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A Reproduction Coif
Author: Paula Kelly Orders of the day, Volume 32, Issue 4, 2000
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I have always had an avid interest in the wealth of the 16th and 17th centuries’ embroideries but this took on a new direction when I joined the Sealed Knot five years ago. From the outset of joining I have always strived to create costumes that would look and feel good, but after two years of doing so I came to the realisation that I was not achieving as well as I might. It then became a serious obsession to recreate costumes that were more in keeping with the period than to follow the mainstream of the Society. Fortunately, I was able to visit the collections on general view at the Burrell Collection and the Victoria & Albert Museum, to see at first hand the methods used in construction, but most importantly the scale of the motifs used in the various embroidered articles. As part of my studies for the City and Guilds Part 2 Embroidery I needed to create a functional 3-D item. This seemed to be the ideal workhorse to combine an article as an assessment piece and would include my interest in 17th century costume. Serious research followed as I needed to identify an item to make. The coif filled the void immediately. It was something that I had always aspired to, but felt that I didn’t want to make another blackwork version. It was my personal goal to achieve an item different from the rest, so I chose to design a polychrome coif complete with 3-D flowers and to attempt the plaited braid stitch (seen on several original articles) that appeared as elusive to master as it is to catch the Loch Ness monster! The first step was to design the pattern layout on paper. For inspiration I closely examined linen jackets seen in the Burrell and the V&A. These showed the methods undertaken to create stunning embroidered articles. For the regularity of the pattern repeats and the coiling braid, the image of the coif represented in the Embroiderers’ Guild’s “Treasures from the Embroiderers’ Guild Collection” proved invaluable. Having chosen the flower motifs for inclusion, I drew up the pattern within a flat coif shape. This was then transferred onto the linen ground fabric and for permanence the outlines were inked in - definitely following my 17th century forebears. Roses are heavily depicted in 3-D form on several surviving pieces from the period so it was necessary to include them, but I also opted to create the tulips in the same manner. In order to construct these flowers I had to learn the technique of basic needlelace. The roses were easy to manufacture but the tulips needed several attempts until I achieved the finished result. The honeysuckles and aquilegias were worked in satin stitch and appear 2-D on the coif - but look equally stunning. As the coif progressed, slowly at first, the inked outlines began to disappear beneath the bright colours. I was beginning to thoroughly enjoy the work. It seemed like a tangible link with the past and that history was coming alive again - a bit like the Sleeping Beauty! With the flowers completed, the fun part began. The coif has included four caterpillars (‘wormes’), a fly and a butterfly. As the originals bore little resemblance to natural hues I was given total freedom to introduce some zany shades. Once the inked motifs had been filled I then had to practice and perfect the plaited braid stitch. It took three days until I felt confident enough to begin work on the panel. The more I stitched the quicker and easier it became. All the small coiling tendrils have been worked in chain stitch. The final embellishment was to include the spangles. Two days later the small sequins had been attached to the surface areas filing in the voids of the design. The coif had suddenly become more animate. Original coifs show that the flat panels had been outlined in stem stitch, so I decided to include this feature. When I began to prepare for the addition of the lining I noticed the relevance of this decorated edge. The stitched outline gave a perfect seam line to follow in order that you didn’t encroach onto the embroidered panel, so maybe our ancestors had included this detail to make the final stage easier. Now that the coif has been completed it looks simply stunning - quite easily one of the best pieces I have ever completed and with it my personal quest has been realised. But now I have this raging urge to create a jacket to wear with the coif! Obviously, I am very proud and pleased with the finished article but also feel that this is not only very interesting but as a teaching item is supreme. A further facet of the creation is that to my knowledge there is not another contemporary version of this style. From the City & Guilds’ aspect it is a prime example of the avenues opened up by investigation of older methods of needlework that don’t necessarily come to mind for most students. With these examples it encourages the boundaries of contemporary work to go further. Bibliography
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