Sweet Surrender Making a Sweet Bag for Kingdom Largess By Jocelyn of Rowenwood A & S due 12 th Night 2013

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1 Sweet Surrender Making a Sweet Bag for Kingdom Largess By Jocelyn of Rowenwood A & S due 12 th Night 2013 Short History: Sweetbags came into prominence in the 1500 s as richly decorated pouches. They were small in size and mostly rectangular but some square in shape. Most of the background was done in silver or gold metal threads in encroaching gobelin stitch. The rest of the bag is embroidered with flowers in tent stitch and vines of plaited braid. Some sweetbags were decorated in goldwork on satin or velvet ground. Sometimes spangles are used to speckle the surface on bags but rarely. Silk provides color to the flowers and central designs. In short the whole surface is covered and shiny! Mostly they are lined in a silk taffeta, the majority in the color pink. They have a drawstring closure at the top with decorated beads or tassels and some have straps as well. At the base of the bag are usually placed 3 tassels. After 1600, the bags are still in use but the images of people are more commonly used and the purses tend to get larger in size. They were a fitting container for gifts given to Queen Elizabeth, below are but a few references in the lists: Anno Regni Reginæ ELIZABETHÆ Quarto Neweeyeur's Gyftes gevon to the QUENE her MAJESTIE by those Parsons whose Names hereafter ensue, the first of January, the Yere above wrytten. By the Lady Gresham, a boxe with foure swete-baggs in it. Delivered to the said Lady Cobham. By the Lady Raclyef, a peire of sleeves of cameryk, all over sett with purle, and two sweet bags. Delivered to the said Lady Cobham. By Mr. William Huggyns, a greate swete bag of tapphata, with a zypher*, and a border of rosses and sphers embrodered with Venice gold and pearles. Delivered to the said Mrs. Blaunch. * Mistress Eowyn Amberdarke believes this means a "cypher", that is, initials.. Digby (1964) thinks that sweetbags were done by professional embroiders. There is mention of purchasing them for 5s. He also supports his theory due to the consistency of their size which does not change much over the century. In my search, I have not been able to find any extant blackwork sweetbags. My deduction is that a blackwork bag was probably not glitzy enough to give to Queen Elizabeth I. The bags that have been preserved perhaps were such gifts from the Royalty and therefore kept safe.. The purpose of this class is to provide you with the tools to make a blackwork sweetbag to give to The Crown for Largess at 12 th Night 2013.

2 Your Kit of Sweetbag Materials includes: 28 count 100% linen 100% Silk for lining DMC 310 black floss Needle 26 Tapestry Finished size of sweetbag is: 3 x 4 Blackwork Designs Mark out the size of the sweetbag onto the linen. (I used a running stitch around the edge) 45 stitches (over 2 threads) long sides and 30 stitches on the top & bottom sides (see #2 photo below) Transfer your design onto the linen Some Design Options: Embroider your design using stem stitch and a fill pattern, OR Use all the space with a fill Pattern, OR Add a border with a central element Elizabethans loved to fill the space, so you can t really have too much embroidery The sky is the limit let your artistic talents have free rein! Important reminders Find the center of your template (count the threads or draw temp lines) Plan out your placement, especially if using a border, so you come out with even spacing. You can stitch your border out 1 st. Just guesstimate the center. Once you have done the border that will be the size of your sweetbag. Remember to add your seam allowances if you change the size of your sweetbag (3 x 3 or 5 x 5)

3 #1: Mark out the dimensions on your linen #2: Running stitch around the edge and marked the middle with a pin. #3: From the center, work out our design element. #4: When you are done, your work is centered. Add as much or as little embroidery as you wish. Spangles or pearls could be added as well to your work. #6: Sew the sides and add the lining to your bag, then use an awl to gently punch a hole in the linen without cutting any threads. Thread your cording around the top of your bag.

