V and A Museum band embroidery

Accession number 1175-1900 at the V&A Museum

The textile can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum, dated during the Mamluk era in Egypt. It is plain woven linen embroidered in double running stitch using silk. The Museum states it was found in El-Azam, or Upper Egypt.

I have charted the design for use. In it I have also broken down the repeated main motif, which should help the main complex section. I also put in more of the smaller bands around the main motif, as there is a modern looking cut through the textile at the top & it is very likely the smaller bands would be repeated.

Let me know what you think!

vandabandsDownload

Classes I taught earlier in the year

Earlier in the year I taught at the Politarchopolis University online. I taught a class on the history of Mamluk embroidery, and thought to share them here too. I have them saved as pdf documents.

Egyptian Mamluk embroidery pdf
Mamluk Egyptian charts & reading pdf

Happy to answer any questions!

13th century embroidered tunic front

This tunic is plain woven linen embroidered in double running stitch in black and red silk, made in Egypt. Unfortunately there are no dimensions available. There is no round section visible for the neck itself, the textile seems neatly cut across the top. I am unsure of how the decorations would go around the neck, since it is a square design. It is currently in the Cooper Hewitt, Accession Number 1971-50-13

I have charted it up for use.
chtunic13thcent PDF
Have fun!

New chart with sample of embroidery

This textile can be found in the Ashmolean Museum, Accession number EA 1984.564.

It is a ground cloth of tabby woven linen, embroidered with red and blue silk in a double running stitch. It is 26.5 cm by 7.5 cm, with a rolled and whipped stitch hem in silk. On the far right of the textile looks to be a pattern darned section, but there is not enough of the design left to see.

I have charted up the design in a pdf format-
ashmoleanzigzagswithhooks PDF

I usually ask everyone who reads this blog to try out the pattern themselves here, but this time I have tried it myself & have pictures to show off! There is a very obvious mistake, left in the middle.

The start.

Reaching the end.

Completed, with obvious mistake in the middle. Not the complete pattern, but I ran out of time.

The pattern was embroidered onto a handkerchief that was given to King Niall III and Queen Sabine I, at the William Marshal Memorial Tourney in Stormhold.

A textile in the V&A

This textile was made in Egypt between 1250 and 1500 C.E. It is linen, embroidered with red silk in two distinct patterns. It is 14 cm by 19 cm. There are two rolled hems on the left and right sides. It is thought that it is a possible scarf or girdle. The textile is in the V&A Museum, Accession number 804-1898. The embroidery at the bottom of the textile is almost the same design as a textile in the Ashmolean, which can be read about in a previous post “A new embroidery chart with chevrons and diamond shapes”.

I have charted the top design. It is available as a pdf.
vandazigzags PDF

Let me know how you find it!

A textile with chevrons

This textile was made in Egypt between the 10th-15th century C.E. It is 21.5 cm long and 19 cm wide(the embroidery is 13 cm). It is linen embroidered in blue flax. The textile is in the Ashmolean Museum Accession number EA1984.539.

I have charted it up. It is available for download as a pdf-
ashmoleanzigzag (PDF)
Instead of asking how everyone else finds the chart, I did a handkerchief as a gift to Their Majesties Rowland and Tailltiu.
Have fun!

A homemade sampler

This sampler is one have been working on the last few months. It is based on Mamluk samplers I have charted over the years, which are available for download on the Embroidery charts page.

I had written up documentation, which may be of interest. It is available as a pdf.
WCoBsamplerentry PDF

It was done for a competition for the Worshipful Company of Broderers in the Kingdom of Lochac. For the Lochac Kingdom event of 12th Night, the topic of the competition was working sampler. I won! The item has also been graded as a masterwork.

A wave embroidery

This textile is Egyptian, made between the 10th-15th century C.E. It is a base fabric of plain woven linen, embroidered in double running stitch in blue and brown silk.

The textile is 21 cm high by 18.5 cm wide, with three rolled hems. It is likely that this is a decorated end of a larger textile, possibly a sash. The textile is currently in the Ashmolean Museum.

There is not much left of the original embroidery, so I extrapolated what the chart would be completely filled.

ashmoleanwave PDF

Please let me know if there are any issues downloading the PDF.

A new zigzag embroidery

This textile can be found in the Textile Museum of Canada, Accession number T88.0029. It is thought to have been made the 13th and 15th century C.E. of plain woven linen embroidered in blue or black silk. The textile is 33 cm long and 17.5 cm wide.

Unfortunately the embroidery on the far right of the textile has been destroyed, so is not easily charted. There is evidence of more of the zigzags, but little of anything else. I have charted up the design. It can be downloaded in pdf format. Let me know how it goes!

tmczigzag PDF

Back for this year!

I am sorry about not posting this year. My husband and I have just stepped up as Baron and Baroness of our group. There was much frantic sewing and organising.

Since this challenge has been overcome, I will provide a new chart on this blog to challenge you!

This textile was made in Egypt, between the 10th-15th century C.E. It is plain woven linen, size 12 cm by 17.5 cm, and embroidered in blue flax. There is a selvedge on the right side of the textile. It can be found in the Ashmolean Museum EA 1984.560

I have charted it up, but the less than whole textile shows that there was another “zigzag” design at the bottom (there is a crescent seen on the bottom left). I am unable to work out if another full zigzag was done, or a repeat on the capping zigzag. I look forward to hearing your opinions on it!

ashmoleanchevronsandtrefoils PDF