Among my clients, I have a range of ages. My newest client is 4 years old, an energetic little tow-headed boy who lives in Colorado and is crazy about Power Rangers. For Christmas, he had received a number of themed gifts which depicted the Samurai, his favourite.
On a recent Skyping session, he expressed his disappointment that he had not received a cushion like the one that I had embroidered for his older brother. He specifically needed a cushion for his mother's doll, Lily, who slept in his room. I asked him what I should embroider on his cushion and without hesitation he answered the Red Power Ranger.
Embroidery is not like drawing. You just can't whip up a coloured picture in a matter of hours, or even a couple of days. It takes quite a bit of time. I needed to find a way to create the character quickly and send it off. My final choice was to use the Bayeux stitch, the technique used on the famous Bayeux Tapestry which dates back to 1077. The Bayeux stitch is a type of weaving of three layers of thread. It creates quick coverage of the forms to be coloured and it is secure. The original embroidery is still in existence and in very good condition despite its great age. I anticipate this little cushion to be handled often so solidity was the order of the day.
I finished the embroidery yesterday. I am really happy with the outcome. The colours are vibrant and the texture of the Bayeux stitch make the character jump right off the fabric. It took me close to 20 hours to stitch this piece. It was fun to do, the joy being enhanced by what I anticipate to be a smiling blond boy when he receives it.
It was a creative way of bridging a 1000 years of history, between the time the original Bayeux Tapestry was embroidered and today, and 2000 miles of distance which separates us from our grandchildren.
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