Philippa Sims who you may remember is a volunteer curator at the Costume and Textile Study Centre at Carrow House Museum, Norwich is also a member of the Norfolk Heraldry Society and she has created a pair of heraldic motifs for you to download. The first is a griffon - one of the sixteenth century patterns for lacemakers and embroiderers by Federico Vinciolo, pattern designer to Henry I of France.Griffons were thought to live in the high mountains of India where they dug up and guarded all the gold - hence their appearance as supporters to the coat of arms of the London Stock Exchange! The second is that other famous heraldic beast, the unicorn. Another of Federico Vinciolo's patterns of the 16th Century shows a Unicorn dipping his horn into the fountain to neutralise the water of poisons. Drinking vessels were often said to be made of 'unicorn horn' to safeguard those fearful of being poisoned. The famous tale of the Unicorn Hunt, where the mythical beast is tamed by a maiden is depicted on the wonderful tapestries now in the Cloisters section of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Click here for the Griffon download. Click here for the Unicorn download.
Do you have the floss chart for this ?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the charts :)
ReplyDeleteThese are great charts for using your own favourite shades - pick out the fabric you would like to stitch and find a good contrast shade for the griffon or unicorn - or use gold for the griffon and white for the unicorn - then collect other shades in your hand like a posy of flowers and see what pleases you most.
ReplyDeleteThey also make very effective monochromes - try the griffon with all elements worked in gold either on a pale or very dark background....there will be no stoppping your creativity once you start!
Thanks so much for these great designs!
ReplyDeleteThese are very beautiful patterns. Thanks a lot.
ReplyDeleteThank you, these are lovely!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I can't wait stitching it.
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