Finished this girdle book this morning & snapped some pictures. Not sure I'm as happy with the thickness of the wool I used for this, but it's a good prototype. The knot at the top goes under a belt and secure this on your person so you have easy access to the book. In period - a prayer book would be inside the fabric cover. In this example, a sketch book is used instead to make notes.

Front -

Back -

Slightly open -

Completely open -

I am making good progress on my embroidered bookbinding. The blue is all done in my device, and I've started on the cinquefoil - but I am not happy with the way it looks. I'm thinking I'll have to rip it out and redesign it so it's more even. But even so it's good for me to see the progress.

I have also started researching #2. I have one book - English Embroidered Bookbindings by Cyril Davenport, and have another coming via ILL. A third book, and the one that looked the best to me, was denied by the requested library. *pout* But I'll try getting it again - see if someone else has it available. I have no idea what the design will be yet, but will be working on silk fabric in silk thread. Should be pretty and nice.

Little John did a wonderful job yesterday in sketching out the pattern for the front & back of my bookbinding. The only difference I foresee is to make the tassels a bit bigger. Here is what it looks like thus far:

	embroidered bookbinding front This is the pattern for the frontside of my embroidered bookbinding.
	embroidered bookbinding back This is the pattern for the backside of my embroidered bookbinding.

The cinquefoil on top is to be purple, the cording is all gold, the device in the middle is white with the blue side flaunches, the tulip in the middle is also blue with a green stem.

Here is an update for the embroidered bookbinding that I am working on. It is a practice one for one I need to create for patsmor. I've been pondering this project for almost a year now, and am really looking forward to seeing it completed.

I am going to be veering from the original, as I am planning on also having the spine & back embroidered, and the colors will probably be more colorful, but hopefully my finished project will be something that will look very period indeed.

What I have:

• I have fabric - black velvet to be precise. It's been in my stash for quite a few years, so long I do not recall what it was originally purchased for. So it is time to make use of it.


• I have floss. Well, some floss to be precise. I am going to be using regular DMC cotton embrodery floss for this project since I cannot afford all the pretty silk I would love to use on it. I have a variety of colors to get me started, and have also invested in some of DMC's metallic floss for the couch work on this.
  
• I have a standing embroidery frame that will let me do the handwork on the binding without using the silly little round embroidery hoops. Hopefully this will keep the piece from getting too creased.
  
• I have a book to cover. cnewsonsmith gave me a photo album for Twelth Night that I will be covering. I'm going to use this as my project portfolio for the A&S 50 Challenge, so why not have one of the 50 as a binding!? :)
  
• I have inspiration! I ran across a wonderful bookbinding in the British Library's Database of Bookbindings. The original belonged to Marie de Medicis, Queen, Consort of Henri IV, King of France (1573-1642), and the book is roughly from 1615. You can see it here. I have a couple of changes I'm making to it so it relects me instead of Queen Marie, but the basic layout will remain the same.
  

All that's left is to get my rough sketches into a more final product and then transfer them onto tissue paper so I can get them onto the velvet. That should be a fun and challenging project right there! I hope to post images as I go to show step by step work on this.

I hope to get images of my design posted here shortly. Little John will be helping me with the final design this weekend hopefully.

Here is the link to the British Library's page on Embroidered Book Bindings http://www.bl.uk/collections/early/embin2a.html.

Other webpages I'm using for research include Making a Chemise Binding & Heraldic Covers without Rebinding. This with the book I have from the library on the V&A textile collection should have me well on my way with at least the research portion of my A&S challenge project. Of course, any other resources or advice are always welcome. :)

I had a really good day yesterday. Got lots done and have not so much left to do before next weekend! I had an eye appointment & am testing new contact lenses, I worked out (had a great work out actually! Almost killed myself on the "hills" my stationary bike decided to torture me with, but felt good when I was done.), cleaned the floor in my entry way and put down the new rug in there, and I also have become addicted to embroidery!

I am working on a small embroidery project as a gift for a friend for Twelth Night, and I literally didn't want to put it down to go to bed last night! I wanted to finish it to see how pretty it is done...I didn't QUITE get it completed, but only have a small hole left to fill with color. This really jazzes me up for the embroidered bookbinding/cover I am to work on for Siobhan. I even have a book for this bookbinding challenge - The Victoria & Albert Textile Collection: Embroidery in Britain from 1200 to 1750. I've not had the chance to dig into it yet, but am looking forward to spending some time with it.

After reading the article on the British Museum's website on Embroidered Bookbindings, and zooming in on the images they have in their online collection, I have decided that I'll need to learn how to couch. Luckily, someone on one of my email lists provided these great websites on this style of embroidery last night! :)

• "Couching", from the STITCH with the Embroiderer's Guild stitch guide includes a clear line drawing of a couched cord, and a brief explanation of how couching works.
  
  
• "Couching or Simple Laid Work", from Inaminuteago includes a clear photo of yarn couched with contrasting thread, a slightly longer explanation of how couching works, and some comments on its use in the Middle Ages.
  
  
• 
  "Couching", from the Classic Stitches "Know How" section features illustrated step-by-step instructions for traditional couching.

Thanks to Coblaith Mhuimhneach for these annotated links!

So far I've only done some split stitching embroidery, but couching doens't look too difficult to learn. At least, that's my hope!

I have just joined a challenge given by Siobhan Medhbh O'Roarke in the West to learn a new SCA-related skill. Here is what I am doing for it:

I have many new projects and skills that interest me.  The one I'll go on record here with is embroidered bookbinding. OK...this is actaully two new skills for me, as I am currently working on my first embroidery project. The following links have some beautiful examples!

• Henry VIII's.
• Catherine Parr's.
• Elizabeth I's.

I plan to document my progress online, and possibly teach a class on these bindings one day.

I'll be posting my progress here on how I'm doing with this challenge.