January 27, 2009 – 4:54 pm
Winter Whites, an exhibit featuring lace and whitework embroidery from EGA’s permanent collection, opened to the public on January 17th at the Embroidery Museum & Resource Center. Since the pieces in the show were selected based on color, the walls are filled with a broad range of techniques.
Smaller handerchiefs, table mats, and doilies were mounted on jewel-toned fabrics to emphasize the negative spaces in the pieces and add visual interest to the display.
Several articles of clothing, most from the Traveling Collection Study Box, are on display. The shirring on this dressing gown is gorgeous. It’s accented with machine-made lace on the collar and cuffs.
This was the handkerchief from which the image on the postcard and exhibit poster was selected. 
In the picture above you can see three small caps hanging over a pedestal. These caps are displayed on balls wrapped with colored yarn to accentuate the delicate work.
Winter Whites is on display until February 28.
September 29, 2008 – 1:54 pm
Marjorie H. of the Needle Artisans of Northwest Indiana sent in some mystery photos and would love any information anyone could give about the pieces. Here is her message: A friend recently visited Portugal and snapped these photos of a type of embroidery done using chestnut skins. From what I can tell the skins are cut into shapes and stitched down. My friend was on a tour and the guide didn’t know anything about the technique or its name and she didn’t have time to linger and find answers (also, she’s not a stitcher and didn’t quite know what to ask.) I’m hoping someone can post these on the blog top ask members if they know more. Thanks! Marjorie 
If you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments section.
August 20, 2008 – 4:58 pm
Sort of…
This past Sunday we had the pleasure of hosting the Greater Louisville Chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America here at the Embroidery Museum and Resource Center. About 40 of the group’s 75 members came to learn about Regency embroidery, tour the galleries, and do a small project.
We shared a few pieces from the collection including the late 18th century French court coat and several of our historic samplers.
As part of the program, we showed the group how to make a Love Token Bag. This is a small pouch a young lady would have made for her beau to pin inside his jacket and hold a small memento to remind him of his love. Our version of the love token bag was made from interfaced satin with a backstitched initial on the front and whip stitches to bind the edges. Here are a couple of shots of the group working intently and enjoying some tea:
And here are two lovely ladies modeling their finished bags:
They don’t show up well in the photo, but the pink one features the letter “J” and the green one has a little cat instead of an initial.
This is my teaching sample in its half-completed state. We used adhesive pinbacks so they’re easy to put on and take off. I think they would be cute little gifts for children or grandchildren.
Here at EGA headquarters, we often get questions like this: “I have this piece of embroidery I found in Grandma’s attic/a box at an estate sale/a dumpster – what is it?”
Many times I know the answer but many times I do not. I’m going to start posting some of these difficult cases here on the blog. If you have any ideas please post them in the comments.
This piece was brought in by a local man who bought it at an auction. He doesn’t have any information about who made it or where it came from. It’s red silk velvet with a wide border of couched gold thread in paisley designs. It measures 68 inches across at its widest point and is about 50 inches long.
A piece of muslin has been basted onto the back but this seems to have been done after the piece was made. The fabric is clean and the embroidery is in great shape. This surprises me because the stithing is so heavy in relation to the velvet. Above is a detail of the couched band and below is the turned-under edge.
So there you have it, stitching sleuths. Please comment with questions or hypotheses; I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
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