Our Branch Chairman, Liz, was moved to put together an article in celebration of some of the wonderful talent within our branch, and it's her words that follow.
This time animals and birds have provided the inspiration for the designs and they have been interpreted in a rich variety of techniques.
These delightful owls were needle felted by Gill in wool using a variety of shades to create the impression of feathers. Gill’s skilful felting has worked a very well defined heart into the lemon yellow owl. Their enormous eyes, faces and their wings have been worked separately with machine stitching and then needle felted onto the body.
The feathers on these tiny creatures by Diane are made from a variety of cotton prints. Diane’s first owl has carefully graded colours and the way they curl out enhances its outline, whilst its companion has a wonderful selection of paisley buta designs for feathers and delicate broderie anglaise across its breast. Both of these pieces show an imaginative use of materials to create a lively interpretation of the characteristics of this chosen bird.
Janet's barn owl has a needle-felted face, while its breast feathers are created using eco-dyed fine silk torn into strips and stem-stitched to the body. Eco-dyed cotton fabric was used for his wings, back and tail 'feathers', and his wired claws are wrapped with frayed cotton.
Continuing with feathered creatures, Sue has taken the national bird of New Zealand, the kiwi, as her inspiration. Sue has also used felt made with an embellisher as her base fabric. Its body is covered with spirals of running stitch, with a spiral of turquoise Pekinese stitch creating the eye. Pekinese stitch (from The Constance Howard Book of Stitches) is used in the beautiful Maori motif that adorns the body of the kiwi. The channels between the turquoise stitching are filled with feather stitch and the lovely legs on which the bird scuttles through the undergrowth of the forest are wrapped wires ending in his serviceable feet.
This exotic bird was created by Ruth. It is beautifully constructed from a chocolate-coloured fabric, enhanced by the shades of gold stitching and beads and dramatic contrast provided by the turquoise features. Ruth has embellished the body with hand and machine stitch, appliqué and beading. Its tail feathers are a magnificent set echoing the brown and turquoise colour of the body and decorated again with a mixture of hand and machine work. Its character is really enhanced by the amazing beak and bright beaded eye.
These birds are work in progress by Caroline. They have constructed body shapes decorated with stitch, and additional feathers have been made from a range of fabric pieces. Do look out on our Branch Instagram for the completed versions (no pressure there then!).
The guinea pigs with their totally realistic colouring are also Caroline’s and are needle felted and complete with carrot and lettuce!
Jenny has turned to the animal kingdom for her pieces. This charming sheep was originally a mohair jumper that Jenny shrank (deliberately!) on a hot wash cycle. This was machine stitched in spirals to create the curly coat whilst the face was coloured with fabric paint and stitched with smaller spirals. Its eyes are beaded and its sturdy legs are found twigs.
The enchanting pair of reindeer is constructed from wool suiting fabric. The green one has machine stitched designs of leaves embellished with French knots and appliquéd felt. Both the antlers and the legs on this one are found twigs. The pink deer has a machine stitched outline around which Jenny has placed felt appliqué motifs creating an impression of folk art in a Scandinavian style. Whilst this deer also has twigs for legs, its antlers are wire that has been machine stitched in the manner of wrapped cords.
Judi's lovely spring rabbit is stitched on cream linen In fresh pastel colours. The rabbit is decorated with a variety of stitches based on a paisley theme, echoing the colours and shapes with feather stitch, chain stitch, straight stitches and lots of French knots.
This delightful tortoise is the work of Margherita. Its body is covered with intricate detail. The head and legs show the scaly construction beautifully with the claws and eye carefully delineated. Its shell is a wonderful menu of the flowers, fruits and vegetables tortoise eat, and each is carefully hand stitched in realistic colours.
This delightful tortoise is the work of Margherita. Its body is covered with intricate detail. The head and legs show the scaly construction beautifully with the claws and eye carefully delineated. Its shell is a wonderful menu of the flowers, fruits and vegetables tortoise eat, and each is carefully hand stitched in realistic colours.
I’m sure you will have enjoyed looking at these lovely pieces of work. You may be interested in the following observations.
Animals and birds have been popular inspiration for embroidery for a long time. Here is one of the marginal pieces on the Bayeux Tapestry showing the Fox and the Raven from Aesop’s Fables. I have been re-reading The Bayeux Tapestry Embroiderers’ Story written by Jan Messent and published by Madeira Threads. It’s an impressive study, full of Messent’s delightful illustrations and lots of information about the techniques used as well as speculations on who made it and why.
There is a well-illustrated article on the V&A website from the Opus Anglicanum: Masterpieces of English Medieval Embroideryexhibition that I know many of us managed to visit in happier times. There are lots of beautiful close up illustrations of medieval representations of both realistic and mythical animals and birds, including the obligatory unicorns and dragons and a very interesting mermaid, complete with her comb and glass in her hand! She’s from an incredible funeral pall made for The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers in the early 16th century.
A further item on the V&A website shows an incredible casket made by an eleven year old girl in 1671. Amongst the creatures she chose to include in her designs were a dog, rabbit, squirrel and a stag. She might have been familiar with all of these but the camel? Or leopard? Or elephant? It’s a beautiful piece using stump work, so fashionable at this period and well worth a visit electronically as we can’t go in person at present.
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