Storvik Novice 2019
Baby’s SCAdian's 1st A&S display
The A&S competition was a format I think I really enjoy. The Novice A&S was formatted for Largess. Participants were to create nine items for largess, and the winner would be decided by populace vote. I decided to make nine blackworked pincushions. I opted for a simple square design, because that's what I had available fabric for. I did a total of 10 different patterns (more on that later), and made materials for transferring the designs.
I used several different methods for this project. The linen I used was not an even weave, so counted thread methods (as is traditional for blackwork) resulted in disappointing quality. I tried adding a backing to the work in the form of Aida fabric, and that stabilized it somewhat, but still ended up slightly skewed. Ultimately, five out of the 10 designs were done using the prick and pounce method.
Designs were sketched out on graph paper (I used 1/8 scale so that the designs were clear enough) and rough spacing was sketched onto the linen with a water soluble marker. Then, I poked holes in the paper at all the corners and line junctions. For this, I used a drawer handle and glued a tapestry needle into the hole, so that I have something to hold onto. This worked quite well, and I'm very pleased with the comfort level and function. After the holes were poked, I lined the design up on the fabric and centered in on its space. Using a second drawer handle, this one with a felt pad glued to the bottom, I tapped and spread charcoal powder over the pricked paper, causing the charcoal to fall through the holes and onto the fabric. Then it's just a simple game of Connect the Dots with a very fine marker and we're off to the races!
All of my designs, with the exception of one, were drawn from The Art of English Blackwork by Jane Zimmern. It's my preferred source book, though I do draw occasionally from an Italian blackwork sampler, and a pattern extrapolation sampler from Mary Corbet and her blog Needle N' Thread.
Overall, I'm quite happy with the project. I was pleased with the quality of the embroidery, even with the uneven results and methods. I learned a lot in the process, which in my book is what this was for. I'd like to try doing some other pincushions, but would do a more complex construction like a biscornu to show off the refinement of the blackwork more.
