Textile Arts Symposium 2004

Peabody Essex Museum
Salem, Massachusetts
September 30 - October 3

Thistle Threads has been working with the staff at the Peabody Essex Museum for almost a year now to develop a new set of classes and kits adapted from several pieces which once belonged to members of the important Leverett family of Massachusetts.

Governor John Leverett of the Massachusetts Bay Colony lived in England between 1651 and 1673 where he represented the colony at the English court. During that time period, family history suggest that one or more of his six daughters was involved in learning embroidery and may have made the embroidered cabinet that is in the museum collection. The museum also owns two sets of embroidered gauntlets reportedly worn by Governor Leverett when at court. All these pieces are wonderful examples of English embroidery with a unique American provenance. Pictures of two of the original 17th century embroideries used for inspiration can be found in the catalog "Painted with Threads: The Art of American Embroidery".

On a personal note, I have to admit that this is one of the most exciting and thrilling projects I have worked on to date not only because it allows me to bring new techniques to the student, but because of the rich history behind the pieces themselves. I was floored and honored when the PEM called me and invited me to participate. When they revealed that they had chosen the important Leverett family collection for my inspiration, you could have picked me off the floor! I have never had so much fun designing over-the-top but achievable projects, investigating the private papers of the family for clues, visiting museum and private collections for examples, and coming up with unique technologies that will allow us to replicate certain detailing for a more authentic look. I hope that those who decide to join us at the symposium have as much fun as I have getting these projects and lectures together!

To help explain the projects and augment the PEM information, I have put this page together on my website to help answer your questions. More pictures will be available in the following two weeks. Please visit the PEM website for registration information and kit fees.

Thistle Threads has been hard at work developing an intermediate and advanced needlework accessories case adapted from the Leverett cabinet. Inspired by the classic lines of the cabinet, the case is flat and is shaped like the front projection of the cabinet. The accessories case measures 6 3/4" tall, 6 1/2" at the base, 4 1/2" at the top, and is about 1" thick when laying on a table. The two "doors" of the accessories case feature a reclining lion and leopard respectively upon a classic 17th century scene inspired by the original cabinet. The "top" of the accessories case features an adaptation of the very unusual grotto and ship scene that characterizes the Leverett cabinet. This scene is flanked above and below by wonderful satin laid work woven with berries and flowers as seen on the original.

Open the two fabric hinged "doors" and the "top" to discover the inside of the accessories case. Your first sight behind the doors are the fanciful "drawers" of the casket which are worked in woven satin work with flowers and berries. The nine "drawers" actually act as tiny pockets for laser-cut cardboard threadwinders made especially for this project and included in the kit. The lining of the doors contain a silk pocket and surprise each! A set of square accessories featuring a tulip and rose from the original casket. The pieces are made up as a flat needlecase and pinpad. Hidden behind the "top" is a large silk pocket that can contain your scissors and is also sized to hold the Tiny Scissors Gauntlet, if the student chooses to take that workshop or pick up the kit later.

This class has been specifically designed to appeal to the intermediate and advanced embroiderer at the same time. The majority of the embroidery is worked in tent stitch on 36 count linen using twenty-four colors of Au Ver a Soie Soie d'Alger thread. For the advanced stitcher who is looking to try new techniques, the kit includes a set of 32 count fabric upon which they may decide to stitch the lion and leopard as slips to be attached to the front of the doors and lightly stuffed. The intermediate stitcher can choose to work these pieces on the 36 ct fabric as shown on the door charts and forgo any applique and stuffing work. Additional silk wrapped and couched wire details are left to the embroiderer to decide if they are interested in trying this new technique to enhance certain detailing on the case, as was done on the original cabinet. In this way, each student will learn the techniques but have their own choices to personalize the case to their own skill level and interest.

The other major technique that will be taught will be the laid and woven satin work, which was a popular style on many English caskets. Unlike the original, the laid work will be set up on a counted ground to help the student focus on the weaving of the patterns in the satin stitch areas. Personalization of your initials and date will be available on one of the "drawers" on the inside of the case using the woven satin work.

Additional detailing includes the reproduction metal ribbon that replicates the gold wire and plate ribbons which edge English caskets. Over four yards of reproduction ribbon will be couched to the different pieces of the accessories case to give an authentic look! And what is a 'casket' without its hardware? Thistle Threads has had special dies fabricated to cut antiqued metalized leather in the shape of the hinges and locks. The "drawers" inside the case are accented with couched gold purl handles to give the look of the original. Each kit will include all the "hardware" needed for couching onto the finished piece to give it a special look.

While the accessories case is a wonderful and exciting shape, much thought has gone into making the finishing as painless as possible. To ensure that everyone's product is the same, a die has been fabricated for the actual casket shape so that each kit will include the cardboard, skirtex, and batt pieces necessary cut to the final shape needed. A lovely carnation pink silk has been used for the finishing and will be included in the kit. During the finishing and embroidery of the piece, step-by-step digital photographs have been taken and will be included on the class CD-ROM that is in every kit along with commentary to help the student finish the piece with ease. Over 50 photographs are included on this CD-ROM.

For those who participate in the workshop, a special treat is in store. Approximately an hour of the class will be devoted to lecture material on the Leverett family and the tradition of embroidery covered valuables chests. Thistle Threads has been spending a year in museum and private collections photographing and investigating this wonderful art form just for this class. Many photographs of private collection pieces and those rarely displayed will be shown along with details of the Leverett cabinet itself. English embroidered caskets are just a small subsection of a larger European tradition of chest-on-stand embroidered cabinets and pictures and history of these pieces will be presented to help put our own piece into context.

This 3 1/2" scissors holding accessory is designed to be used on its own or placed in its special pocket of the Leverett Cabinet Accessories Case. The piece is inspired by gloves, which were reportedly worn by Governor Leverett and acquired most likely in England. Similar to the original, a soft sand colored ultrasuede has been used to fabricate the tiny glove with machine stitched details. Applied to the glove is a gauntlet cuff, which is elaborately embroidered with gold metal and silk threads in an abstract geometric pattern reminiscent of the original.

The central medallions are satin stitched with Au Ver a Soie Soie d'Alger thread. Surrounding them are couched and applied metal threads such as purls, spangles, and an unusual new metal thread I collected in England. It consists of strands of black thread wrapped with metal so that a small amount of black shows through to give a more ancient appearance. While the embroidery techniques can be easily mastered on this piece, the excitement will come with working with a variety of new materials and discussing their origins.

To cap off the gauntlet, which is embroidered on both sides, a special reproduction metal lace has been found that gives the look and feel of the bobbin laces made in the 17th century. To aid the student, over 30 photographs of the embroidery and finishing in process were taken and are included with commentary on a CD-ROM in every kit.

A portion of the workshop will be devoted to the history of the Worshipful Company of Glovers of London and photographs from their extensive collection of embroidered gloves, which Thistle Threads will be visiting in July especially for this class.