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The Art & Embroidery of Jan Messent ... and a penguin

 

It's been a funny old Friday.  I started off with a spot of gell printing, but could I produce a single print I liked?  Nah.  Everything came out overly garish or muddy or messy, so I gave in, washed paint off the stencils, wiped the gell plate clean and reverted to needle and thread.  I finished off this silly penguin, a simple 'make' that's based on these equally silly penguins made by ievate and shown on Instagram.  My penguin isn't that different in shape to the snowmen I stitched last year.  I'll add a hanging loop and maybe a few holly leaves and berries, the idea being that it's a penguin Christmas decoration.  (I know that's weird, but why not penguins at Christmas?  Robins can't have it all their own way.)  
As I don't have lots of luscious gell prints to show you, instead I'll treat you to a peek inside this book instead.  It's a library copy, 'Celtic, Viking & Anglo-Saxon Embroidery'.  First published back in 2010, and the author's Jan Messent, a member of the Embroidery Guild.  She's written various books, including one about the Bayeux Tapestry.  
The content includes masses of detailed colour photographs showing Jan Messent's incredibly accomplished work and her interpretations of historical embroidery.  
This is fabulous, isn't it?  Her depiction of 'The Isle of Lewis Queen', the original chess set dating from the 12th century.  A description next to this photo states this was sewn on a cotton background and there's Bayeux stitch, couched gold thread, plus long and short stitch that are used.  She's definitely captured the Queen's rather mournful expression.  
This piece is called 'Morwenna's tasselled sleeve' and is featured in a section about the Celts.  'I imagined Morwenna to be a typical Cornish girl, dark-haired and fond of deep reds and gold ... This panel is mostly on silk using stitches known in the tenth century.'  Morwenna appears in Cornish folklore as well as medieval Welsh literature, and her name means 'maiden'.  Also, 'waves of the sea' which is wonderfully romantic, isn't it?  I love the way Jan Messent has made this fragment of embroidery look as if it's genuinely ancient and time-worn.  
This is called the Dressing-Up Book.  It's inspiration is Anglo-Saxon.  While 'Celtic, Viking & Anglo-Saxon Embroidery' isn't a traditional how-to craft book - there are no patterns to follow or step by step instructions - there's enough info to give you a good insight into how creations like this are made.  The Dressing-Up Book features felt reverse applique on its covers and the fastenings are a combination of felt tubes, painted wooden rods, lucet-braided cord and various coloured beads.  
The fabric on this needlecase has been deliberately torn and shredded to give it an ancient Celtic textile look.  The printed design was cut from a tea towel, which is a nifty bit of upcycling, don't you agree?  Pelmet-weight Vilene's been used to stiffen the cover and tea-dyed tea towel used for pockets on the inside.  An odd earring's been used as an embellishment too.  
Finally, if you enjoy slow-stitching then these four tags should be right up your street. I love them.  So much detail crammed on to these small sample cards which are tucked into another handmade fabric book.  I think I'm going to try emulating at least one of these tags, my little tribute to an amazingly talented craftswoman.  Ms Messent, I salute you!  

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