Meandering through the day

[mmcnealy]

Today was just one of those lazy days where you don't feel like you got anything done, but you actually were quite productive, I'm not quite sure how that works. Anyway, more work got done on the new website design, but its not posted yet, I really want to jump ahead 2 weeks and do layout, menus and the whole bit, but the instructor keeps saying "Whoa" to the class.

I also worked on the embroidery sampler for the new tablecloth, but I am starting to wonder if linen thread is the way to go or if I should go for WOW and do DMC floss. My period little heart says "Stick with the linen thread and make it work" My logical side says "The competitions is WHEN and you've gotton how much done? The periodness in me then says something along the lines of "Screw the deadline, make something that you will be proud of and will survive 10+ years of use. If it gets done it time, great, if not, nothing lost."

I think I will order a heavier linen thread though, I've been using 50/3 quadrupled, which is a pain to work with as one thread or another is always tying itself into knots. Two threads work fine, four do not. So I'll order the 18/3 and the 30/3 from Hedgehog tonight in Bluebonnet, which is this lovely deep Indigo blue, yummy!

The linen thread
http://www.hedgehoghandworks.com/catalog/fibers_linen.shtml

Comments

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

Wonderful linen thread. I wonder if there is a European supplier on the internet. Seems stupid to order things made in Ireland from a totally different continent. I did a search but all I came up with are US companies.

Eva

follow your heart :)

[ornerie.livejournal.com]

dont you dare compromise authenticity because of an SCA contest deadline, you goofy german girl! :)

You know that every time you looked at the DMC you'd cringe and get that ookie feeling in your stomach.

do it right, do it once and do it for yourself, who after all, is not only the harshest judge but in the end, the one you really need to satisfy!

I wish I could send you a carepackage from Weaving Works!
now, tell me more about this tablecloth?

have I mentioned lately how much we miss you????

Re: follow your heart :)

[mmcnealy.livejournal.com]

Yup, you and Aine have mentioned missing me several times, and I really miss being there in person.

I will post pictures of the artwork that has the tablecloths in it later this afternoon, but the basic concept is simple. In German paintings and engravings there are white tablecloths with bands in the middle of them, spaced evenly apart, and seem to be right where the fabric widths would have to be sewn together to make the fabric wide enough to fit the table.
The | || | represent the stripes on the table cloth.
So it goes like this,
half width of fabric | || | full width of fabric | || | half width of fabric.

Color pictures of this are hard to find, but the few that I have found show the stripes in blue or red. One picture has one embroidered strip in blue and one in red. I'm doing it in blue because I like that look.

I do not believe that these are tableclothes with Perugia towel brocaded stripes woven into the fabric. The width of the linen between the stripes matches the width of the linen fabric seen in washing scenes.

Right now I am working on figureing out which of the period embroidery stitches look best over the joined fabric without making it go all wonky. I have scanned copies of plates from a 1950 Swiss thesis on period embroidery stitches as a reference.

Re: follow your heart :)

[ornerie.livejournal.com]

why dont you think they're perugia towel like objects? that's certainly the common thought among those who drool over those pictured linens (they're in lots of burgundian stuff too :))

not that I disagree, I'm just curious what your logic is?

or are we talkinga bout two different types of linen ornamentation?

(fun fun fun, eh? :))

Re: follow your heart :)

[mmcnealy.livejournal.com]

I think we are talking about two different types of linen ornamentation that may look similar in paintings at first glance. Let me scan stuff in and I will dig through the German and explain why I think they are embroidered. In some cases it could probably be either.

Re: follow your heart :)

[ornerie.livejournal.com]

really? that would be cool to see...the only stuff i'm really familar with (and that in passing "oo! pretty" kind of ways :)) is the perugia. My buddy Gwen did a ton of research on patterns etc to start finding a way to get them produced commercially (but the quality stuff was VERY expensive, and she ended up giving up on it. few re-enactors would be willing to spend $$$ on table linens for their hobby)

Re: follow your heart :)

[mmcnealy.livejournal.com]

The main thing that makes me think that it is something besides Perugia is that the designs are in red and gold, as well as blue. Perugia, in my limited research, has been mentioned to only have been done in blue and no other colors. Modern day Perugia linens are still expensive, but very pretty.

I should hopefully be able to finish scanning stuff in tonight.