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The Feller Bird

Timezone 1 (9-3pm UK time): 14-16 May 2023

Timezone 2 (4-10pm UK time): 11-13 May 2023

The Feller Bird is part of a rare 17th Century Charles II wall mirror, which is currently the subject of a 13 month advanced course in silk embroidery. This design is one of twelve individual motifs arranged and embroidered around the glass.

Kate has chosen one design from the Feller Mirror, The Bird, which sits proudly in a central position at the top of the frame, to teach during the Festival. Students will learn historic Elizabethan silk embroidery techniques.

Practical information

Length: 3 days
Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Class fee: £350 including kit

Kit Includes:
100% pure Dupion silk ground fabric with printed design outline, DeVere silks, needles

Techniques:
Natural and tapestry shading using long and short stitch

Equipment requirements:
10 inch seat frame (slate frame also possible), scissors for silk, a laying tool

Design size:
10.5 x 18 cm (4 x 7 inches)

Linen size:
40 x 40 cm (16 x 16 inches)

A calm, kind, professional and thoughtful teacher

Jacqui Carey

Kate Barlow

United Kingdom

Kate likes to combine her embroidery with her love of historical dress, creating kits based on original pieces. Her classes can cover all levels of ability, from absolute beginners to more advanced stitchers and her style of delivery leads to a very calm atmosphere conducive to deep learning.

Visit Kate’s website and social media pages

Kate's Past Festival Workshops

Love-in-Idleness Brooch

Originally offered as part of the May 2022 Festival

This diminutive design is inspired by the floral needlework style popular in the 16th and 17th centuries. Shakespeare referred to these pretty flowers as Love-in-Idleness and mentioned them often in his writing. Our little Pansy is worked on a silk duchess satin ground using twisted silk threads, gilt passing thread and spangles.

Needlelace stitches with bordered turns are combined with couched passing threads and closed fly stitches to create the pretty flower before adding an Elizabethan double looped edging.

Blackwork Coif

Originally offered as part of the January 2022 Festival

This design takes a wild strawberry, hazelnut, pea pod and columbine as the central motifs, all linked together with scrolling Elizabethan plaited braid work. The counted blackwork patterns are worked in silk floss with a stem stitch outline bordering each element. Details are added in gilt passing thread using Elizabethan spider’s webs, Elizabethan Ceylon stitch, Elizabethan looped edging and more Elizabethan plaited braid. The wild strawberry is worked in detached corded buttonhole needlelace.

This design is replicated from a 16th century Blackwork Coif in the Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust. A percentage of each sale supports the work of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon and vital care and conservation of The Shakespeare Houses and the treasures in the Trust’s Collection, including the original coif which inspired this design.

Little Elizabethan Stork

Originally offered as part of the May 2021 Festival

Using beautiful silk floss threads you will create this little stork that has been inspired by a pair of embroidered 17th century gauntlet gloves in the V&A museum in London. He stands on a hillock of blue laidwork and is surrounded by silk flowers, gilt tendrils and gilt cutwork leaves. Tiny spangles are added for extra sparkle before adding a frame of looped and cutwork corner decorations.

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