<$BlogRSDUrl$>

Monday, December 29, 2003

ROBIN'S BLING BLING BOSOM

I had some fun this weekend adapting a 16th century design for my friend Robin. I can get into more trouble when I say "mmm I think I can do that" when I've never tried "that" before. When I visited Robin earlier this year we put our minds to doing something for the frontispiece of her German gown. Looking at the portraits she was using as inspiration we found a woodblock in Bernhard Jobin's New Kunstlichs Modelbuch of 1596. Although it was charted in block graph, it echoed the bannered twig designs seen in early portraits. I thought we could turn it into an outline for double running.

Robin is a talented designer but charting challenged as there are not any really easy solutions for producing needlework designs on a MAC so I volunteered to produce the chart.

First it required charting of the 1596 design into a design program. Not the easiest thing to do, these old woodblock prints are not always clear in intent.



Then came the fun of creating a double-running chart.



Then the slanted lettering in a faux 16th century style (Robin chose the motto Vita Brevis, Ars Longa).



Mine was the easiest part - now Robin has to stitch it all. When she is finished though she will truly have a "bling bling bosom" considering it will be paired with a band of goldwork as well.

Comments: Post a Comment

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?