This piece was inspired by an early seventeenth-century English embroideed panel, worked in coloured silks and metal threads, held in the collection of the Embroiderers' Guild in the UK.
Worked on a background of ivory silk duchesse satin, in stumpwork and surface embroidery, this design features flowers popular in Elizabethan times: the Bluebell, with raised upper petals, a Crab Apple, with detached petals and applied buds, the Honeysuckle, with slender, padded and raised petals, Pea Pods, with detached shells and beaded peas, a Primrose and bud, both with raised petals, and a traditional red Rose, all enclosed by coiling stems, whipped with gold thread. Nestled among the foliage can be found a bee, with raised wings and velvety body, a plump caterpillar and a tiny ladybird with detached wings. Gold spangles complete this design.
Kit Contents
This embroidery kit contains all materials required to work this project:
- Ivory silk duchess satin, quilter's muslin, tracing paper, red cotton fabric, organza and organdie, felt, paper-backed fusible web, beads, gold spangles, and coloured wires.
- Threads – Soie d'Alger Silks, Madeira Silk, DMC Stranded Cottons, and assorted silk, rayon, nylon and metallic threads.
Equipment Required
You will need the following equipment:
- A copy of Shakespeare's Flowers in Stumpwork, which contains all the diagrams and instructions
- 28 or 30 cm (11 or 12 in) embroidery hoop or slate frame
- 15 cm (6 in) embroidery hoop
- Two 10 or 13 cm (4 or 5 in) embroidery hoops
- Needles:
- Crewel/Embroidery sizes 3 - 10
- Straw/Milliners sizes 3 - 9
- Sharps size 11 or 12
- Tapestry sizes 26 - 28
- Sharp Yarn Darners sizes 14 - 18
- Small sharp-pointed embroidery scissors
- Fine blunt-nosed tweezers to shape wire
- Small wire cutters or old scissors
- Small plastic ruler
