New Beginnings!

Today, I have embarked on two exciting projects! Blogging and embroidery!  I'll focus on the embroidery project in this post as my blogging endeavor is still skin and bones, as you can see!

I have always wanted an embroidered alms purse to go with my 14th century kit and figured the winter months would be the perfect time to tackle one.  Currently, it is still in the planning stages (but as I most likely will only ever make one) I want to make sure it's exactly the way I want it!

Example of an alms purse c.1340 at the Museum fuer Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg. (Inv. No. 1956.137/St.21)

As purses of this type were often embroidered with scenes of love and courting, I've chosen to embroider two scenes from the "Roman de la Rose" using the Opus Anglicanum technique.  The first will be of Amor shooting L'Amans with an arrow and the second will be of Deduiz (Pleasure) and Leesce (Joy or Delight, depending on how you translate it) in the garden. My inspiration pieces:

Left: Amor shooting L'Amans with an arrow, University if Chicago, MS 1380.

  Below: Deduiz and Leesce, University if Chicago, MS 1380.



Next - drawing the images onto linen for embroidery!