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An Eye

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16 October 2010

An Eye

I know I've seen eyes used as motifs in Elizabethan embroidery. I've just had a bit of a google but couldn't find anything to back up my memories.

Anyway, what inspired me to do this was finding this image :


at http://theglasspingle.blogspot.com/2010/07/ghosts-of-winter.html

If you were to embroider an eye, wouldn't this be a fabulous one to do? I'd use rice pearls rather than those flat ended beads tho on the lid - same as used on the bottom line of the eye. Or leave them off entirely and use 'feathering' - multiple threads of different colours....

Exctly *how* the 3D shaping of the upper lid is another question. A shape edged with strong wire and then twisted? (The brown being a seperate layer underneath = or is that the underside of a layer and it's double sided? It's hard to tell if the brown is flat against the eye, or sloping up).

And I think there might actually be two layers, one pointed, one curved - looking at the left hand extremity of the eye.

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6 Comments:

Anonymous Rachel said...

I too have a vague memory of seeing a lot of embroidered eyes somewhere, but I'm not sure where... Must spend some time googling when I've caught up with my sleep!

Saturday, October 16, 2010  
Anonymous Leonor said...

I can think off the top of my head of several examples of weeping eyes as a motif (they have a symbolic meaning I don't remember). Elizabeth I's Rainbow Portrait is probably the most famous. There's also some embroidered trim in the V&A with weeping eyes, a smock somewhere (I think?), and I've seen it on several pairs of gloves.

I can try to hunt down specific examples for you in a couple weeks if you like!

Saturday, October 16, 2010  
Anonymous shirley said...

Could you stitch the eyelid piece to the top of the eye and then fill it trapunto style from the back by making a slit where there was not embroidery. Perhaps you could stitch the beads, lashes on first......dont know if that would work, and would depend a lot on the fabric.\ I suppose.

Maynot help, but may send your thoughts onto another tangents....I love my grain going on to tangents.?????

Sunday, October 17, 2010  
Blogger MeganH said...

Thanks Leonor, but I don't have a specific need for an Eye atm. Just ran across this one, and thought it was done in an interesting way.

Shirley - yes, it might have been done trapunto style. It'd be a matter of experimenting, or asking the artist. :-)

Sunday, October 17, 2010  
Blogger Rachael Kinnison said...

yes, I have seen several eyes on gauntlets. This would be lovely as a panel on a box. thankyou for sharing it
xoxox rachael

Monday, October 18, 2010  
Blogger Susan Elliott said...

Thank you thank you for sharing this link. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the corset, the eye, the needlelace...it was an absolutely gorgeous piece!

Monday, October 18, 2010  

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