the historical fiction genre.  There's a GREAT storyline and the characters are AWESOME (some are hot, hot, hot, hot, hot).  Settings are from Scottish history from the mid-1700s, English WWI history from the mid-1900s, French history from before the Revolution, and American history, both from colonization thru the Revolutionary War and the late 1960s/early 1970s.  Wowza!

Don't worry if you aren't a history buff...references aren't like a lecture and do more to shape the story.

Davina Porter, my favorite reader on Audible, does a great job performing the variety of voice dialects and foreign accents needed for this great adventure.  She really makes Gabaldon's great characters come alive and sound just like you would think they should.

WELL, I kept telling my husband that I thought these books would make GREAT television.  He found out that season one (basically book one) came out in 2014 as a Starz network original series.

Yahoo!  Binge watching session...

As soon as COVID-19 calms down, season six is ready to shoot (they shoot in Scotland, even for the "American" story bits.  Seasons 1-3 of the five seasons are available are Netflix (#4 on DVD and #5 on Starz).

I am glad I had read the books first.  Seasons 1-3 are fairly close to books, but don't contain some of the side characters (no time...too much fabulous content in these books).

From the books, I had very definite pictures in my brain of what Jamie and Claire looked like.  I was afraid that I would be disappointed when seeing the actors chosen for the show.

Nope.

All this Mary Queen of Scots nonsense has made me really interested in all things Scottish.  Outlander is anchored in the mid-1700s, around the time of the final Rising (against England, hoping for Scottish independence).

It's fun to think about men in kilts with dirty knees, boots, and a broad sword.

"QUEEN MARY'S GARDEN" © 2019 - Blocks 30, 31

 

When we last heard about Mary Queen of Scots, she was leaving France as Dowager queen to return home to Scotland as the rightful Scottish queen (actually crowned at 9 months of age.)

"Leaving" is too tame a word.   She basically had to sneak home.  The British wanted nothing more than to capture her as she traveled between the France and England. 

There were two possibilities of a way home to Scotland; over land or over sea.  It was determined that the land journey was more dangerous, so the sea voyage was chosen.

Mary arrived safely home, with her "four Marie's" and with a proper welcome, from most.

Mary had a claim to the English throne (she and Queen Elizabeth were actually cousins.)  Queen Elizabeth had powerful advisors and lords who wanted Scotland under England's rule.  They feared the return of Queen Mary to Scotland due to her strength of character, great intelligence, knowledge of politics, and strong devotion to the Catholic church. 

Mary's elder, illegitimate step-brother had been acting the King during the latter period of Marie de Guise's Regency.  Mary's mother had also allowed her de Guise brothers, powerful men in the French court, to have influence from afar.

Meanwhile, England was trying to weedle the protestant faith into Scotland.  There were some Scots that were in agreement with this.  France and Scotland were both Catholic nations and allies against the English.

Mary went home to a real political mess and set about to gain control to establish/protect her power.  She, and most others, wanted a strong, independent Scotland.  A lesser number wanted the protestant movement to be successful.  

ROW TWO blocks are done and sewn together in a strip!  Only two new blocks to share this time as the other five blocks in ROW TWO have been posted previously:

Stargazer Lily

Ornamental Crabapple

Bleu Columbine was blogged on 02/26/2020.

Jonquilia Daffodil was blogged on 10/08/2020.

Bhagwa Pomegranate was blogged on 10/10/2020.

Crab Lily was blogged on 10-10-2020.

Challesas Grape was blogged on 05/11/2020.

I spent ever so much time moving the blocks around to achieve balance in this quilt top of such colorful and varied flowers.  I had to balance color, block density, flowers versus fruit, etc.  I'm not sure if I hit on the best arrangement.  After a while you stand back, squint at the design wall, shrug, and just say "yep."

You can ask da husbands as they walk by, but they usually don't even glance at the design wall and say, "looks great, dear."

In stitches,

Teresa 😏

"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.

"QUEEN MARY'S GARDEN" © 2019 - Blocks 21, 22, 23

 

Mary Queen of Scots, in a dress that I frankly don't understand, LOL.  What's with the lace, seemingly attached to nothing?

More QUEEN MARY'S GARDEN blocks!  I'm on a roll now.

                     Bhagwa Pomegranite

                             Crab Lily

                          Bearss Lime

It feels good to to finish so many blocks lately.  I'm working on finalizing the design for a border.  Getting that narrowed down has given me some momentum on the blocks.  Yahoo!

I'm trying to carve out sewing time FIRST, which is hard to do.  Putting on proverbial blinders is currently working.  Again, yahoo!

In stitches, 

Teresa   :o)