People often ask where ideas for embroideries come from. Usually there’s no one source – something emerges when images and and research jostle around in the back of my mind. But just sometimes I see an image and can’t rest until I’ve used it for an embroidery. And when this happens the inspiration almost inevitably comes from early C20th jewellery.
I saw this enamel collar (an Art Nouveau choker, by Henri Dubret, c 1900) on Pinterest and straightaway saw the two crossed leaves in the centre as the letter X. From there it was a short step to making it into Xanthe (my 9 month old granddaughter’s name) and there has been no peace for me until I moved from idea to thread. To begin with I messed around with doing silly things like adding more flowers but then I realised that the design was just too perfect in itself to change. The emeralds on their gold wire lattice which worked so well on the choker I changed into the seed heads of little allium-like plants dotted about on almost invisible stems.
This wedding monogram was also inspired by an Art Nouveau piece of jewellery.
5 Comments
Both the embroidery and the choker are beautiful. Wow. I wouldn’t have thought to connect one to another. The inspiration is a gift you uniquely own.
Thanks for the kind comment, Amara.
Lovely. The white background makes the embroidery light and fresh, suitable for a child, and yet it’s sophisticated enough to stay with her all her life. She’s a lucky little girl (even if 9months old is a bit young to realise it yet!)
Lovely thing to say, Rachel. Many thanks.
Amazing Mum. And… amazing, Mum. Works punctuated both ways.
Xanthe will love it forever.
Ax
One Trackback
[…] my grandson a long time ago (he’s now 4) but, wouldn’t you know it, I ended up making an embroidery for his little sister first. (which might be viewed as a bit of an insult as she’s only 9 months old!). After […]