Wool on Wool Applique: part 1.

I took a class on the subject of wool on wool applique at Estrella War taught by Bernadette de Costa Tempestad and when I posted the resulting make and take, I got mobbed with requests to share the handout. There was not a handout as such, so this is a compilation of notes. The instructor had some great references, and I have a few more I have from my own applique classes. Additionally, I took a class on intarsia applique taught Unna Hjalmirsdottir (I was the only attendee, so we mostly geeked out together.) Intarsia is also a wool technique that I find to be very similar to nomadic rug applique techniques and was mentioned by Bernadette in her class as well. I'm heavily interested in applique of all kinds as well as working with wool, so I'll be combining the various information. That said, it is obviously how I have interpreted the information, mixed and matched with what was swimming about in my head, so I'm sure I have missed a lot from the original class and added weird detours of my own.

Dalhem textile

Via

Lets start with the intarsia applique, as I have links to tutorials. The best known of the extant pieces are the inlaid woolen coverlets/ intarsia wallhangings/altar coverings from Dalhem, and Skepptuna which are held by the Historiska Museet in Sweden Inventory #23022 dated 1350-1499.




 A recent reconstruction of the Masku was done by a team of 16 headed by Elina Sojonen (blogging at http://www.neulakko.net/ )and Mervi Pasanen (blogging at http://hibernaatio.blogspot.se/ )  The original and the recreation were then exhibited together in Finland at the National Museum in Helsinki. There is quite a bit of analysis of this and a how to on doing this style of applique at https://historicaltextiles.org/category/embroidery/  It is a different style as it doesn't involve pieces being put on top of one another, but rather them being cut and fitted together like a puzzle and then whip stitched in place. Then strips of gilded leather are couched over the seams. The imagery is ridiculously fun and of the type we often see on SCA "Norse Coats." The actual time period it comes from is far outside the Viking age, but I can't help adoring it. Especially as there is a gryphon that I must, must do at some point. And a peacock. It screams to be Artemisian.

Skokloster Cushion

There are actually other pieces done in the same technique but with a different image style. This piece with poppies, called the Skokloster Cushion (inventory #24690 ) is medieval, but looks ridiculously modern .It is also held in the Historiska Museet, which is where most of the textiles of this type are.

The how to at Historical Textiles.org is pretty complete, as the technique isn't difficult so I'm not going to post a tutorial of my own unless someone needs further help.. You cut the pieces, which then create mirror images, as you can see from my in process pieces below and the poppies, So a grey background gets a red leaf and a red background gets a grey leaf. You tack it in a few places (or the teacher in my class used scotch tape) then whipstitch it into place. There is no backing fabric, so you end up with a single layer of wool. Then the leather strips are couched into place over the seams. You can see a small strip of gilded goatskin leather being couched down in my in process photo.

I'll get to working on assembling links for the next type of wool applique: wool on wool roundels like the ones we did in Bernadette's class and hopefully post that tomorrow.

Appliqued griffins for Ronan and Clare

 I'm working on a tutorial for making a padded table for block printing, so in the meantime I figured I'd go back and fill in the gaps for what I did while I wasn't posting.

I spent about 6 months acting as Mistress of the Wardrobe for Mistress Clare de Lacey and Sir Ronan Geirson ta Rautalahti while they acted as Queen and King of Artemisia. In the process I made 8 outfits and a couple of cloaks.

This set here is the outfits I made for them in June to wear to Avacal's first Coronation. Because there were unusually warm temperatures in Avacal, these were first worn in September when Their Graces stepped down.

The base clothing is simple, so I went to town with the decoration. The basic tunic and cote are white linen lined in more white linen. I fulled the black wool leftover from cloaks I made to be worn over these and cut the applique from it.

It is hard to see in the pictures I have, but the appliques are layered, with each limb and the wings and feathers separate.  I then stitched them into place with a gold metallic similar to crochet thread.
They are blanket stitched to approximate the look of gold cord couched in place as would have been done for period applique. Both are trimmed with a black silk inkle trim I had made in Morocco. The beaks and other details were done with needlefelting. That technique is totally not historically accurate, but I didn't feel like I had time to do embroidery and I had painted other outfits so I wanted a different look for these.

As you can see from the hanging photo, the griffins are intended to face one another when Their Graces stand in front of the thrones facing the populace as a nod to the heraldry of our kingdom.

Heraldic applique

My evening in front of the tv project has been appliqueing my local area's device onto a banner. Our old banner is fine, but doesn't get used that often since we are a Province. That means we don't have ceremonial representation, but have all the responsibilities of a Barony in the SCA. It also means that there isn't a specific individual to display the arms. They get put up at our own events and at one or two events a year where we have a large local encampment, but don't get flown on a particularly regular basis since it is more usual for us to have one or two or five members at any event and it is a pain in the butt to go to the storage shed and get out the banner for smaller groups. I thought it would be nice to have an extra to carry with me or lend out so we could have symbolic representation at more events.

