Here’s how the cap looked Monday afternoon when I got home and took photos in the sunshine. Can you see the changes and what I’ve added? The Tudor rose in the middle is slightly different (French knots in the middle), there are a few little leaves now stitched, the little blue flowers are done and the blueberries are half done. Part of a leaf is done next to the rose buds, but I had to stop last night when I couldn’t hold the needle any longer!

These little blue flowers, which are stitched in the color of blue columbines, were going to be miniature Tudor roses but I decided some blue in that area of the overall design was a better idea than red.

Here's the inspiration from real life. Isn't it just beautiful? I have a soft spot for all blue flowers; columbine, delphinium, bachelor buttons,balloon flowers, morning glories...if it's blue, really blue, I love it.

These little green leaves just above the purple iris are stitched in green GST to connect with the green sepals. The Gilt Sylke Twist adds a bit of sparkle to the design and the extra olive green is a good balance for all the other bluer greens.

The blueberries were the trickiest. I wanted them to be purple blueberries for the design but I know that blueberries, when they are ripe, are really dark blue. However, before they're ripe, they're purple and even green. I used three colors of purple and shaded each berry using straight stitches, alternating the shades of purple. The darker shade went in where the light would hit the berry the least, and the lightest shade where the light would strike the berry the most. They look delicious don't they?

Finally, here's the start of the next to the last leaf. Using fly stitch, I've created the center vein of the leaf. This is one of my favorite stitches for leaves.

This evening I'm going to work some more and see how far I can get. We have school for two more days and then another long, four day weekend. Why? It's Pfingsten, or Pentecost, on Thursday. Friday is a 'bridge day', hence a four day weekend during which I can stitch and stitch!

Firstly, how did I choose the colors i am using for the Cap? I looked at the colors in the drawings in Thomas Trevelyon’s book and decided to use those with the addition of purple to represent wealth. Here’s a photo of one of the few pages of embroidery designs that’s colored in the Commonplace Book.

I think the simple colors of red, blue, green and gold are beautiful together. When the gold is added it’s gong to be lovely, I’m sure.

The other question was about how I got the pattern for the cap from the Folger Online library onto a piece of paper and then onto the fabric. That’s more complicated.

1. Go to the page where all of Thomas Trevelyon’s book has been uploaded for us to see. You will find it here, at the Folger Shakespeare Library.

2. Find the pattern you want to use by looking at the pages and scrolling down on each page to see all of the patterns on that page. Don’t assume that what you see on your screen is all there is to see on each page: scroll down.

3. When you’ve chosen your pattern, click on the thumbnail photo of it (the little one). It will automatically open a large photo of the pattern.

4. Now you must Export the page on which the pattern is found. Just above the pattern, in the right corner, you will see the word Export.

Click on this and a menu of 4 choices will open. Choose “Small up to 768 px”.

5. The photo will exported as a ZIP file. On my MAC the dialogue box (little screen) opens and asks if you want to save the file. Click OK.

6. Go to the folder or your desktop (wherever your computer saves downloaded files) and double click on the ZIP file. On my MAC the files are saved in the Downloads folder.

It will open automatically and you will see the file as a jpg file. Double click on this and the file will open. On my MAC it opens in Preview.

7. This is the picture you need to copy and paste to create your pattern. (We’re almost there!)

8. Using the “Select” tool, capture only the part of the image that is the pattern you want. DO not capture the border of the picture that is colored.

9. Copy the captured section of the image.

10. Open your word processing program (I use NeoOffice) and paste the image onto the page.

11. You can re-size the pasted image by grabbing the bottom right hand corner and pulling down and to the right. Use the ruler on the page to make sure you’ve pulled it equally in both directions.

12. Print the page.

13. Using tracing paper and a pencil, trace the main lines of the design to create the pattern. Do not trace too much detail.

14. Once you are happy with your traced design, you can go over it with a black fine marker pen. Make sure to use a fine marker so the lines are as thin as possible.

15. Now make 4 copies of the finished pattern.

16. Cut out each of the 4 pattern pieces you have created and place them on one large sheet of paper. Position them so the sides of each section are joined and carefully tape them together.

17. Using a large piece of tracing paper, trace over the whole pattern with a pencil and then again with a marker.

18. You will now know the pattern VERY well from tracing it so often and your pattern is now complete.

19. Transfer it to you fabric using your preferred method. I used a light box and a sepia Micron pen.

TA DA & THE END

I don’t know what the difference would be on a PC because I don’t use a PC but if anyone wants to comment and leave instructions for PC users that would be great!

For example, this leaf (which has been corded Brussels stitch in Gilt Sylke Twist and corded Brussels stitch with gold and silk) has now been restitched in long and short shading. I think it’s better. Until the whole piece is finished, though, I won’t be sure.

