Elizabeth II : coronation : Commonwealth emblems

A coronation sampler featuring the animal emblems of the Commonwealth.  It measures 35cm x 45cm.  This, and the details below, are example 1.

I've seen a couple of other versions of this design, shown below, including one in landscape format, rather than portrait, and thus missing the Westminster Abbey/coach detail.  Note how embroidery lets the needlewoman ring changes - blue ER on the top example, yellow or yellow/red ER on the examples below, or differences in how the elephant is embroidered.

Example 2

Example 3

Example 4, landscape format. 

It could well be that the design was published in more than one format, or this could have been the work of a needlewoman choosing to make a smaller version.

If you know any more about the source/publisher etc of this design, please do leave a comment.



Elizabeth & Philip : wedding sampler

A 1947 embroidered sampler commemorating the wedding of Elizabeth and Philip.  It features a verse from Patience Strong (who also had verses on birth samplers for Anne and Charles) and various English countryside motifs in the border.  Measures approx 50cm x 33.5cm.  Likely to have been sold either as a transfer or as fabric with the design already printed on.

If you know any more about this design - eg. where it was published/offered for sale - please do leave a comment.

Elizabeth II : coronation: Windsor Castle commercial tapestry

A commercially-woven tapestry to celebrate the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953, featuring a distant view of Windsor Castle.  This example is framed under glass.  Measures about 24inches x 24inches.  As a commercially-woven rather than hand-stitched it's outside the 'collection development' parameters of this blog, but I thought I'd document it here.

If you know more about this design, please do leave a comment.

Elizabeth II : calendar sampler

This was listed with no indication of size, provenance or any other history.  I guess the ER to be Elizabeth rather than Edward.  From this only photograph, the design appears to be calendar style, an image for each month of the year.  It did not sell for its starting price of GBP35.00

If you know any more about this design, please leave a  comment to enlighten us all!

Elizabeth II : coronation : 40th anniversary sampler

I haven't seen many sampler designs celebrating the 40th anniversary of Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953.  This was worked in 1993 and is, unusually, embroidery rather than cross-stitch.  The vast majority of later twentieth century examples of patriotic samplers are cross-stitch.  The majority of the ones that are embroidery originated with the Royal School of Needlework, but I have no information to make this connection beyond guesswork.

This one is 15inches x 13inches, worked on Irish linen.

The quote says:

There is no magic formula that will transform sorrow into happiness, intolerance into compassion or war into peace, but inspiration can change human behaviour.

Queen Elizabeth II

The other sampler I've seen featuring her words is this one using part of her first Christmas message as Queen.  I have seen a couple of George VI samplers quoting him.  It was, after all, radio and television that made monarchs' voices heard.

As ever, if you know more than I do, which is very likely, it would be great if you'd leave a comment to add to this entry.

Coronation portrait tapestries : Elizabeth II & Philip

This pair of portrait tapestries were apparently made to commemorate the coronation, but not finished until 1960 by a maker who only left the initials JMN on them.  The seller guessed that they might have been made for a town hall or other public building.  Unframed size: Height 41" (104cm), Width 29" (74cm).

I wonder if these were a commercial design?  They're a lot of design work to have been done by an individual, long before the time of photo-to-chart software.  The Queen's image is apparently based on the portrait on the front of the coronation programme.  The faces are stitched in petit point.

The last picture is of the back of the work, rather than Philip as vampire...!!

The seller set a starting price of GBP400.00 and a buy it now price of GBP560.00

If you know any more about these - designer, source, whatever - please leave a comment.

Elizabeth II : golden jubilee : little card samplers (RSN/DMC)

Two little card / small sampler designs from the Royal School of Needlework and DMC, made to celebrate the golden jubilee in 2002.  On the one hand, small designs like these are quick to stitch and might entice a needlewoman to make them as a simple commemorative piece; on the other hand, their small size would make them less likely to be framed and put on a wall, and therefore maybe less likely to survive.

Elizabeth II : golden jubilee : Mary Hickmott crown design

For those not game (or too time poor) to make the larger sampler shown last week, this Mary Hickmott golden jubilee design combines a detailed crown with enough wording to document the occasion.  It is a magazine cross-stitch chart.  Another one that could quite easily be adapted to the diamond jubilee.

