Pamela's Mary Wigham

Many congratulations to Pamela who has just completed her beautiful Mary Wigham. If you have not stitched Mary Wigham yet, that is no problem. You can download the chart in excerpts for free by clicking here. A donation of $1 per excerpt would really help with the sampler conservation efforts at Ackworth school. All donations go direct to Ackworth School. And don't forget to send us pictures of where you are stitching Mary, will you?

Talking of Forehead Cloths - If You're Going to San Francisco...

The work on the reconstruction of the fabulous Plimoth Jacket has taught us that the world of early textiles was full of colour and sparkle. That this Jacobean linen forehead cloth of the first quarter of the 17th century in the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco could have survived four hundred years is astonishing, that it could have survived with all its freshness and beauty intact; its sequins and gold thread untarnished is nothing short of a miracle. However, the survival of a forehead cloth with its matching coif is quite rare. Although there is still debate about the use of forehead cloths, it seems they were worn in times not merely of headache, but at times when life was in peril, in labour and times of serious illness. Whether it was used to bind something efficacious against the forehead, or if it was bound to apply pressure to the temples, is not known. If you look in the lower left-hand corner of this detail image you will see remains of under-drawing. Other parts of the cloth also show evidence of under-drawing - do take time to look for yourself. To see more coifs and forehead cloths, click here. And while on the subject of coifs, they are of ancient origin - the word derives from the Latin for helmet - and were also worn by men. They were worn by Serjeants-at-Arms and today are still linked with the legal profession through The Order of the Coif. After you have examined the coif, you may also want to explore the samplers in the San Francisco Fine Arts Museum. Just click here.

Sophie Digard in the V&A Shop

There's a lot of reasons to be doorstepping the V&A Museum in London, not least because of their Quilt Exhibition which opens next week - of which more later. Take a large bag with you and be prepared to fill it with the lovely items now in their shop. I love these millefiori crocheted scarves by Sophie Digard and thought you might be entranced by them also. If you can't get to the V&A shop, you can buy on-line - see here.

Sophie also crochets neck garlands and makes decorative flowers to embellish your favourite outfits. Here you can see some of her flowers decorating the edge of another scarf.
The scarves are in fine merino wook and linen and seem perfect for every mood and occasion. But can you stop at one!
If you live in the USA you can purchase from here. If you live in Japan, buy from here. If you are going to the V&A in the near future - take the underground tunnel walkway to the museum and don't try to walk the streets above. There is the mummy of all roadworks between South Kensington tube station and the V&A which is confusing, noisy and very dirty underfoot.

Can't You See I Have a Headache, Dear?

When you have a headache do you suffer in silence or do you have a good old growl to let people know? Well, a dainty remedy is at hand to ensure oodles of sympathy for your sufferings while you maintain a demure and saintly resignation.
Here it is - a headache band. In the early 20th century, it was thought that "a smooth but strong band applied tightly around the head to compress dilated blood vessels would provide relief of migraine headache pain." While this hand-crocheted headache band of blue cotton floss, bordered all around with ivory cotton lace and trimmed with three silk ribbon flowers cannot be guaranteed to take away your misery, it will enable others to deal appropriately with your fragile state. Come to think of it - you could have a colour-coded set to signal not only headache, but mild grump and full-throttle madness. Keep one of each in your handbag for those arduous shopping trips. You can make your own, or buy this one from Vintage Textiles.