-It occurred to me that I'm doing all this work, and I hadn't really said anything about it.

I've been researching Historical Embroidery, and Elizabethan Embroidery in particular since the beginning of the year, and have created several large Word documents as a result.

I thought I'd describe these files to show what I've done, because I think I've done a lot of hard work! :-). The information is mostly from the SCA, and some from museums and a little is a page or two scanned from books.

NeedlenThread.com,
The Plymouth Embroiderer's Story,
Filum Aureum,
the Lochac Broiderer's newsletter,
Stefan's Floregium,
searches through various embroidery on-line groups archives and
the Bayrose site

have also been wonderful resources.

Unfortunately, I can't share these notes because of copyright issues, but I thought that I'd tell you what was in them anyway, so you can see what I've been doing in the lead up to designing and making my Historical Sampler......

Edit : I can send you the hyperlinks to this information - just not the actual text

Firstly, Historical Design.

I think the most valuable parts of this file are the close ups of elizabethan and stumpwork I've found, and pictures from pattern books on-line. All the sweetbags I've been able to find as well.

Elizabethan Shapes

This contains images of elements used in elizabethan design that I don't have instructions that accompany them. Leaves, Roses, Carnations, FoxGlove etc etc. I'm currently using Photoshop to crop various elements from pictures in Historical Design - individual flowers and such. Keeping track of which flower/leaf etc comes from where is going to be quite a management job (these are coming from museum images from on-line and books). I'll change them when I embroider them anyway - this file is to 'learn the style (and colours used) in detail'

Stitching for Elements

This file contains elements for which I do have embroidery instructions for. A lot of it is from Mrs Archibald's "Tapestry and Embroidery".

Historical Embroidery Notes

Ok, this and the next one is where most of my work have gone. I've been teaching myself this information prior to developing the files above more. (The files above are still 30Mb or more)

I'll put down the headings in the file, with some sub-headings where they are particuarly interesting. I won't do them all, or I'll be here forever.

Elizabethan Canvaswork
Stumpwork

• History

• Stitches

• Bibliography

Elizabethan Raised Embroidery

• Materials

• Stitches and Methods

Couching
An Introduction to Metallic Thread Couching

• History

• Uses

Pearl Embroidery

• Russian Pearl Embroidery

• Uses of Pearls in Period

Bead Embroidery
Needlelace
Spangles/Paillettes
Bezants
Pattern Books
Flowers in Design
Digby on Flowers
Elizabethan Design

Items
Samplers
Sweetbags
Pouches
Slips
Embroidery Book Covers
Netherland Book Cover in White Silk
Mary's Communion BookCover
Queen Mary's Embroidery
Cushion covers
Coifs
Carpets

Materials
Fabric
Linen
Silk

Elizabethan Colours
Period Sewing Techniques
Period Stitches
History of Specific Stitches

(phew!)

and lastly, Practical Embroidery, which is a general 'how to' that is the accompaniment to Historical Embroidery Notes. It's a huge document, and I'll put in a few of the main headings

Stitch Encyclopaedias
Colour charts
Fabrics
Spangles/Paillettes
Buttons
Bead Embroidery
Pearls
Opus Anglicanum
Or Nue
Pattern Design
Pattern Transfer
Needles
Stitches (this is a huge section)
Laid Work
Metallic Laid Work
Stumpwork Stitches
Silk Thread