Elizabeth II : golden jubilee : Mary Hickmott sampler (larger)

From Mary Hickmott, a golden jubilee cross stitch sampler chart featuring a detailed Buckingham Palace along with other symbols of royalty.  This is more classic than the magazine chart shown last week, in its treatment of the images and its choice of font.  Unlike some, it could be adapted to being a diamond jubilee sampler with only a small amount of tweaking.

Elizabeth: golden jubilee: row sampler chart

A bit on the cutesy side is this magazine chart for a golden jubilee sampler.  With various royal symbols in rows in a generally symmetrical organisation, it's a little toytown in style.  Making liberal use of royal purple and (inevitably) gold, including metallic threads, it's an attempt to be 'modern'.  As seems to be generally true, it's cross-stitch rather than embroidery.  Cross-stitch is easy to print and incude in documents; the coronation samplers of the twentieth century were from an age of transfers sent through the post (whether embroidery transfers or cross-stitch done with transfers).

If you know more about this, or have a worked example photo which could be added here, please let me know via the comments.

Elizabeth II : golden jubilee : Anchor flag kit

This kit turns up fairly regularly on eBay, and it's from a mainstream commercial kit company, so no doubt there were a lot of these about in 2002 for the golden jubilee.  It combines symbols of royalty with Buckingham Palace and a Union Jack.  In style, it has worked backgrounds as well as these symbols, with reasonably detailed shading; the font is a tad clunky for me.  Below is a worked example.

Elizabeth II : Diamond Jubilee (X) : Jubilee Silhouette

Something a bit different: this Jubilee Silhouette design is by Felicity Hall and can be purchased as a downloadable PDF.  Find out all about it here.  Price: GBP5.00 when on special, 10.00 when not.  Comes with colour codes for Appletons and DMC.

You could just take elements of this if you wished, for a smaller/different version.

Elizabeth II : Diamond Jubilee (IX) : another roundup

Sandringham, another Diamond Jubilee sampler design from Riverdrift House.

Here's the website description:

Within a border of Norfolk lavender sits the Queen's country residence, Sandringham House, where the Royal family spend each Christmas. We have included Jubilee oak leaves and acorns and a newly planted sapling for the Jubilee Woods Project, apples and blackcurrants (grown on the Royal Fruit Farms for producing juice and cordial), Queen Alexandra's Summer House above the lake, Estate Christmas trees and a Norfolk Black turkey, tea and cake at The Stables Tea Room, pheasants, a Cromer crab, Union Jacks and some Royal pets!

Design uses 12 colours of Anchor 6-stranded embroidery thread on a white 14 count Aida fabric.

Pack includes a clear chart on an A3 sheet, instructions and a gold-plated needle.

The size of the finished needlework is approx 25 x 25cm/ 10 x 10 inches.

Price: £12.95

Find it here on the Riverdrift website, or on eBay.

This kit has been selling on eBay and is available as a kit or chart from seller wumplekin.  Description:

Kits contain needle, threads, 14 count aida, colour chart and instructions.

Size of the finished picture is 5" x 7" (70 x 98 stitches). Whole stitches only are used so these kits will suit all abilities from beginner to expert. The crown is stitched using Anchor Marlitt (to give it a shine) but enough ordinary thread will be in the kit for anyone not wanting to use this.

Price: £7.39

This one's from a magazine, but I haven't yet worked out which one.  Several eBay sellers are selling the magazine pages or colour copies of them.

eBay seller zara-karen-xstitching has kits for sale based on the Diamond Jubilee emblem.  There isn't a stitched example, only a copy of the emblem as above.

Description:

Diamond Jubilee emblem cross stitch kit.  My kits are all made up myself.  Kits contain Aida, 40 threads, needle and symbol easy to read instructions.  All kids come in clear resealable bags for storage.  My charts are from a disc downloaded onto quality paper.  Have authorisation to print.

Price: £16.99

Jubilee alphabet: another magazine pattern being sold on eBay.

Description:

Cross Stitch Chart - Diamond Jubilee Alphabet Chart
Full colour charts of the letters of the alphabet featuring 'Best of British' themes - the Union Jack, Big Ben, The Queen etc
Colour key for DMC, Anchor and Madeira threads
This item is 3 pages taken from a cross stitch magazine

A Diamond Jubilee cushion chart from Cross Stitch Collection magazine.  The finished size of the design is 10 3/4 x 12 1/4inches if worked on 14 Count Aida.

