EGA

EGA Collection #270 consists of four crewel-embroidered bed hangings. Acquired by EGA in 1987, these panels were created in 17th century England. Each is about 87 inches tall and 40 inches wide and feature a variety of flora and fauna stitched in wool on twill fabric.

Though it is not known for whom these pieces were created, it is believed they were created by professionals due to their size and design.

Jacobean Iron-on Transfer Patterns [Dover Publications, 1978] was written by EGA design consultant Linda Ormesson in 1978 and features many designs, all adapted from these hangings. The book also features a wonderful overview of the Jacobean style. It is no longer in print but is available from the EGA Lending Library and copies can also be found on the internet.

If these hangings are inspiring you to stitch, why not try Judy Jeroy’s Jacobean Crewel Embroidery Individual Correspondence Course? It’s a great way to acquaint yourself with this technique with the guidance of a wonderful teacher and expert.

Needlecases can be very utilitarian, or, as illustrated by these examples from EGA’s Collection, highly whimsical. These are just a few items from the needlework tool collection of Shirley Fischer, which she generously donated to EGA about ten years ago.

The Nanny Pin, or Nanny Brooch, was a type of Victorian bar pin that held a needle and thread, ensuring that any surprise mending could be attended to with a minimum of fuss. One end of the hollow cylinder unscrews and pulls out.

The Bristol glass case on the left above consists of a milk glass base with the blue and pink “netting” overlaid. It looks sort of like a piece of candy. The piece on the right is made from a beaded mesh over a case of bone.

Raised work, commonly called stumpwork today, reached its peak of popularity among the noble ladies of 17th century England. In addition to pieces for the wall, this three-dimensional embroidery was used to adorn mirrors and caskets (household boxes.)

These stumpwork pieces from the EGA Collection were both stitched by Muriel Baker. The piece below, designed with colonial American motifs in honor of the US Bicentennial, was featured on the cover of Baker’s book Stumpwork: The Art of Raised Embroidery (1978, Charles Scribner’s Sons.)

The design for this scene is also featured in Stumpwork, so you can create your very own.

If you want to try your hand at stumpwork, check out Wild Cornish Fuchsia, a free project from Moira Knagg available on the EGA website.

The detail above is from EGA Collection Item #00146, a Chinese court robe. It was given to EGA by Edith John and is believed to be from the early 19th century. This style of robe was worn at court during the Ch’ing Dynasty (1644-1912) and is known as a dragon robe, or Ch’i-fu.

The robe is made of silk and is almost entirely stitched with gold couching. The only areas that aren’t are the dragon’s eyes, which are done in silk satin stitches. The design is divided into three areas – the sea is represented at the bottom by the diagonal lines, then a small area of earth just above that, and the rest is sky, where the dragons writhe amongst the clouds and a plethora of good luck symbols. There are a total of nine dragons on the robe and you can learn the wearer’s station by the number of toes the dragons have. This one is a four-toed dragon, which indicates a member of the imperial family below the third rank.

Two more details from the robe are below. For further reading, see Katherine Westphal’s wonderfully informative Dragons and Other Creatures: Chinese Embroidery (1979; Lancaster-Miller Publishers). A photo of this robe was also featured in the 2008 book A-Z of Goldwork with Silk Embroidery from Country Bumpkin Publications.

Four-day classes resumed on Thursday, and new two-day classes began. Attendees revisited the Education Department exhibits, the pieces for seminar 2012, the EGA booth, and the bookstore.

In the evening, attendees gathered for the teachers’ showcase, final bids of the silent auction, the lively action of the live auction, and the drawing for the opportunity baskets.

Friday could have presented a challenge, for electrical difficulty in some classrooms interfered with the lighting. Hotel personnel quickly set up tables in the main ballroom and ballroom lobby areas. Classes continued without a hitch as students cheerfully participated in a new Stitch-in-Public venue.

The week ended with the Closing Banquet. Seminar Chair Donna Christie introduced and lauded the members of her committee and thanked the hotel staff. Liz Saylor, marketing consultant for DMC presented an engaging talk on the ways DMC is currently promoting education and providing inspiration through product development.

Caela Tyler presented highlights of Seminar 2012 in Santa Fe. Class listings are posted on the EGA website.

Congratulations to Donna Christie and her committee for providing such a wonderful seminar!