I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more
Contact Mary
I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more
Contact Mary
October 4, 2006
Here’s a photo of one complete side of the stole featured previously. Only two types of stitches are used: satin stitch and stem stitch. The embroidery is worked in soie d’alger on gold Italian silk.
The piece has not been steamed yet, so the wrinkles that are evident will be gone once I’m ready to assemble the whole thing. I used a scroll frame with the sides laced to supply tension.
You can see close ups of the various elements of the stole here.
Your stole is awe-inspiring. It’s wonderful to see a picture of the elements as a whole (or half, I suppose!).
It makes me happy to see that this level of workmanship has not been lost to the ages. You make this beginner straighten her spine! Thank you.
Thanks for sharing a full shot of the stole! Good luck on finishing the other side!
I followed the link to this gorgeous work from Sharon Boggon’s website. Your stitching is absolutely beautiful!
I’m absolutely mind-boggled at this beautifully executed design.
I came over from a link on Sharon B’s blog..
Your work is so beautiful…such fine work!
This is truly amazing. *stunned and reverent silence* If I weren’t a bloke I’d get in to embroidering right away, but I fear I’d be stitched up before beginning. Keep up the good work!
Just beautiful… and inspiring.
This is beautiful!!! I am new when it comes to embroidery but you certainly have given me more reason to keep practicing….thank u for all that you have shared with us.
Thanks, Sharon! I’m glad you like it. Keep practicing! Embroidery’s a wonderful art and a great way to unwind!
Your stole is amazing!!! I have just stumbled onto your site and can’t seem to quit browsing. My husband (all man, all Marine) has even been looking over my shoulder and likes your work.
THanks
Christy
Thanks, Christy! Welcome aboard! I’m glad to hear you (and hubby) are enjoying your browsing…
Mary
just WOW!!! .. Amazing work Mary!.. I loved the color combination and design too…
I’m new to ur website.. I started browsing only from y’day.. its very informative.. Thanks for posting valuable info.. this is inspiring me to re-start my hobby that I had left ages ago.. 🙂
Hi, Kavitha –
Welcome aboard! Glad to hear you’re taking up embroidery again! Thanks for your comment!
Best,
Mary
WOW…that's all I can say, now seeing the entire piece!
You are truly an inspiring artist. I remember the tranquility I felt when I embroidered years ago. Time for me to experience that Peace again.
Thanks Mary for freely sharing your gift!
Linda
Hi Mary, stumbled on to your website and am really glad I did. The Stole is absolutely awe inspiring. I have gazed at it, and gazed at it….and passed the link on to friends. Any chance of posting the line drawing of the design? I am thinking I want to attempt a section or two.
Have found the video tutorials also really good.
Hi, Thanks for your comment!
I have one section of it available in the embroidery patterns list. Here's the link:
Stole Section
I'm afraid it's not too well drawn!
If you like the style, you might like the current goldwork project I'm working on – here's a link to the most recent post in the series, and at the end of that post, you'll find a link to the pattern for the design I'm using, which is similar to the various parts of the stole:
Current Goldwork Project
I hope that helps!
Thanks again,
MC
dont know if my previous attempt to ask quesions about this stole- is the color actually an ecru- that is named ‘gold’ italian silk? it appears a soft off white. how did you transfer pattern on this delicate material? also, i assume that you backed this with muslin? what did you use for interfacing? finally, do you have pictures of the scroll frame with sides laced- are you actually using a slate frame that the finished work is rolled
up and then sides laced?
kr
Hi, Karen – the color is a soft gold – more gold than off-white. I transferred the pattern using dressmaker’s carbon in white. There was enough contrast between the soft gold and the white to see the lines quite well. I didn’t back with muslin, but if I were doing it again, I would. The silk is very thick (it’s a silk satin). No, I don’t have any photos of the laced frame – this is quite an old piece, before I was taking step-by-step photos. No, it’s a scroll frame, not a slate frame. At the time I was working on this, slate frames were impossible to find in the US. So I used a scroll frame and laced the side, as you would with a slate frame.
Hope that helps!
~MC
This is absolutely stunning – is it a one-off or can I get the pattern somewhere? I would absolutely love to do this.
grazie per tutto quello che mi da,lei è meravigliosa
Can I buy the pattern for this “silk on silk, satin stitch – complete stole?
Hi, Betty – I don’t have a complete pattern for this, I’m afraid. I hand drew it from an old stole years ago, and never turned it into a complete pattern. I don’t even know where the hand-drawn version is, but I plan to look for it when I sort some storage stuff later this spring. :-/
I’ve been waiting to see the finished stole! Did it ever make it to completion?
No, it didn’t.
I’ll tell you what happened:
I was about a third the way up the second half of the stole. The fabric was laced on an embroidery frame. One evening, some family friends dropped by unexpectedly, and I didn’t have a chance to get everything squirreled away as I normally would have when having company.
They had two children with them (under 4 yrs old), whom they were placating with m&m’s.
I focused on keeping the children out of the room where the embroidery was, but the grandmother that was with then wanted to see the stole in progress.
I said she was welcome to see it, but that it was better if the kids didn’t come into the room. They were both still in the finger-sucking years, they were going full bore on the m&m’s, and their hands were a sticky mess.
I showed it to the gal. While we were talking in that separate room, her grandkid decided she wanted to see what we were talking about. So the gal beckoned her in to stop the tantrum. I remonstrated as firmly as I could thought polite: “No no, the kids really shouldn’t be around this!” I said. But before I knew it, the gal had picked up the frame and was bending down, showing it to her gooey-fingered grandchild. “See how beautiful it is,” she said to this three-year-old who could have absolutely no appreciation for – or interest in – the embroidery, aside from its being an object to touch.
Everything went into slow motion. I tried to reach for the frame just as the kid reached out her slobbery, chocolatey hand … and smeared it down the top of the embroidery.
I admit it was very hard to be gracious after that. The gal was certainly apologetic, but I have no idea what she was thinking by putting the embroidery frame within reach of an out-of-control child who was slobbering m&m juice.
It was impossible to clean it.
And that was the end of that project. I never went back to it.
I certainly learned a very good lesson, though. I have no problem now drawing very definite boundaries around my work. 🙂