Royal Yacht Brittania

I recently had an email from a lovely lady who is working on the Netflix production of The Crown.
As my mother designed the embroidery which hangs above the Queens bed on the Royal Yacht Britannia back in 1953, they have asked for permission to use the design in the film, and plan to make a replica. I actually have the original watercolour she did, I knew it was somewhere safe ... but the trouble with putting something away in a safe place means it then gets muddled in the brain filing cabinet ... so ensued a turning upside down of all the archiving of my mothers extensive works I have been doing, and of course it was not where it should have been! So it meant an upturning of almost the whole cottage ... But I now have a very organised studio ... but this morning I suddenly remembered where it was, went straight to the right drawer and there it was ...

Though she was commissioned to do the design, it was then given to the Royal School of Needlework to embroider, very finely in silks.

Quoted from here
"The silk embroidered panels were designed and created in 1953 and were the inspiration of Joan Nicholson, a young British designer, chosen by Sir Hugh Casson (HM The Queen’s chosen designer for Britannia’sState Apartments)."

Detail of side panel

Quoted from here  "The Queen wanted the embroidery to remind her of home when she was traveling abroad, with hedgerows, wild flowers and butterflies. Ivory silk from France was chosen for the background and it took several skilled workers many months to complete at the Royal School of Needlework in London. "

I am very proud of her ... a young mother with two small children, I was not around but so glad I still have this precious document, though very delicate and fragile and somewhat faded. It will now be filed in the correct place! Look out for The Crown when it is out (not sure when)

Centre of circular panel

Central panel detail

The embroidery in situ

The embroidery in situ

Canvaswork by Jennifer Gray

Yes, yes I am working really hard on quite a number of new designs of which more later but I just want to share something which I am quite pleased with and which gave me a warm glow and pat of encouragement which I needed at the beginning of the week ... knowing I would be sat in front of the computer for many hours ...

I saw on Pinterest a front cover illustration for a book which got my radars twirling. Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray pub 1960.
Here it is below and you can see why I might be excited. Maybe not but it did it for me and I looked further, went to the wonderful ABE BOOKS (secondhand books from all over the world) and found a copy for a few pounds £3.00 I think. What treasure! It came on Monday, and I was thrilled with it, my absolute tip top style of decoration and drawings good stitch explanations and diagrams, fantastic colour pallete.

THEN I saw a beautiful seat cover which immediately looked familiar in style and yes, it was by my mother! I have not seen this design before and it was worked during her time with the Needlework Development Scheme, and it is perfect. I spent the afternoon completely distracted by the whole thing and drew up the design in Illustrator, printed it onto white linen and am in the process of working it up hopefully turning into a design for our new range. Though it may be a lovely download too ... maybe both! But I will post the results very soon.

Enjoy the rest of the pages from the book I have scanned!

Front Cover

My surprise, my mother's design for a seat cover!

Detail

Page from Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960   Buildings

Page from Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960 ... Angels

Page from Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960 ... Flora and Fauna

Page from Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960 ... Birds

Needlework Development Scheme Leaflets

A while ago I gave a small talk with slides to the Embroiderer's Guild in Tunbridge Wells. It was a gentle talk about my mother's life's work with textiles and embroidery and her influence on my own work. She did work with the NDS during the early part of her career as a designer and author. Some of my audience had brought along their own copies of some of her books which was so heart warming ... I was also approached by a lady I have met a few times at exhibitions in the past who said she still had her mother's NDS leaflets used while teaching and would love me to have them. Shortly afterwards she and another friend and I had a lovely morning embroidering samples and looking through these fabulous leaflets. I also have the book And Sew to Embroider, also a NDS book which has my mother's designs in ... I have scanned them all inside and out and am sharing the covers here and thinking about best way to share all in time ... and there are more to come!

The first (below) is a complete four page leaflet and following are just the covers. The colours alone are lovely ... TREASURE indeed.

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 26B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 28B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 36"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 10B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 11B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 12B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 17B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 19B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 21B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 23B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 24B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 25B"

Embroidered Greek Costume

I just want to share this beautiful thing ...

Bank Holiday Monday and off we go to Sissinghurst Cricket Club boot fair! The day was sunny and the temperature was kind. My first boot fair of the season, though some of my friends are champing at the bit earlier in April, eager for the first ones ... the thrill of the unexpected treasure, always guaranteed to get the blood racing. This boot fair is a large and unruly one. There is obviously some kind of plan in the general layout but as the stall holders arrive I feel it all goes to pot and ends up being rather a maze, which I suppose adds to the thrill of the hunt. It is fatal to be indecisive because you will never find which stall that treasure was in again ... was it by that foot bath or next to the pink leopard onesey? Argh!

Anyway I had begun to feel quite smug about my purchases so far, a tiny painted lead monkey, I think an old Britons toy animal, and Ingmar Bergman DVD for a joy evening's entertainment, two duck egg blue 1950s melamine bowls ... happiness. Satisfied we were ready for a stewed cuppa in the pavilion then off home. But then I spotted a real treasure.

It is a tiny little embroidered traditional Greek Costume, a shirt, wool jacket, wool trousers, and a little hat with a blue silk tassel. It is quite the most beautiful thing. The ladies selling it told me it belonged to their son, and was in the dressing up box for 40 years, the son now being 46, but it looks older to me. I shall treasure it ... Does anyone out there have a similar item or any information to share? I took the sellers name so I can relay any information to her ... but I am so enjoying marvelling at the workmanship at the moment ... please enjoy also

Now back to work. I have a press event at Somerset House next week and still waiting for the new kits to arrive ... it is all getting very stressful! The stitch cards are also expected today ... I missed the post on Saturday when they tried to deliver them ... how exasperating!

Embroidered Wool Jacket

Embroidered Wool Jacket

Embroidered Wool Jacket cuff detail

Embroidered Wool Jacket

Embroidered Trouser 

Embroidered Trouser Bib

Embroidered Hat

Embroidered Hat

Hat and trouser detail

Embroidered shirt and hat

Embroidered shirt

Embroidered shirt hem detail

Embroidered shirt collar detail

Embroidered shirt detail