A Poesy Casket Toy

The registration for the Winterthur symposium "The Diligent Needle: Instrument of Profit, Pleasure, and Ornament" starts on the 19th.  I am thrilled to be doing a lecture on embroidered caskets as well as teaching a poesy casket toy based on a new material made recently for me.

The description of the class is below.  For more information on the symposium - click here.

There are about a dozen known small poesies made from wire and silk braid found in embroidered caskets of the 17th century. These ‘toys’ may have been little trinkets of affection or fun projects taught by teachers to students. It may be coincidence, but a common conceit of the time was being painted with a small sprig in one’s hand. Were these stitched flowers made for such occasions? During this workshop we will examine the techniques used to join the braids to make petals and leaves and make a pink flower to place in a secret drawer of a casket.