Last week, I wrote (here) about the celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty’s coronation – and included in the post a contemporary photograph of Her Majesty in her coronation robes, including a beautiful embroidered cloak. A few weeks earlier, I saw another coronation cloak, this time in person. Read on…
The Fashion and Textile Museum
On a recent visit to London, I went to the Fashion and Textile Museum (link below) to see an embroidery exhibition.
The exhibition celebrates 150 years of The Royal School of Needlework. The School was founded in 1872 with the object of keeping hand-embroidery as an art-form and enabling women to earn money (and so be independent) by doing embroidery.
An embroidered coronation robe
The Royal School of Needlework has often been called upon to make items for the Royal Family. The cloak below was made for Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother to wear at the Coronation of George VI.
The goldwork was exquisite.
The background is a rich, deep purple – seen more clearly in the photograph below.
There was also a sample on display of the embroidery emblems used on the cloak that Queen Elizabeth II wore at her coronation in 1953 (look back to last week’s post to see what the cloak was like). The emblems used are wheat symbolising prosperity and olive branches to symbolise peace.
Tracy Franklin
Other items that caught my attention in the exhibition included a beautiful student piece by Tracy Franklin. Tracy is based in Durham and the embroidery depicts the figure of St Cuthbert’s, his pectoral cross, and an otter (said to engaged with the saint when he was in isolation on his solitary island).
‘The Red Dress’ project
I was also delighted to see ‘The Red Dress’, a magnificent embroidery project which involved scores of embroiderers around the world over a period of thirteen years. (Click the link below to find out more about the project.)
Seeing the stitchery close to was a delight.
By the way, I wrote about The Red Dress project in my monthly newsletter a couple of months ago. It is available to customers and subscribers. If you would like to be added to the list to receive the newsletter, click here
Link for the Royal School of Needlework:
https://royal-needlework.org.uk
Website for the Fashion and Textile Museum
https://fashiontextilemuseum.org/
The exhibition is on at the Fashion and Textile Museum, Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3FX until 4 September 2022.
Link for The Red Dress:
https://reddressembroidery.com/https://reddressembroidery.com/
Amanda Jane Textiles offers unique fabrics for sale here, quilt patterns here, classes here and quilts for sale here
Sticking with the Royal theme, here is my design ‘The Prince and the Helicopters’ (marking the birthday gift to Prince William of a helicopters, from his grandmother the Queen!)
Buy the fabric here