Sex and Shopping Stuart Style - and Later

Some of you may be familiar with the galleries of the Palais Royal opposite the Carousel entrance of the Louvre in Paris. It has been famous for centuries as France's first enclosed shopping mall. There, as you can see, one could buy fine laces, linen and fans, and the latest books and prints. It was a place not only to shop, but also to meet people. It was also a place where women could run small businesses, selling embroidery or bespoke garments. Tales were sometimes put around of other commodities for sale.

London, too had its famous exchanges - the Royal Exchange in the City of London, and later, the New Exchange, which you see here, built in the newly fashionable West End of London on the Strand. There was a great fear that women would go there for assignations and wenches in shops would sell their commodities. Commodity was a Stuart slang word in use at the time, which to put it politely, was female and anatomical. The women who did business in the exchanges were sadly hanged if they did sell their commodity, or hanged if they resisted. Stuart rowdy boy gangs would retaliate for a trading woman's slight by throwing bricks through her window, shouting 'Whore' whilst running off. Upon this slur to reputation, women were refused credit and could no longer trade. It made me smile somewhat wryly to read that when Charles Harrod opened his famous London store in 1884, creating a space where women could appear alone without raising eyebrows, men were overcome with anxiety lest their women should use the place for assignations; that in their weakness the dears might succumb to a sexual frenzy while perusing shoes and boots, and so license for an in-store restaurant was denied. Which ties in some 90 years later with the fact that in the UK unaccompanied women could not be served Wimpy burgers, or Corner House scones after 9pm in case they might corrupt passing males...... Honi soit qui mal y pense!

A New Giveaway. Thank You Again, Gisela! & Thank You Eva Maria Leszner!

When I first strted looking at European sampler books, Eva Maria Leszner quickly became a firm favourite with me - she has authored a number of very important and informative books. Though many of her works have been in German, some have been translated into English and other languages, such as her work on Assisi Embroidery. She also charted a number of sampler motifs for her diaries and here, thanks to Gisela, again, is a chance to own one of those wonderful, very rare diaries from 1984. Although aged, it has not been written it and is a rare item. It contains images of three full Vierlande samplers plus 25 charted designs for you to work throughout the year. Eva's diary will go with the two copies of Norddeutsche Stickmuster aus Vierlanden for the grand draw at the end of November for purchasers of the Needleprint Vierlande II Library with 11 Mini Samplers.

All purchasers of the Vierlande II Library will be automatically entered in the draw. If you have not yet purchased this item, you can click to look at it here now. It is available with bonus files for Cross Stitch Designer and MacStitch.

Browse the Collection of the Textile Museum of Canada On-Line

Bravo! The Textile Museum of Canada now has the facility to allow you to browse their collections on-line - just click here for the link to this virtual museum.

A new Hannah Gilpin in the making

 Riet has posted an update on her Hannah Gilpin sampler, showing the stitching she has accomplished over the summer - as you  can see she is working her sampler in a space-dyed red thread - to stunning effect. We can't wait to see this finished, Riet - keep up your wonderful stitching! It is never too late to join the Hannah Gilpin stitchalong - just click here to see more work in progress.