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Scholehouse for the Needle Coif

Museum Number T.12-1948, Victoria and Albert Museum

A few years ago I posted some research on monochrome English embroidery. This was the kick off of a hand project I have been carrying around and working on periodically. In February of this year I finished my coif. This coif is made of the finest linen I could find and embroidered with silk died using period techniques which I purchased at Pennsic War. The extant examples were made from linen ground fabric and silk embroidery thread. Most of my embroidery was done using stem stitch  or satin stitch. The edge was treated with a long and short button hole stitch similar to that seen in some smocks and shirts of the time rather than with lace. 

 My design was inspired by a Schole-House for the Needle, and two extent coifs. the design was transferred from paper to the coif using a period method of pattern transfer called prick and pounce. the little dots were then inked using a fabric safe pen.

I assembled the coif for wearing and then dressed my hair into a circle The coif drawstrings then are tied around these braids to create a poof seen in period art.



 Related post:
http://tudorrevolution.blogspot.com/2013/09/monochrome-embroidery-used-elizabethan.html

 Bibliography

 Shoreleyker, Richard.

A schole-house for the needle: Produced from the original book printed in 1632 and now in the private collection of John and Elizabeth Mason. 

  • ISBN-10: 1872665721
Coif, Late 16th century. Accession number 64.101.1236, Metropolitan Museum of New York
Coif, 1570-1599. Museum number T.12-1948, Victoria and Albert Museum of London

Accession number 64.101.1236, Met Museum of Art, New York City
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