Faking Blackwork

[Magpie Flynn]

I was doing to research for a new project and I saw some use sharpie to "fake" blackwork. I can't embroider but I can draw so this would be ideal for me, personally. I was just wondering if anyone out there has tried it and if there are any warnings I should heed (the ink bleeding through to other fabric) or if there's any other better ideas out there (other than the obvious just learn embroider better )

Thanks!

[Rowan MacD]

  This lady has done it.  Check the webpage out, I love her commentary and pictures.
http://www.naergilien.info/my-costumes/elizabethan/elizabeth-i-pelican/partlet-and-sleeves

I would think that painting fabric would be a period option too.  I know it was used in Asia during the middle ages.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth1592.jpg
Picture of queen Elizabeth I in a painted petticoat.  The sky is the limit!

[isabelladangelo]

Sharpie, even a good one, will bleed.   If you sweat, it will end up on your skin.   

Rather than doing that, just find some embroidered linen or cotton that will work.  Joanns should be getting a shipment soon of their "new" linens. 

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

I wil have to check that out when that happens. Not that I have time to make myself a new chemise. I have several already.

[isabelladangelo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth1592.jpg
Picture of queen Elizabeth I in a painted petticoat.  The sky is the limit!

The actual forepart was not painted, it was embroidered by Bess of Hardwick for the Queen. 

[operafantomet]

There are lots of white fabrics with nice black embroidery around. Lots of sewing stores carry them, though you might also find goodies in ready made garments in H&M, thrift stores and whatnot. Even home decoration stores are likely to carry curtains, table clothes etc. with black embroidery. Here's random inspiration from eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GENEROUS-3-YARDS-44-WIDE-WHITE-100-COTTON-WITH-BLACK-FLORAL-EMBROIDERY-/190664833017?pt=US_Fabric&hash=item2c648277f9#ht_741wt_854

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Women-s-XL-Jacket-White-w-Black-embroidery-Long-sl-/220861850719?pt=US_CSA_WC_Outerwear&hash=item336c64645f#ht_500wt_869

http://www.ebay.com/itm/White-Gauze-Twinset-w-Black-Embroidery-3X-/160782198002?pt=US_CSA_WC_Shirts_Tops&hash=item256f5da4f2#ht_500wt_1102

[Magpie Flynn]

Awesome links ladies! thanks for the feedback!

[captmarga]

I've found blackwork fabric at Joanne from time to time. 

Rather than a Sharpie, I'd use plain acrylic paint with the fabric medium.  Test it of course, but it shouldn't bleed, and won't run in rain or sweat off.

Marga

[Rowan MacD]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth1592.jpg
Picture of queen Elizabeth I in a painted petticoat.  The sky is the limit!

The actual forepart was not painted, it was embroidered by Bess of Hardwick for the Queen. 

I used wiki (I know, I know)  It's not a particularly good source.
   I've always been fascinated with that dress,  It was so different from anything else Elizabeth wore.  Sort of garish.   If you could share your source page for the reference on embroidery I would love that!   I have a research paper in my English class and the last chapter is on fashion of the 16th century. I want to include it. .  I would love to get irrefutable references (i.e. contemporary descriptions, wardrobe lists, etc.) that say either way.  It's driving me nuts.
  The only source I have found so far that says the dress was embroidered by Bess was this one:
  http://www.marileecody.com/eliz1-images.html 
  My instructor will not accept it, since it's a personal page and not endorsed by a museum, history or government institution.
  Other than one SCA page- http://webcentre.co.nz/kk/garb.htm  (same problem as the marileecody page) about the dress that mentions that fabric painting was common then, so it was probably done that way. There is nada out there.   
  I wish the dress had survived.
 

[isabelladangelo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth1592.jpg
Picture of queen Elizabeth I in a painted petticoat.  The sky is the limit!

The actual forepart was not painted, it was embroidered by Bess of Hardwick for the Queen. 

I used wiki (I know, I know)  It's not a particularly good source.
   I've always been fascinated with that dress,  It was so different from anything else Elizabeth wore.  Sort of garish.   If you could share your source page for the reference on embroidery I would love that!   I have a research paper in my English class and the last chapter is on fashion of the 16th century. I want to include it. .  I would love to get irrefutable references (i.e. contemporary descriptions, wardrobe lists, etc.) that say either way.  It's driving me nuts.
  The only source I have found so far that says the dress was embroidered by Bess was this one:
  http://www.marileecody.com/eliz1-images.html 
  My instructor will not accept it, since it's a personal page and not endorsed by a museum, history or government institution.
  Other than one SCA page- http://webcentre.co.nz/kk/garb.htm  (same problem as the marileecody page) about the dress that mentions that fabric painting was common then, so it was probably done that way. There is nada out there.   
  I wish the dress had survived.
 

Beyond Marilee Cody, I think it's in QEI's Wardrobe unlock'd.   I'll check it when I get home to see what page.    A lot of the various embroidery styles on the forepart have been seen in existent examples (sweet bags, wall hangings, sleeves, jackets, ect).   Check out some of the later Jacobean embroideries and they tend to be rather extravagant. 

[Rowan MacD]

    Thanks!
    It probably would not look so over the top if it had been done on a darker background.  That and the seemingly none repeating images of seahorses, flowers and plants.  The finished skirt looks very shiny too, I don't know as I've ever seen an artist point that up before. 

[isabelladangelo]

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Embroidered_curtain_17th-18th_century.jpg

Although the image in the link above is a bit later (and in black and white) you can see multiple designs and similar motifs as the QEI forepart.