I’ve redone the couching on the blue thistle flower so now it’s all gold rather than the GST. I think it’s better… The yellow leafy thing to the left of the blue flower I’ve already taken out. After looking at this piece through all it’s stages, I DO know that a flower or a leaf that’s all one solid color isn’t a good choice. It makes everything look chunky and child-like.

The little rose buds on the bottom right of the photo above look good and I think they’ll stay as they are. It’s quite colorful and when the gold thread is in, it will also be bright and have some sparkle. Even when one panel is done, though, I still won’t be able to see it in my mind’s eye completed, in three dimensions, all sewn together.

I’m not bothered about this: I accept that I don’t have enough experience in this kind of embroidery to know how something will look or even to choose the correct thread and stitches the first time (or the second time!) around. It’s all about learning and developing my mind’s eye.

What about you? How’s you mind’s eye?

The workmanship is perfect as far as I can see.  Each stitch is carefully placed and perfectly executed.  It looks delicate and fresh. I want to be able to stitch that well someday.

The whole petticoat is stitched in silk and uses only a few stitches: stem, French knots, bullion knots, satin and chain stitch. Not a wide variety but enough to create something extraordinarily beautiful. I spent a very long time looking at it and studying the stitches, especially the long and short shading.

I reflected on my cap project and decided I could do better…much better. When I got home and l poked at it, I could so clearly see that the mix or threads and techniques overwhelmed the little cap.  Because I just love the Gilt Sylke Twist thread and had so many colors I was determined to use it on this project. No matter what, I was going to use it.  Sometimes determination isn’t a good quality.

Both of the leaves that we’re stitched with GST and the corded Brussels stitched leaves are now gone and have been replaced with leaves done in long and short shading, using silk. The overall effect is much lighter. The cap no longer looks crushed by the weight of heavy thread and complex stitches.

In one of the leaves I noticed a little bit of very light green or perhaps yellow. These little stitches of such a light and bright color really gave life to the leaf. When I studied the stitching, I could see that the little stitches had been stitched into the middle of a longer stitch. Not really a long and short shading stitch, but more like an added stitch that entered and exited the long stitch. You can see that on the right side there is the yellowy/green thread. It looks as if the light is hitting the leaf right there.

Thus far, I like the result of the all silk stitching. I’m beginning to think that this piece will be the most unpicked piece I ever do! I hope, when all of the first panel is finished, I like it enough to complete the rest. It’s been a journey (so far!) of discovery. I hope now I discover that I like this idea and that it works!

 Opinions? Suggestions? I’m all ears, as we say in the Midwest!

The exhibit is in 4 parts: a timeline of the change in the silhouettes for men and women from 1700 – 1915, the textiles used and how they changed as production techniques changed, the tailoring of the garments which included hoops, corsets, cages crinolines, and bustles and the trim on garments. As described in the exhibit “the disparate trim techniques featured in this section were by and large unified by two humble object: needle and thread. Working with needle and thread constituted the foundation for embroidery, quilting, and some lace. Skillfully worked luxurious trimmings often represented the largest financial investment of the garment’s construction.”

It certainly did in some of these garments! I could only guess at the number of hours it must have taken a team of people to stitch. What’s more amazing is that these garments are still in one piece! No one cut them up to make new garments out of, no one unraveled the gold to sell, no one threw them away. When I think of all the beautiful dresses we know Elizabeth I had and that none of them survived, it really is unbelievable that these are here for us to see.

A coat and waistcoat covered with goldwork. He would have been blinding when he enter a candlelit room!

Skirt and coat worked in the finest crewel wool thread.

Silk embroidery on silk skirt. This piece left me speechless and I studied it for at least 30 minutes. It was stunning.

And caps, three different caps for me to study!

Silk and metallic thread. The little strawberries are lovely!

Blue silk with silk and metallic thread. Mounted on the wall too high for me to see all of it...rats!

The fabric for this 'At-home cap' has a warp floating patter and then is embroidered with silk and metallic threads.

My husband enjoyed himself as well – just as Christina predicted he would! Fortunately I am blessed with the most patient man in the world as my husband and he happily waited while I studied and studied the embroidered pieces.  There were copies of the book Fashioning Fashion in the exhibit on the benches provided for us to sit when we got tired. The book adds so much to the exhibit; more detail and information about the embroidery and the garments. The audio guide was good, but naturally didn’t go into as much detail about any one aspect of the exhibit. The book seemed to be in much more detail. I’ve ordered it from Amazon in the UK and when it arrives, I’ll be pouring over it to learn more about what I saw!

If you are anywhere near Berlin and can manage to come see this exhibit, DO!