On April 17, 1397 the writer Geoffrey Chaucer told his Canterbury Tales for the very first time at the court of English King Richard II.
My journal page shows Chaucer himself in his medieval garb and with a rosary. His robe is outlined in french knots and the beads in the rosary are knots too. The rest is stem stitch.
Those who know me know I love all things medieval. This blog is named for my home, Canterbury Cottage. Even one of my cats is named Chaucer although he doesn't write anything unless there are cryptic notes in his kitty puke. (sorry if that's gross but it happens.)
14 comments:
Outstanding--one of your best!!
Nicely done, Angela!
That is so SO cool! I love the stitching, and the history. You choose such interesting topics for these.
Very very clever.
Yheeewwww! kitty puke. Don't we cover the most diverse topics of conversation here on Tuesday Stitchers, lol.
Chaucer - great stitching idea. Very creative of you to come up with something different each week. Love this one.
One thing I miss about England is its history. NZ doesn't have much history. Just a bunch of tribesmen warring with each other until the English arrived and made them stop.
Hmm. Glad we are not the only one with KP issues. Our cat eats too fast and (if we let her because one doesn't know the other already fed her) too much. This week's was a really ambitious page in your historical stitchings. I'm curious, do you draw your designs out using a disappearing fabric marker before you stitch or just how do you plan out your design?
Very fun! I always look forward to your week's work. You sure did a lot of knots! Nice ones, too!
What are you going to do with all of your historical stitching at the end of the year?
Love the way you used the French knots for his robe--great effect!
I'm quite put out with cats, lately. Edgar has a thing for lizards, which he presents to me dead or...almost dead.
Wonderful the way you rendered the whole figure in French knots. Another great subject matter.
Oh, but England's history is all about Europe warring with each other until the American Revolution made them all stop.
...oh wait... then there was WWI and WWII... I guess the American Revolution didn't make anyone stop warring after all.
The perspective that I hold is that the significant difference between NZ history and English history is that England has artifacts in stone and metal while NZ has (had until the English colonizers took them away for museums, anyway) its artifacts in wood and feather, and that English history has been preserved in a written form (which for some reason we value, believe, and respect far more than we do the oral form).
Personally, I'm fascinated by the histories of indigenous peoples just as much if not more than I am by that of Europe and "the West". In fact, history was my very worst subject in school until I took a Cultural Anthropology class, and that was what made it all come alive for me.
You have stitched for Chaucer the most amazing face and hands! So detailed and so delicate! Great subject. Nice stitching! Did you draw the image freehand yourself? or is it an illustration from a book or what? It's a great image. I love how you've spaced the french knots closer together at the cuffs of his shirt and on his head wrap where the shadows of the folds would be darker. :)
The detail that you have pulled off here amazes me. How such tiny stitches create such life like potrayals of his face and hands... too cool! I know Chaucer holds a place in your Canterbury Cottage so it was great to see your rendition of him.
Hee-hee with the KP, I get bigger cryptic messages with dogs.
PS... yes, how do you begin your imagery on your pieces?
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