This is just basic period style applique. Unlike modern quilt applique where the edges are turned under, period style is to couch gold cord or gilded leather over the edges. I was a bit worried about the edges of the green's tendency to shred, so I ran a small machine zigzag down first before couching over the top. I wish I hadn't, because it isn't as well hidden as I'd hoped. Not to mention the fact that the green is still a bit precarious. I got the idea and bought cheap materials and I'm paying for it. This thing won't last long. Oh well, I'm chalking it up up to practice, and if it gets used and demonstrates a need, I'll make another one from better materials.

Gonfalon

I've been sewing a bunch, just not finishing much, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to show something I finished. My husband and I worked up the heraldry for the house we belong to in the SCA. Basically that means I told him what I wanted after I researched it and conflict checked, and he tweaked it so it looked better. We're in the process of registering this, so this isn't the officially official blazon, but I THINK this works up to something similar to: Azure, on a pile rayony throughout issuant from dexter chief Or a serpent glissant sable. I'm a bit iffy on where the throughout and the rayony go in the heraldic sentence to be honest. Yes, I know, making banners and such is jumping the gun with an unregistered device, since the College of Heralds could want changes and this could end up being a bunch of junk that looks nothing like the final device, but I had fun anyway. Having to make another one of the officially official device won't be the end of the world.

No, the right steamer is not curved-- it just decided to turn and this was a bizarre angle in the first place. I was utilizing hooks on my front porch and trying to dodge my lilac bushes to get a picture. Picture notwithstanding, I'm pretty pleased by it.

Since, as previously stated, this might not end up being official, I took the opportunity to be a little crazy and made a parade banner. Our house has a large number of late Italian personae, and I've always wanted to make a gonfalon. They are modernly used for ecclesiastical purposes. but this type of flag with streamers hanging from a crossbar was originally used by medieval Italian communes and guilds. The name comes from confalone, a meeting held in Florentine neighborhoods where each neighborhood had its own flag. Eventually the flags took on the name of the meeting. At least that is the scoop according to Wikipedia. I didn't feel like doing real research, I just liked the excuse to make a velvety, sparkly, fringy banner with tassels.

The base is an uncut blue corduroy and I appliqued scraps of the gold brocade from my IRCC 2 dress on to make the pale. The snake is black linen canvas. I did use an accurate form of medieval applique with gold interlooped cord I made couched down along the edges of the applique. This 14th century banner with the arms of the Dukes of Savoy uses the same technique. As does this 16th century heraldic applique from the Museo Lasaro Galdiano

Applique was very popular for heraldic use because of its speed. Being able to quickly produce hangings and trappings for parades, festivals, and other uses was important since these things were often not intended to be permanent and there was not enough lead time to embroider or weave. Paint was often used as well, but applique seems to be a step up since it takes just a little longer and requires more materials.

This should have its maiden voyage at Crown Tourney next weekend and I will try to get someone to take some pictures of it in use.

About half way through with applique

Doesn't look like much, but this was my free time today. I machine tacked the linen interlining to the upper fabric and stabilized the blue with a fine line of glue so it wouldn't continue fraying. Once complete, the edge will be bound with fur and then covered in ribbon so I'm not worried about it eventually, just while stitching. I also needed an edge to stretch since the border is so close to the edge of the fashion fabric, so I cut the linen extra large. I don't need a very tight fabric for applique so I went for speed and put it in one of my  Q-snap frames rather than stretching it on a better frame. I should finish the stitching tomorrow or Wednesday.

I'm using 1000 denier Kanagawa silk in turquoise and a glover's needle to quilt the leather. It is a heavy 3 ply filament silk with a great deal of shine. I'm just doing a basic running/stab stitch but I want there to be significant contrast between it and the leather and no question that "I meant to do that."

I'm considering changing the buttons and either doing them in the turquoise silk or possibly leather covered ones. I need to see how it really looks with the fur and ribbon in place. While I'd like it to coordinate with the eventual loose gown I want it to look good on its own.

In other news, I never showed off the pictures of the bag I made for Baroness Jennet. It is a version of the silver dragonfly and thistles of her heraldry. I talked about it here and it is one of my 50 favors and tokens for A and S 50. So here's the picture of it before I forget again.

Some progress on the muff

I finished cutting out the rest of the leather applique for the muff. Now to start stitching it into place. I have some turquoise silk that I'm considering using but need to test how it looks first.

Someone asked me about leather applique and if it was a period technique for apparel. There is the absolutely gorgeous suit from 1615 held in the Museo Parmiagianino (Reggio Emilia)  featured in Patterns of Fashion that is a carnation/gillyflower pattern done in ivory suede on red silk. The stitching is pink silk. It is incomplete and some of the pants do not have the sections between motifs cut out yet so the construction details are apparent.

I am doing a bit different technique. The original involves layering an entire sheet of leather over the fabric, sewing it into place, and then cutting out the void spaces. It is much more of a reverse applique technique. As I am doing a border rather than an overall pattern, cutting out the decoration and then stitching it into place in regular applique seemed more appropriate. Not to mention used far less leather. For an absolutely gorgeous loose recreation of the doublet as well as sketches POF, check out this project diary at Stimpzilla Sumptuary.