[captmarga]

Contact Hardwick Hall. 
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1790679

They have a website, ask one of the docents to send some information for your research paper.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/things-to-see-and-do/page-1/view-page/item633013/252101/

Marga

[captmarga]

http://littleaugury.blogspot.com/2009/09/in-elizabethan-garden.html

Apparently the shininess of the fabric is attributed to it being satin.

This is interesting, and remotely llnked to the subject...

http://poststreet.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/you-asked-for-more-details-photo-sweep-of-elizabethan-quilt-tapestry/

Marga

[Rowan MacD]

  Sweet!  I was going to start work on the 4th (and final) chapter of the Thesis tonight.  As soon as I check out the sites, make sure they are in the 'allowable sources' and book mark them for the foot notes, I can start harvesting quotes. I can also print a copy of the Hardwick portrait for extra credit on the Artworks and references page.  Thanks!


   Sorry I side tracked the thread, We should get back to helping the lady with with her Blackwork instead of using you all to do my homework ^_^.

[Stasiakatt]

You could use fabric markers. I'm pretty sure that I have seen some with a fine tip. I know I have seen fabric markers at Michael's and JoAnn's. I would think that for a parlet or sleeves faking the blackwork would work. Something that popped into my head was using a lightbox, or a lamp under a glass tabletop to illuminate a pattern to trace over as long as the fabric was thin enough for the pattern to show thru.

[isabelladangelo]

  Sweet!  I was going to start work on the 4th (and final) chapter of the Thesis tonight.  As soon as I check out the sites, make sure they are in the 'allowable sources' and book mark them for the foot notes, I can start harvesting quotes. I can also print a copy of the Hardwick portrait for extra credit on the Artworks and references page.  Thanks!


   Sorry I side tracked the thread, We should get back to helping the lady with with her Blackwork instead of using you all to do my homework ^_^.

Page 78, QEI's wardrobe unlock'd by Janet Arnold.  "The delightful variety of motifs in the Hardwick portrait include pansies, roses, iris, sea monsters, a crab, snakes, butterflies, fish, a sea horse, a kingfisher, and a swan, among many birds, executed in a wide range of colours.   These are scattered over the white silk in a random arrangement.  All this suggest that the design is probably embroidery rather than staining."   In the book are several examples of similar extant embroideries from roughly the same time period.

And I don't think anyone minds too much when hijacked threads contribute to learning something new. 

[Cilean]

Why not check for people who have embroidery machines? I make some awesome cuffs and collars in about 20 minutes! Also there is a lady here who makes things for people on her embroidery machine with some lovely patterns!

Cilean

[Rowan MacD]

  Sweet!  I was going to start work on the 4th (and final) chapter of the Thesis tonight.  As soon as I check out the sites, make sure they are in the 'allowable sources' and book mark them for the foot notes, I can start harvesting quotes. I can also print a copy of the Hardwick portrait for extra credit on the Artworks and references page.  Thanks!


   Sorry I side tracked the thread, We should get back to helping the lady with with her Blackwork instead of using you all to do my homework ^_^.

Page 78, QEI's wardrobe unlock'd by Janet Arnold.  "The delightful variety of motifs in the Hardwick portrait include pansies, roses, iris, sea monsters, a crab, snakes, butterflies, fish, a sea horse, a kingfisher, and a swan, among many birds, executed in a wide range of colours.   These are scattered over the white silk in a random arrangement.  All this suggest that the design is probably embroidery rather than staining."   In the book are several examples of similar extant embroideries from roughly the same time period.

And I don't think anyone minds too much when hijacked threads contribute to learning something new. 

The QEI's Wardrobe book is probably my best bet.  The teacher told me "NO Wiki-anything, webpages, Blogs, or works of Fiction when quoting authors for supporting facts".   I should be able to use this to support the statement that artisans used both methods to achieve approximately the same result.             
   In the Hardwick Portrait, embroidery is a more likely choice simply because stain doesn't always stay where you want it; especially if it finds a fiber it likes and decides to follow it (wicking).
   On a project this ornate, for a Queen, no less, you can at least pick out a bad design if it's stitched in.  Not so much with dye.


Cilean gave me an idea....If you can find some black lace with a pattern you like, it could be stitched to the edge (not hanging over) of a sleeve or collar and it might pass as an intricately embroidered edge.  Anyone tried that?

[Magpie Flynn]

Lol, I don't mind the hijacking at all, it'a all been an interesting read. I'm pretty decent with freehand drawing so I might give the fabric markers a go and see how that works out!

[Anna Iram]

Here's a wonderful page full of helpful information and links to pictures and patterns.
http://www.prettyimpressivestuff.com/blackwork.htm

Looking forward to seeing how your hand drawn blackwork comes out.

[gem]

I just stumbled onto a dress diary for Anna Valerius from "Van Helsing," where the costumer used paint to recreate Anna's elaborate embroidered Romanian blouse:

http://www.squidoo.com/anna-valerious-cosplay

For comparison, here's a couple nice images of what the real embroidered blouses look like:

http://www.costumes.ro/detailsOTMA02.htm

Now, the costumer doesn't give any close-up pix of her work, but from a distance it looks pretty impressive! 

That said, she spent SIXY-TWO HOURS doing the paint job. For that amount of labor, I would definitely go with the real thing (either do it myself or buy it; those blouses run around $100-120. I'm seeing shirts/chemises trimmed in machine blackwork on etsy anywhere from $50-80.).

[Cilean]

I was also thinking you can use a fancy stitch to mimic blackwork like this:


You can play with several stitches to get the look!

Cilean