Still Deciding 💛🌿

                        Antique , vintage or new ?   

                                  I can't make up my mind . 

   I really wanted to use these beautiful antique silk threads on something special . 

All wound with such care on to these old calling cards and party invitations .  

         

Pearsall's  .....just so gorgeous and was once considered the best !  I don't think they  make embroidery thread anymore . Maybe just silk thread for chaps who do fly fishing .....not sure  ? I don't have much of Pearsall's silk threads .

Beautiful DevereYarns and gorgeous Piper's Silk ...not sure if I have the right shade of yellow/gold .

Au ver a soie Paris .. I like .....but only have red at the moment ....don't want to buy any more .

So far I have used Silkmill ..... I love it ! Love Love Love it ! 

 If I were to use it , would I have enough ?

 I'm not sure and if I were to run out , the shop has been temporarily closed , so I would not be able to get any more of the same 😔

    Could I mix them all up ?  You wouldn't ...  but I might ... maybe . . . . . 

               Angel wings ......  

                        Angel wings it is !  Lovely Japanese silk thread !

                    I think I'm pretty much settled on my choices now .

                  Now all I need is peace and quiet and lots of time  . 

                                                      🌿🤍🌿

 

Sorting and Choosing Silk Threads 🌿🦋

 

Deciding which silk thread to use . New . Vintage . Antique .

I'd really like to use the antique threads , but I'm not sure if I have enough  .

                                               Just thinking about it  ........   🤔

                                                              🌿🦋🌿

🌘 Late Night Stitching 🐻🧸

                                                                    🌿🕊️🌿

Angel Playing a Rebec Embroidery - Hands 🕊️🌿

 

                                                               🌿🕊️🌿

Angel Playing a Rebec Embroidery - face

 I did a bit of research and it seems that there is actually another instrument that is more like the one in the stained glass window fragment and that is a "Rebab ".

The fourteenth century Rebab has two rosettes and is more like this shape . It also has three strings and played with a bow .

The Rebec also has three strings but is smaller and more pear shaped and only one rosette .

A Rebab is fourteenth century , so possibly making the stained glass window fragment even earlier  .

However !    There are hundreds of stringed instruments across the middle east and well ...everywhere really !

Anyway ....

 I have almost finished embroidering the Angel's face . 

 It is very hot here today , they say it will be the hottest day of this heatwave . It will still be hot over the weekend  and maybe thunderstorms next week .

I am finding it very uncomfortable , especially at night trying to sleep in this heat .

                      Love and Peace  🕊️

                                Debbie 💐x

Angel Playing a Rebec - completed stage one

 

                  

 Yes , I think I am ready to start now ........ 

                                                               ..... well ....... tomorrow !

                                               🌿🕊️🌿

Angel Playing a Rebec - continuing

 

                 Another fiercely hot day right from the crack of dawn !

I spent the morning sitting in the summerhouse continuing with my embroidery .

It is a very interesting instrument , the rebec . A little bit lute ,a little bit mandolin , a little bit violin . Pear shaped , rounded back .....only three strings !  Can be played with the bow , up on the shoulder under the chin or resting on the lap  . 

In the stained glass window fragment , it appears to have two rosettes , the openings over the sound box part of the instrument . I am sure that it would probably only have one rosette and the one at the bottom would be where the strings were attached . The three strings are shown but no nuts at the top and they just disappear at the bottom . I am wondering how well the artist actually knew the instrument or maybe they didn't want to put too much detail into the picture .

Maybe back in the fifteenth century there was such a thing as a rebec with two rosettes . Anyway I am embroidering it as it is on the stained glass window ....with two rosettes . 

The Angel appears to be left handed ......or maybe the glass is back to front .

I had hoped to start putting in some colour , but I still have more of it to prepare first .

   And for all those who for some strange reason always ask to see the back .....

                       There you go !

   Is it untidy enough for you ?    It's going to get a whole lot worse ! 

                            

                              You're gonna love it !

         No ...I don't use a hoop .... 

                                         .......but I do use a gold needle !

                              That's all fer today folks 🪡

                                          🌿🕊️🌿

                                          

Angel playing a Rebec

I didn't sleep well last night and apart from washing sheets , watering the vegetable garden and checking everything in the greenhouse was o.k. 

 I gave myself a more restful day with more time for myself . 

     Still thinking about which threads to use . 

 A part of me wants to stitch it in crewel wool ... hmmm... but I have decided ,  I'm going to use silk  .

It's just a matter of deciding which....anyway , I still have plenty of time to decide .

To begin with  , I am just going to go over all my sketching lines with some plain black ordinary sewing cotton .

              Sitting on the lawn in the shade , a pleasant afternoon .

Once I have done that , I will be able to roll it up and take it out on our travels .

Pop it into my bag  and I can just do a little now and then , here and there .

             The evening too , was spent stitching away in the summerhouse . 

  I can't wait to throw in some colour !  Maybe tomorrow  💛   

                                              🌿☀️🌿

Angel Playing a Rebec Embroidery ,

 

Presently, I am simply embroidering over the preliminary sketch and deciding which silk threads to use . Mostly shades of ivory and yellow and black .

I have some antique silk threads tucked away which I might use . 

                            Angel playing a Rebec  

So I found out that this is a fragment of a stained glass window , made during the first half of the fifteenth century . It was sold to the V&A Museum from a gentleman by the name of George Oakes of Stamford Lincolnshire . It seems they don't know which church or chapel it comes from .

 I agreed to not use it for any commercial reason and I have named the source etc.       The Ceramics collection in the V&A Museum . 

This item is part of the museum's ""Order an Object Service"  you make a list of items you wish to see , then book an appointment to go and view . 

 I've been so busy in my vegetable garden , so please forgive that I have not done much more . 

I will try and find more time to sit and stitch now that most of the work has been done in the garden .

      Did I just say that most of the work has been done in the garden ? !!!

                                 Peace and Love 🕊️

                                             Debbie  💐x

Another Angel embroidery 🌿

 I'm back !  I have been really busy in my vegetable garden . So busy that I have had no time to myself to sit and do my embroidery .

However , I have made a jolly good start out there , everything planted out and now the sun has returned after weeks of mizzle and fog .

There is nothing more to be done except the watering of everything early in the morning ...and hopefully soon be harvesting some lovely fresh produce .

Happy Summer Solstice to you ...or Happy Winter Solstice if you happen to live "down under " .

Here on the Lizard Cornwall it is hot hot hot ! Too hot for me ! 

So now I plan to put my feet up , sit in the shade and pick up my embroidery once again .

I have put aside the Pocket Prayer Oratory for a little while , because I have been feeling inspired to embroider another Angel .  It is from a medieval stained glass window .

I came across it on Pinterest . It didn't say which church it is from . I am on a mission to find out .

 Anyway I love it and am going to embroider it .

I love embroidering Angels .  I feel their presence , their invisible influence when I'm stitching them .

 Been sorting out all my needles , linen and silk threads .

 I made a simple sketch of the Angel onto my linen with a pencil taping the linen and the picture onto a window .

 I'm just using plain ordinary sewing cotton to go over the outline before I begin to embroider with my lovely silk thread .

                       I always start with the face .

 I will continue to stitch over these lines and eventually I'll be able to roll it up and take it out with me on our travels . 

                                     Peace and Love 🕊️

                                            Debbie x

Sacred Heart of Jesus ❤️‍🔥miniature embroidery finished

 

I added a little touch of gold on the Crucifix and I think I will leave it there now .

                                                              🌿🕊️🌿