[Ek_fiber] Fwd: [Fwd: [AT] Mary Queen of Scot's embroideries- reclassified!]

Sun Jun 26 15:08:28 CDT 2005

I thought some of our members might find this interesting.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ruth Burkowsky <rl.burkowsky at computer.org>
Date: Jun 23, 2005 6:50 PM
Subject: [Fwd: [AT] Mary Queen of Scot's embroideries- reclassified!]
To: Lindy Sanford <lindysanford at gmail.com>

FYI

Ruth

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        [AT] Mary Queen of Scot's embroideries- reclassified!
Date:   Thu, 23 Jun 2005 01:13:36 -0400 (EDT)
From:   LadyCellach at aol.com
Reply-To:       Athena's Thimble Discussion List <thimble at lists.eastkingdom.org>
To:     thimble at lists.eastkingdom.org

Greetings all! As many of you all know I went to London last year on the
Thimble trip. While there I took particular interest in the embroideries
done by Mary Queen of Scots. I had believed that they were all done in
cross-stitch, not in tent stitch as many sources list. After looking a
the pieces closely, I was able to clearly see that they were all done in
cross-stitch.  I wrote to the curator of textiles of the V&A with my
findings and they took another look at the embroideries and were able to
confirm that they were done in cross-stitch!  They are
currently reclassifying them to cross-stitch, but it will take a bit of
time due to the cost involved. I just got a e-mail back from them two
weeks ago and thought I would share this information with the group. I
find this to be good news for the many cross-stitch fans out there who
are looking for more sources for documentation and ideas for period
cross-stitch. Below is a copy of the e-mail sent by me and the relpy I got.
Cellach

Dear Ms Bent,

I replied to your original email in October 2004 and I assume that it
must have got lost in cyberspace.

I and a colleague studied some of the embroideries belonging to the so
called Oxburgh hangings, of which some is attributed to Mary Queen of
Scots, after your first e-mail, and you are right. A majority of them
have been worked in cross-stitch, but there are also examples of mixed
techniques in both tent and cross stitch.

We did put in requests at the time to add cross stitch to the labels in
the galleries and also other information sources, such as the web page,
but I am sure you can understand that this can be a lengthy process (and
also unfortunately a costly affair).

Thank you again for drawing our attention to this label and we
appreciate your interest in the Museum.

Yours sincerely,

Helen Persson
Assistant Curator
Textiles & Fashion
Victoria & Albert Museum
Telephone: 020 7942 2679
Fax: 020 7942 2678

 >>> <LadyCellach at aol.com> 03/06/2005 20:52:34 >>>
Greetings! This is the second time I am sending this missive. I had the

privilege of being able to visit your wonderful museum in March of
2004. While
there I took particular interest in the embroideries done by Mary Queen
of Scots
due to my love for the pieces. While studying them up close,  I have

noticed that they are done in cross stitch, not in tent stitch as your
webpage
lists and thought it might be important to point out to you in hopes
that the
pieces can be labeled with their correct stitches.
I also bought a postcard in the museum shop of the elephant  panel. The

description reads "Oxburgh Hanging (detail), c. 1570 Linen  canvas
embroidered with
silk in tent stitch." I examined the postcard with a  magnifying
glass and it
can be clearly seen that the piece was definitely done  in
cross-stitch. I
ask you to please look at the postcard to verify my  statements.
    I had come to the conclusion that all the pieces were  done in
cross-stitch from my independent research on the pieces. I took
particular interest in
these pieces while I was in England to verify  my belief on this. I
have seen
the embroideries as being listed as  tent stitch in many of the books I
own,
but in recreating one of Mary's  embroideries I noticed that the
stitches were
cross-stitch from a photo I have  in the book pictured in The
Needlework of
Mary Queen of Scots by Margaret  Swain. The embroidery is also listed
as being
done in cross-stitch in the  book.(as a hobby I recreate historical
embroideries and belong to a historically  based needlework guild)
 From my research on these  embroideries, I believe this "bad
information"
originated with Bess Shrewsbury's  inventory of Hardwick Hall in
1601. She
listed the embroideries as being done in  "petit point." In period
"petit point"
meant small stitches. In modern  needlework language "petit point"
is a term
describing tent stitch. Somewhere  along the line these embroideries
were
mislabeled as being done in tent stitch  and it has stuck.
Another reason why they may have been so  commonly mislabeled probably
had to
do with the silk used to embroider them.  When I examined the panels
closely,
I could see that the silk used was smooth  filament silk and not
twisted like
modern silk. The threads lay so flat that the  top stitch of the cross

spreads more and covers most of the bottom stitches.  This makes it
harder to notice
that these embroideries were done in  cross-stitch. I am positive in
what I
saw though and would ask you to please  take a closer look at these
pieces and
re-label them.
  I must end with saying my trip to your museum was the highlight of
our
trip to England. I went with 17 other embroiderers and to be able to
spend  all
day in the textile study room was fascinating! I learned more in a day
than  I
have in years of reading books. I so wish we had a museum like yours
here in
the States. I will look forward to coming back in the year 2006.
Sincerely,
Catherine Bent
306 S. Penn St.
Clifton Heights PA 19018 USA
(610)284-5032

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