4 . Extant Pieces and modern interpretations Victoria and Albert Museum Museum # 316&A Height 4.5 X Width 5.5 The British Library C194C27 A chatelaine: sweetbag, pincushion & knife case Accession: Manchester City Galleries Red satin chatelaine, embroidered in gilt and silver thread, gold spangles and silver foil. Sweetbag, pincushion and knife case connected by double cord of red and gold silk, held A blackwork sweetbag designed & embroidered by Mistress Eowyn Amberdrake, used with her permission

5 together by knots and plaited gilt and silver thread. Sweetbag: made in one piece from red satin, sewn with silver which also decorates top edge. Each side decorated with floral pattern consisting of embroidered clovers in gilt and silver thread over yellow silk thread padding, gilt and silver stem stitch, gold spangles sewn with gilt thread, and silver foil looped through yellow silk threads. Small red tassel decorates each corner, one attached to the center button. Bag fastens with red silk plaited drawstring. Type: Bag Height: 13 cm [5.1 ] x Width: 11.5 cm [4.5 ] Knife case: in the 16th and 17th century, usually containing two knives. Decorated with foil and floral embroidery in narrow vertical pattern. Pincushion: Small square, decorated with gilt stitching over yellow silk around edges. Firmly padded; each face decorated with gold foil spangles and gilt embroidery in a heart shape. Short red tassel at each corner. Type: Pincushion Height: 6 cm [2.4 ] 1540 The Calthorp purse 5.5 x 4 Not a sweetbag but you can see the foundations of them in this purse. Purse embroidered by Catherine Lorraine of Stonegate Manor.

6 Putting it all together After you have completed your embroidery it is now time to put your sweetbag together. I recommend hand sewing but by machine is fine if you are more comfortable with it. Materials: Silk lining, tie strings matching colors 2 at 20 each, optional tassels and beads Once your embroidery is complete, admire your work Fold your embroidery in half and sew up the side seams. Add the tassels, beads or bells now along the newly formed bottom. Sew the side seams of the lining and insert lining into the sweet bag with wrong sides together.

7 You can see the lining poking out in the photo. Have your cord ready, after the sides have been sewn, punch your fabric with an awl and button hole stitch the holes to reinforce if necessary. Or you can create loops to thread your draw string Both or period methods Then thread your cord, one from one side and the second one from the other. You ll have 2 loops.

8 Fold the fabric of the embroidery to the inside and fold the lining to the inside. Match them up and sew together. Embroider a decorative stitch on top of them. Optional. Pouch by Jocelyn of Rowenwood You are Done!. Options Should you not wish to make a sweetbag: Needlecase: Cut linen with a seam allowance and sew the lining to the linen Right Sides together. Sew only 3 sides. Turn inside out and sew final side. Trim wool felt to ¼ inch less than finished linen. Lay out your embroidery with lining face up. Lay the wool felt pages on top. Attach felt to linen with a Backstitch down the center of the piece. You may wish to add some sort of closing such as ribbon ties or loop & button. You can make a needlecase following the instructions located from the Guild site at this link: laying out the wool felt before sewing down Needlecase embroidery by Jocelyn of Rowenwood

9 Pincushion: A pincushion can be made simply. After you have done your embroidery, sew up 3 sides of your linen (right sides together). Add tassels or beads at this time. Turn right side out and stuff with wool batting or cotton batting but stuff it tightly. Sew up the open side. You can add at loop at the top. Pincushion embroidery by Jocelyn of Rowenwood. For any questions, please contact me: Jocelyn of Rowenwood tongarii@yahoo.com. Links (but a few listed) (may have some linen showing)

10 BOOKS (but a few listed) Elizabethan Embroidery George Digby Thomas Yoseloff, NY 1964 Why Call It Blackwork? Scoular, Marion self, Duluth GA, 1993 Reversible Blackwork: Book 1 Altherr, Ilse self, 1978, Chester NJ, 1985 Blackwork & Holbein Embroidery: Book 2 Altherr, Ilse self, Chester NJ, 1981 Blackwork Gostelow, Mary Dover, Mineola, 1976 ISBN# Blackwork Barnett, Lesley Simon & Schuster Australia/Search Press Ltd., Australia/Kent, 1996 ISBN# Complete Anachronist's Wrought with flowers of Black Silk. Book #115 Prudence Catesby Society for Creative Anachronism, 2002 For more: Here are some design elements

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13 You could outline the demi sun and fill it with pattern as well. A schole-house for the needle printed 1632

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16 These designs have been laid out with the thought of using diaper (fill) stitches.