Hilary Mantel wastes no words over her descriptions of textiles, clothes, jewellery or furnishings in her two Cromwell books. When – rarely – she describes these things, they have a point, either revealing character or state of mind. I’d go further and say that for me the cardinal’s red clothing never makes an unimportant appearance […]

  Having had a bit of a holiday from the altar frontal, I thought I’d better slip embroidering a simple flower into this week’s schedule, to get mind and eye back into gear in preparation for an autumn push to the finish. Wanting to add cornflowers to a set of wedding initials I’m about to […]