While in New York last May, I had the good fortune to see a small exhibit of Chinese art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a fellow RCTN'er Edith Rivera....we were both very impressed by the beautiful samples of finely embroidered pieces of clothing especially the robe made of silk gauze that all EMBROIDERED!
I'd never have thought to embroider on the surface of silk gauze in place of the usual tent stitch, the only technique I've ever seen used to stitch silk gauze until I saw this embroidered silk gauze robe.
The embroidered stitches on the smooth flat surface of the silk gauze had a nice texture to it, an interesting contrast of smooth & bumpy that we sort of saw from a "distance". It was too bad we couldn't get a closer look due to the intervening space in the glass case and the dim light of the gallery which was of neccessity for the protection of fugitive dye colors & fragility of old silk threads.
I was disappointed not being able to see the fabric & stitches in closer details which I think a pair of focused opera glasses might solve the problem allowing me "see" textile exhibits more up close and personal!
Going back to doing embroidery on silk gauze, I'm inspired to try this! Can use some of my precious collections of overdyed silk flosses to embroider on 40 mesh black silk gauze for what I imagine will be quite a dramatic effect!
While meandering through the museum we came across impressive pieces of needlepoint in cushions, decorative coverings & panels as well as tent stitched coats of arms from different periods of British and American history.
The colors of these needlepoint pieces were quite brilliant protected inside thick castle walls away from strong lighting....so were the finely woven wall tapestries done in colorful dyed yarns. Considering needlework materials had to be made by hand too as in weaving fabrics, hand dyeing & spinning yarns, etc, it's amazing how much hand stitched needlework has come down through the ages displayed in museums and homes.....a lot of stitching being done thanks to the lack of TV and other modern day distractions.
We also got to ooh and ahh over some very fine needlework tools, etuis, chatelaines, boxes looking more like pieces of fine jewelry than practical needlework tools with glittering precious stones and heavy gold trim.
One of the needle cases we saw the size of a large cigar was made of what looked to be very thin sheets of patterned agate....another had a carnelian stone body covered with gold fretwork. Seeing fine needlework tools in books impresses but they're quite astounding seen in person. I can't imagine these beautiful pieces got much working over as they look pristine, in mint condition.....I read someplace that fine needlework tools & boxes were more about creating impressions than mere use.....imagine a young woman with beautiful tools around her to impress a suitor or a suitor giving a young woman such a gift to impress everyone around and so on.....
For a modern day stitcher, I get to have a sense of past luxury having a pile of overdyed silk flosses, a piece of silk gauze and my Limoges stork scissor case holding a pair of stork scissors and a collection of needles in sterling silver needlecases.....I'm impressed to have such pretty things to work with!
As soon as I can, will embroider a little pic on a piece of black silk gauze.....also with the option of combining embroidery with tent stitching!