"tudoresque shift" - my first blackwork, still in use (Originally published 12 April, 2008)
The first step is to admit there is a problem. Okay. I have a problem. I love blackwork.
Many years ago, I barely knew anything at all about any sort of embroidery - folks in my family did more "practical" things like crochet and quilting, things that were "useful" around the house. My grandmother and my mother tried to teach me these things, but they weren't the RIGHT thing...
And I grew up, and got married, and we moved to southern California. One fine summer day, we found ourselves at the Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire - and there I saw, worn my many of the costumed players, my first blackwork. How pretty, I thought...
On the next trip to a bookstore, I happened upon a copy of Erica Wilson's Embroidery Book.
Thumbing through, I saw the section on blackwork and thought "Oh, I should give this a try."
Heh. Little did I know - I bought a piece of Aida, and a packet of tapestry needles, and some embroidery floss....
It was a Heavenly Choir moment. I was hooked. I made my first blackworked garment that summer without a clue to what I was doing - it was a horrible hippy thing, meant to wear with a broomstick skirt, but the embroidery was COOL - I very quickly decided to cut off the embroidery and use it on a more historically based shift, and have been wearing it for lo these 20+ years!
And thus began my hobby of making "fancy underwear"....
The first step is to admit there is a problem. Okay. I have a problem. I love blackwork.
Many years ago, I barely knew anything at all about any sort of embroidery - folks in my family did more "practical" things like crochet and quilting, things that were "useful" around the house. My grandmother and my mother tried to teach me these things, but they weren't the RIGHT thing...
And I grew up, and got married, and we moved to southern California. One fine summer day, we found ourselves at the Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire - and there I saw, worn my many of the costumed players, my first blackwork. How pretty, I thought...
On the next trip to a bookstore, I happened upon a copy of Erica Wilson's Embroidery Book.
Thumbing through, I saw the section on blackwork and thought "Oh, I should give this a try."
Heh. Little did I know - I bought a piece of Aida, and a packet of tapestry needles, and some embroidery floss....
It was a Heavenly Choir moment. I was hooked. I made my first blackworked garment that summer without a clue to what I was doing - it was a horrible hippy thing, meant to wear with a broomstick skirt, but the embroidery was COOL - I very quickly decided to cut off the embroidery and use it on a more historically based shift, and have been wearing it for lo these 20+ years!
And thus began my hobby of making "fancy underwear"....
detail of neckband, tudoresque shift
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