From Twilleys of Stamford. 

Description:

Each kit contains stranded cotton, aida fabric, needle, chart, alphabet and full instructions.

Brand: Twilleys of Stamford

Fabric Count: 14 Count Aida Fabric

Product Ref: T2890/0020

Size: 23 x 28 cm

Price: around £29.99

Another magazine pattern being sold as pages on eBay.  This design is about 6inches x 6inches.

A cheerful contribution from Bothy Threads.  Description:
Kit comes complete with 14ct Zweigart Aida fabric, pre-sorted thread, metallic gold beads, sequins, needle, pattern, full instructions and a colour picture to show the finished article.
This kit uses full and fractional cross stitches, back stitch and a few French knots
Finished size 32cm x 39cm
Price: around £21, available from various sellers including some on eBay such as acrosstownstitching .

As ever, if you know more about any of these designs, please leave a comment to add your knowledge.

 



Elizabeth II : Diamond Jubilee (VIII) : Mollie Makes roundup

Mollie Makes magazine has this roundup of designs called the Best of Jubilee Stitching on their website.  Here's their information:

Anyway, here are our fave bits of British stitching inspiration. Long live the Queen and long live crafting!
1. We heart this cute and very British birdie! Designed by Catherine Young, and the embroidery pattern is available from Bumpkin on etsy.
2. It's not quite Buckingham Palace, but this felt jubilee mushroom is fit for a fairy queen. It's designed by Hippywitch, and it's the cutest!
3. What a lovely way to get a touch of the Cath Kidston look through your own fair hands. This set of London embroidery motifs, designed by Catherine Young, of Moda Fabrics fame, would be just right for the Jubilee weekend, and it's available as a pdf download from Comfort Stitching on etsy.

Lovely magazine, Mollie Makes, if you don't know it.  Definitely worth a look if you're even vaguely interested in crafting and making.

I particularly like the London embroidery motifs.  Embroidery, when so many jubilee designs are cross stitch.

All these blog posts documenting jubilee designs are tagged with 'jubilee', so you can use that to find the others if you'd like to see more.

Elizabeth II : Diamond Jubilee (VII) : roundup

The Cross Stitcher magazine Making Spot blog has this roundup of Diamond Jubilee designs.

From top left, to bottom right:
Embroidery pattern, Bustle & Sew
Crown hoop design, What Delilah Did
Diamond Jubilee sampler, Nia Cross Stitch
Crown sachet, CrossStitcher 250
Celebration cupcakes, Bothy Threads
Emma Bridgewater, CrossStitcher 250
Crown in frame, Diane Machin
Stamp design, Jacqui Pearce
Corgi Union Jack, Miso Funky

As I suspected, there are more and more designs available as the Jubilee celebrations get closer.

Elizabeth II: coronation: Radio Times embroidered cover

How could any patriotic Briton, obtaining the Radio Times weekly to know what was on the radio (and television, if you were among the privileged few) who wouldn't want to make a special embroidered cover for your weekly magazine?

What is the Radio Times? "Radio Times is the BBC's weekly television and radio programme listings magazine. It also provides on-line listings. Radio Times was founded on 28 September 1923, and originally carried details of BBC radio programmes in response to a newspaper boycott of radio listings. It was at one time the magazine with the largest circulation in Europe."

Isn't this fabulous? I'm guessing it was either a transfer or transfer and fabric kit (or fabric with the transfer already applied).  Maybe from the Radio Times?  Hmmm, I wonder if their back issues are archived online?

Gives proper gravitas to the TV guide, doesn't it?

Here's an image from an eBay auction (from which I sourced the above quote) of the Coronation issue of the Radio Times.  Don't know if it was the one which included this embroidered design (mightn't you want to make it ahead of time?)

I can't quite imagine anyone now making a royal commemorative embroidered cover for their TV guide, or book, or any magazine.  It's like the George VI embroidered chairback from this blog entry last December.  Of its time, and eloquent of it, and pointing out how times and houses and social history change.

If you have any clues as to the source of this design, please leave a comment with any links you can provide.