Help to Identify This Work

I went to pick my things up at the fair, and the "best in show" was this:

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have never seen this work before in my life and I thought it was stunning. Can anybody tell me what it is, what it's called, how to do it, and/or where to get a book on how to do it? I'm dying to learn this... Thanks bunches!

LG

PS...I was very impressed by the level of craftsmanship I saw there. We might be a dying breed, but we're going slowly.

Reply to
lizard-gumbo
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and she's had articles specifically on monograms, padded satin stitch, shadow embroidery, and so forth. Inspirations magazine also has projects with this sort of work pretty frequently.

Hope this helps a bit, Ericka

Reply to
Ericka Kammerer

What beautiful workmanship. It includes beading, smocking, and padded whitework. May also include hand sewing (tucks, seams, lace, etc), but that's unclear from the picture. It may have been machine sewn.

In *today's* language, it falls under the heading of "heirloom sewing", but also is referred to as plain and fancy (that's an old term). It's just a style that incorporates several different techniques.

To answer your question, you'd have to learn several techniques to produce the results you see. :-) The most difficult would be the padded whitework and the roll/whip (if it was hand sewn).

Dianne

lizard-gumbo wrote:

Reply to
Dianne Lewandowski

-- Jenn Ridley : snipped-for-privacy@chartermi.net WIP: FrankenFauna, Morning Glory, NoshiRibbons, Emperor's Coat II Most recently Finished: Water Lilies, Be Mine, Honey I Shrunk the Heart Stitching log:

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Reply to
Jenn Ridley

When I first looked at it and posted, I didn't notice the shadow embroidery. But you and Erika are correct, and it's pretty obvious. Sorry I missed it.

Now, where did you find the trapunto? That's a form of quilting and I didn't notice any. :-) The bodice looks like smocking to me (at the sides, the middle is plain).

Dianne

Reply to
Dianne Lewandowski

Phew! I see what you mean - stunning indeed!

Pat P

Reply to
Pat P

It's possible that the shells and scrolls are done in standard embroidery, but they look a little more like trapunto than surface embroidery.

As I understand it, trapunto doesn't have to be part of all-over quilting. It can be a simple as channel-stitching a motif and then drawing a heavy thread/light yarn through the channel from behind. When a piece is already shadow embroidered, highlighting a motif with trapunto is a trivial step.

-- Jenn Ridley : snipped-for-privacy@chartermi.net WIP: FrankenFauna, Morning Glory, NoshiRibbons, Emperor's Coat II Most recently Finished: Water Lilies, Be Mine, Honey I Shrunk the Heart Stitching log:

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Reply to
Jenn Ridley

I wouldn't stake my life, but I'm pretty sure those are padded satin stitch, which would be in keeping with the rest of the techniques.

Best wishes, Ericka

Reply to
Ericka Kammerer

I'm with Jenn on the trapunto. Look at the close up photo, the scrolls that start just under the cross. Follow them around to the bottom end of the S. The very end flares ever so slightly as if the fabric was pulled on itself.

The outer ribbons look appliqued. If you follow the lines when they cross other work, you can notice the other work underneath.

But it is very finely executed. I can see why it won best in show. Tara

Reply to
Tara D

I don't think that's the fabric flaring. I think the scroll widens into a little "bulb" at the end. The sheen of the scrolls is different, which makes me think it is more likely padded satin stitch.

That could well be. I was thinking shadow work from the first picture, but when I found the closeup underneath, it does look more like applique. I can't see the backstitch on the front, nor any of the crosshatching behind that I'd expect from shadow work (though I think the bird might be shadow embroidery).

Best wishes, Ericka

Reply to
Ericka Kammerer

Truly inspiring! I'm glad to know we still have artists in our midst. Phyllis Maurer

Reply to
Phylis Maurer

From what I can remember of my first impressions, I do not believe anything was appliqued.

I remember wondering how she got the fabric to pop out dimensionally like that without stitching ON TOP, because there was very little satin stitching.

From the descriptions of trapunto and shadowing, I'd say that's probably what it was, because nothing was laid on top and appliqued down.

Reply to
lizard-gumbo

It is very difficult, from fuzzy pictures, to tell exactly what is being done. There definitely is padded satin stitch (the "S" scrolls are worked in this manner). There is definitely some smocking on the bodice. There are bullion roses, and the birds are shadow embroidery. Since very fine shadow embroidery, and its resultant back stitch on the surface, would be difficult to "see" in these photos, it's too difficult to tell exactly what technique was used for the ribbons.

The shells are not trapunto. And indeed, it would be unlikely to use that technique in this "genre" of needlework. It is probably trialings, as is the cross and several other design elements. Or, it could be whipped stem, also common in this work by those less skilled.

Always fun to try to figure out embroidery from pictures. :-) Dianne

lizard-gumbo wrote:

Reply to
Dianne Lewandowski

It was such fine work, I wanted to find the person and congratulate her, then pick her brains, but I wouldn't know how to contact her if I even knew her name.

In the meantime, I'm off to attempt to learn some of this heirloom stuff. I never even knew it existed, but then, the craftswomen in my family are 1) quilter and baker (and reluctant needleworker), 2) crocheter and baker (and reluctant needleworker), and 3) seamstress and dollmaker (and non-needleworker). So you see, I'm kind of on my own here, as I don't care for their arts much and can't blame them for not caring for mine.

Thank you, ladies, so much, for your input. You've given me some invaluable leads. I'm sorry the pictures didn't come out so well. I wasn't sure how they would with the digital.

Reply to
lizard-gumbo

it looks like "candlewicking"; i've seen it on that Sew Beautiful pbs show w/martha pullen....

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." (Matt. 5:5-9) =A0 Inspired

Reply to
ritalowy2

When I picked up embroidery after years of neglecting the art, this was the first type that I pursued. Martha Pullen's magazine "Sew Beautiful" (I've written two articles for them) was my inspiration. Then "Inspirations".

You might want to try your hand at smocking, which (like cross stitch) includes "picture" smocking as well as the beautiful geometric patterning. I never ventured much into smocking, so it's not one of my forte's, but I enjoyed the couple of pieces that I did.

Dianne

lizard-gumbo wrote:

Reply to
Dianne Lewandowski

Candlewicking is knotted stitches. I didn't notice any knotted work. There was one area that looked like chain stitching, but I doubt that's what it was. So hard to tell from the photo. Wish I could see these two gowns up close and personal.

Dianne

snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net wrote:

Reply to
Dianne Lewandowski

Just one gown, but I found how it was listed on the fair website:

DAYGOWN W/ DRAWN THREADWORK/SHADOW

I also found the artist's name. I think I'm going to try to contact her, if possible.

Reply to
LizzieB.

From the original link, there were two gowns. The front one had the blue ribbon and the "fair" tag. The one behind had bead work and it, too, looked lucious.

I hope you're able to find the needleworker. I didn't see anything on this gown that was remotely related to drawn threadwork!

Dianne

LizzieB. wrote:

Reply to
Dianne Lewandowski

Ah, yes, you're right. I didn't think it was that visible. That was cutwork and beads, although I neglected to get a picture of it. Yes, you're right. It was luscious too.

I didn't either, but the entrants wrote their own descriptions. Who knows? In any case, I'm going to bug all the people on Switchboard with that lady's last name and see if I can't track her down.

Reply to
lizard-gumbo

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