Bayeux Tapestry Recreation Project First Update

[@cerwelt]

Couldn’t be more excited about a project I’m watching. I personally would love to have access to the wool colors so when I get to my Bayeux project I can duplicate the colors of wool. I don’t think I can afford hand dyed, but I can likely find wools in close to the original colors if you create a printable color chart (PDF). Looking forward to your progress.

[@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery]

No that's an idea! Thanks. I'll work on it. Knowing me, it'll take a while but leave it with me.

[@cerwelt]

@@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery I’m in no hurry. I’ve got so many projects in the works myself. The Bayeaux project is still in the inception phase in my life. Still, a color sheet with the colors used on it will be helpful in collecting the wool.

[@ca1904]

This is super cool

[@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery]

thanks ☺

[@lignaquy]

And Good Luck, Alexandra!!!( Love the Bayeux Tapestry!!!)

[@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery]

thank you ☺

[@sannepedersen3649]

Looking forward to your project. Loved your earlier posts about the techniques and I am sure that we will learn a lot from this more expansive approach ❤

[@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery]

I'm so pleased to hear this. I'm really hoping we learn quite a bit from the project 🤞

[@katienewell7350]

Awesome!!! I love your stitch focus videos so am excited for that in the future too 😁

[@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery]

Ah, brilliant! I''m hoping to get a couple of stitch focuses videos out over the next month or so.

[@hazeluzzell]

One bite at a time, thoroughly chewed is the way to go with any big project!

[@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery]

So very true 😄

[@DaisyDebs]

💚💐

[@celiatorresvalverde5573]

❤amazing xxx

[@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery]

Thanks matey ☺

[@joannateague5354]

It would be great to be able to buy inspiration packs, I would love to know how it feels to stitch with those needles.

[@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery]

Ooh, fab! I'll start looking into it in detail. Watch this space for updates.

[@cerwelt]

The colors you posted in the inspiration packs, are those the colors you’ve identified in the Bayeaux Tapestry? I’d love to color match using wool I have here at home. The wool,is quite expensive, so the less I have to buy, the better. Thank you.

[@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery]

Yes, I've ordered various shades of each colour in order to try and match them up the best I can from published images. Its a bit hit and miss because publishers and online images are always different.

[@cerwelt]

I have a totally unrelated question that has been bothering me. I’m hoping because you are educated far beyond my scope or reference you might be able to answer this. You also have seen the “Bayeaux Tapestry” up close you might have had a better vantage point to know the answer. My question is how did the embroiderers put the pattern on the fabric in the eleventh century? Did they use quill and ink? They couldn’t just pull out pencil or pen and sketch? We have oodles of ways today to transfer patterns, but I’m guessing they did not. I’ve looked at photos of the tapestry, but could not discern any sketching or drawing overlapping the actual embroidery. I’m really bothered at not knowing, and hoped you could answer this quandary. Thank you in advance. In Texas Cerise Cherry

[@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery]

Ah, this is a complicated question. Mainly because there are a number of hypotheses but we don't have any surviving evidence. I'm going to talk about the ideas and discussions people have had for the BT, and test them out in my next video for the project - where I frame-up the ground fabric and transfer the design. So I won't answer that here. Its quite long anyway. Other options include the use of the traditional prick and pounce method, which I used on the Cuthbert Maniple Recreation project. We do have evidence for this being used for early medieval manuscripts so its not too far fetched to see it also being used for embroidery. I found with the Cuthbert piece that the ground fabric was so open that it would actually have been easier to trace the design. I also think people might have worked freehand. I think I might add this topic to my list of possible future videos because it is interesting. I hope this helps a little.

[@cerwelt]

@@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery I’ve been rather fixated on the tapestry. I started embroidering again after decades of not even thinking about it. I started watching Sarah Humfray on KZbin and found you. She mentioned the Bayeaux Tapestry and when I ran across you i was thrilled. I’ve found two old books on the “tapestry”, and looking at the photos I began to wonder how the pattern was put on the fabric. My husband thought they might have used charcoal, but I’d seen the pierce and pounce method. I wondered if your close up exposure had given you any clues. I appreciate your thoughts and will definitely watch your upcoming videos. Certainly wish there had been more written about methodology back then, but I guess hypothesis will have to do. Thanks again for answering my question. Love your videos.

[@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery]

@@cerwelt Ah, welcome back to the black hole of embroidery. You know there's no escape now 😄. There are clues and the conservation work done in the early 1980s highlighted things too. I'm hoping the next video won't be too long. Just waiting on my husband to finish making the longer arms for the embroidery frame and then I can get to work on this. I'm so glad you've enjoyed the videos this far. Thanks for your support too. It does mean a lot. I'm love my area of research so I think everyone wants to know about these things but you never know, so its fab' to hear there are people as obsessed as me.

[@cerwelt]

@@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery I watched your first video and was delighted. I’m madly in love with Jacobean Crewel embroidery, actually medieval embroidery of any sort. I’ve done a few motifs, but now I’m quite interested in replicating a small scene from the Bayeaux Tapestry. Thankfully among my gifts is that of drawing and painting. I believe i can replicate a scene by looking at my books on the subject, and then embroider it. Quite excited! The thought that such a significant piece of history was saved on fabric using embroidery is beyond exciting to me. Looking forward to more of your videos. So glad you are on KZbin. Cerise

[@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery]

I hope your replica is coming on. It’s lovely to hear that you’re going to make one. I always think of the BT as the precursor to crewel work (just my thought, not a researchers idea). That is a technique that’s evolved so much over time, keeping itself relevant. It’s amazing really. Just to say, sorry that I’m only replying now. I’ve only just released that I don’t always see replies to replies and it seems that I’ve missed quite a few. I’m trying to catch up now.

[@Mrsadams1]

What make of frame is that, does anyone know where to purchase one?

[@EarlyMedievalEmbroidery]

Hi, it’s a slate frame but I had to adapt it quite a bit. You can buy a basic frame from a number of online stores but they won’t have wooden pegs. To adapt it, you’ll need hard wood so it doesn’t bow, bend or in the worst case, snap under tension. I am looking at / into sourcing similar type frames with wooden pegs so if you’re interested, I could keep you posted on progress through some shorts.