So there's the part where I'm a bit crazy

[nishatalitha]

In the rpg I'm in at the moment on Thursday nights, my character is a fourteen year old girl with major self-confidence issues and a developing sense of honour who is the knight in the party with a shiny magic sword named Bellomech.

A few weeks ago, the party was told the making story of the sword. The other night I was telling it to a friend from my notes, and it occured to me that it would be awesome if I could embroider it, Bayeux tapestry style of stitching. The idea took hold.

I don't want to do a banner, because then I would have to find somewhere to hang it. Instead, I think I'll do a book. Each panel will be an individual piece of fabric, stitched and then attached to a backing board (maybe balsa wood? something light, anyway), with the board covered on the other side either with fabric or yet more embroidery. The panels would be attached to each other in chronological order with chain, so you could either read it book style or unfold it completely.

I haven't made a pattern yet, but I have summed up the story into about 9 panels (plus cover pages). I've found some pictures on the internet I can work with as a base, and I've got a book of the Bayeux tapestry with lots of coloured pictures I can refer to and work from.

This may have all stayed in my head, but I was talking to thesane about it, and she was encouraging me as she does. We were talking about linen and calico and what it would be stitched on, when I remembered that I had a tablecloth worth of linen (with the embroidery pattern for the tablecloth) that Gran gave me at some point, and it was about the right amount and colour. I'm never going to stitch the tablecloth - I'm not that crazy, so it means that I now have the linen I need, which would be the expensive off-putting part.

I think it can be 12 panels (including the cover pages), because a square divides into 12 better than it does 11. And I think I'll mostly stick to stem stitch & couching, except for the blackwork bits, because you know, I'm not completely crazy.


A long time ago, the land of Corintha was at peace. Then a monster of shadow and darkness ate the light. His name was Krysnik the Devourer. A band of heroes went to fight him, but their swords broke. They sought help from the smith Toilman the Craftsman, who offered to make them a sword that would hurt Kresnik. Toilman saw sunlight glinting off a mountain river at Lossina, and had the river run accross his forge. Smithing is making is magic. The river now runs through the sword, and the sword can cut Kreshnik.

Comments

[clockworkflight.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you're crazy. It sounds really awesome though.

[anarchangel23.livejournal.com]

I like the way you're thinking, but would go one step further: this is crazy awesome!

[nishatalitha.livejournal.com]

thesane is a filthy filthy enabler and is suggesting new styles of embroidery and applique to try around the borders and kindly volunteering to dye me wool. Embroidering the main picture won't take that long; the time consuming bit will be setting it all up and doing the borders.

...I'm currently hemming page 5 out of twelve (with the sewing machine, not handsewing, because I'm crazy, not mad and don't actually like plain sewing very much).

[anarchangel23.livejournal.com]

And she seemed like such a nice girl!