Carrickmacross Lace

I wanted to learn this form of lace because these techniques can be used to make beautiful embellishments to communion or wedding veils.

The base layer is a net, with organdie laid on top. The design is then applied using a series of couching stitches and then the organdie is cut away in the background areas to expose the mesh. A fine thread is weaved in between the net to create a lacy look. This creates an illusion of depth and layering of the design (i.e. foreground, middle-ground and background). It’s finished off with a few eyelets in the mesh and loops around the edges to give it a nice finished border.    

Here I have used the harp and shamrock pattern designed by the Carrickmacross Lace Gallery in Co. Monaghan, Ireland.

Traditional samplers are making a comeback!

Traditionally, embroidery and cross-stitch techniques were taught by making samplers of a variety of stitches on a linen canvas. The focus was on technique and accuracy, rather than design. The sampler method also develops the inner virtues of patience and diligence. This is the reason I use this method to teach embroidery in my children’s classes.

Samplers also give you the opportunity to play around with the stitch to create different effects, for example; by varying the thread thickness (adding more or less strands of thread in the needle), adding multiple colours of thread in the needle to create a mottled or shaded effect and by playing around with the pattern size. This in turn, enables you as the designer to make better, informed decisions in the design phase of your work. Modern teaching methods go straight to the design phase and skip this very important stage in learning development.

Samplers are also beautiful in their own right; they can be framed and hung or used as a fireplace guard or screen. They are also collector’s items – I have seen several being sold at antique fairs around the country. Some samplers can simply be a Bible quote or poem.

Repairing a chasuble for the feast of the Sacred Heart

Every now and again I’m asked to repair a really stunning chasuble. With old vestments, critical decisions need to be made regarding how much you repair and ‘make good’ with what’s there and how much you replace entirely.  Thankfully, in this case the goldwork embroidery was in pretty good condition and the only part that was worn was the area at the bottom, which is held frequently by the altar server. In this case I discreetly placed a piece of matching coloured silk underneath the tear and delicately sewed it together.

My vintage 1914 Singer 99K

Recently I decided I wanted to invest in a vintage Singer for my studio.  A manual machine (non-electric) was a must! A friend put me in touch with Lizzie Lenard who helped me find this beautiful machine, a 1914 Singer 99K. She has wrote this very detailed article about it’s components and fixtures. It’s been beautifully cleaned and will be a wonderful addition to my studio. I have attached Lizzie’s article below:

http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.com/2020/10/1914-singer-99k.html

Lace-making at home (Torchon lace)

I have been learning a form of bobbin lace called Torchon lace. This is a very useful technique for making edgings for mantillas or altar cloths. I have used a Belgian straw filled pillow and English Midland Bobbins.

I have also been teaching lace to homeschooling families and children.

Article by the Royal School of Needlework

Read about my journey to embroidery from the discovery of the Traditional Latin Mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady in Walsingham, Norfolk, to the Royal School of Needlework.

https://royal-needlework.org.uk/rsn-diploma-graduate-claire-fitzgerald/

The pomegranate cope

The pomegranate is a medieval symbol of resurrection and eternal life. It is often found in devotional art of the Virgin and Child, such as Boticelli, Lippi and Leonardo da Vinci, where the Christ Child is seated on His Mother’s lap holding a pomegranate.  The pomegranate seeds with their blood red juice represent Christ’s death and suffering on the cross. The fruit bursting open represents His resurrection, the Church triumphant, royalty and the promise of eternal life. The bursting open also reminds us of the open tomb on Easter morning, the proof of Christ’s triumph over death.

Pomegranates are often seen in the designs of vestments and liturgical hangings or wrought in metalwork.  This particular cope is used during vespers on the Feast of Our Lady of Assumption on 15th August. I had the privilege of replacing the silk lining and other repairs.

Drawing at the National Gallery

The National Galley in London holds one of the most important collections of Medieval and Renaissance art.

I have been spending time studying some of the Venetian masters; Titian, Bellini, Giorgione, Tintoretto and Veronese, by drawing first hand from their work and studying the methods and materials they used.

The Portrait of the Vendramin Family by Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) is one of the most significant works in the artists’ career (completed in the early 1540s). It shows the family venerating a Relic of the True Cross. This depicts a true story of a miracle in 1370-82 when the reliquary was accidentally dropped into a canal during a congested procession and did not sink, but hovered over the water, until Andrea Vendramin dived in and retrieved it.

I have used rabbit skin glue and powder based pigment for the under painting - a technique that would have been very familiar to the Venetian Master’s. I then built up layers of pigment mixed with walnut oil to create depth and richness. Very translucent layers are applied in the background whilst the foreground remains opaque.

Due to the high moisture content in Venice it was deemed unsuitable to work on wood gesso panels, as had been common in Florence and central Italy since the Middle Ages. The Venetian’s therefore moved into working on canvas.  Here I have used a canvas stretched with a herringbone stitch and primed with gesso. 

Repairing a burse

I had the opportunity to repair this antique burse, dated about the early 20th Century. 

The burse forms part of the sacred vessels and linens of the mass set for the Traditional Latin Mass. A burse is a square folder that contains the corporal, the most important of the sacred linens. This is because the Body and Blood of Our Lord will rest upon it and any small particles will be safely enclosed within it to be properly purified later. The corporal is folded into three from both sides and placed inside the burse. The burse is placed on top of the other vessels and is sometimes placed standing up on the altar for decoration. There is often a design or decoration on the front, usually in the shape of a cross, like in this example.

For this project the cardboard underneath had disintegrated and needed replacing, as had the lining fabric and some of the stitching had become loose over time. When I unpicked the stitching I was able to give silk lining and gold boarder a thorough wash. These become discoloured over time, often due to the smoke from incense and candles.    

Visit to Douai Abbey to see traditional vestments

I went on a visit to Douai Abbey in Reading to have a look at their collection of traditional vestments in the library. Their library houses over 100,00 books, which includes medieval manuscripts, early printed books and works by recusant Catholics. They have artifacts dating back to the 17th century. As well as their own archives (the Benedictines) they also house archives of other religious orders such as the Dominicans and the Passionists. 

Of particular interest was their white mass set, embroidered by English Carmelites in the 16th century. The set includes a chasuble with a vine motif and stumpwork panels with pearl boarders. Images depicting the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, Epiphany, the Flight into Egypt and the Coronation of Our Lady can be seen on the panels.

The Abbey is under the patronage of St Edmund, King and martyr, who was also the original Patron Saint of England (before St George).