For #MuseumPassion day, I wanted to talk about an intersection of two things I am very ~passionate~ about. OBVIOUSLY one is museums, but the other is sewing!! 🧵🪡So, just to humour me, let’s explore what objects we can find in some online museum collections: a thread (get it)
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Starting off with an oldie, this embroidered illustration was originally thought to be an astrologer foretelling the birth of a child for the king, but it could also be seen to be predicting his later beheading. Extra points for execution embroidery bit.ly/3iYQM3E
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I’m throwing this one in because I’ve just finished painstakingly cataloguing the collection (you might notice this one is part 301😿)Morton was a textile manufacturer and collected lots of beautiful examples. Big fan of the colourful daisies on this one
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I often find that a bit of light embroidery is a brilliant way to calm down after a horrible day, and this restorative view of crafts is a long-held opinion. This embroidered panel is visually STUNNING and was created by a patient in an asylum
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We can’t have a sewing thread (again, I’m sorry) without mentioning the big bad boy of the textile machinery world. Revolutionising the game since 1790, sewing machines speed up the laborious process (this one even has an automatic buttonhole)
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I’m in prestigious company liking a good old embroidery project; Mary Queen of Scots spent a good chunk of her imprisonment embroidering. My favourite is her ginger cat and trapped mouse motif – wonder where she got that idea? bit.ly/3dow6kr
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Next up, incredibly intricate beaded cap. Hand sewing beads is an incredibly time-consuming process, and as far as I’m aware this is the only method of attaching individual beads to fabric? Engineering followers unite!
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Another one from and still on the fashion theme – my dreams centre around wearing dresses like this every day👗 The basque on this Balenciaga dress is exquisite, and is a pre-cursor to the full skirt made famous by Dior and his new look
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Giving Rebecca’s a good name, we’re returning to the for the next embroidery masterpiece👜The front of this 1930s handbag is embroidered using cross-stitch, a particular favourite of mine
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Meandering across the pond, next up is a cushion cover from - seems a massive shame for it to be sat on, but 10/10 for hand sewn sixteenth century sequins
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This last object is a great example of how embroidery has been viewed as ‘woman’s work’, something dainty and decorative to be getting on with while the man of the house is out and about, bringing home the bread and the bag 💸🤑💰
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Embroidery work is a symbol of both wealth and poverty, is both a hobby and a career and is crafted by both men and women. A complex history of class, gender and power has been stitched into each sewing project, and these are evident in some of the examples shared here today
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If you have a favourite embroidery example or sewing sample that you’ve spied in a museum, please share them below because I’d love to see more from around the country (and the world🌍) #museumpassion
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Also, if you’ve done any fun sewing recently, drop that below too!! Who knows, maybe one day it could end up in a museum as well #museumpassion #sewingpassion #anyandallpassionswelcome
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