Thistle ThreadsThistle Threads
Thistle Threads Newsletter
December 2009
In This Issue
Floral Glove Registration Closing
Jacket Tour Update
Winterthur Fundraising
Floral Glove Course Registration to Close on December 31st

flower

There are still two weeks to register for the first course in the Thistle Threads Online University.  The Floral Glove class is a six-month exploration in couched gold threads and silk embroidery.

If you have already registered for the course, you should have received an update letting you know invoicing plans.
See the Course Description and Movie
Blog to Expand

fitting

Least you think that your daily dose of embroidery is going away with the completion of the Plimoth Jacket - get ready for more!  We still have over three months of 'how we got there' left with tons of interesting information.  I am also negotiating with some museums to use some of my research photos on-line.  And to top it off - I have been able to garner permission to blog about a set of private pieces of stumpwork.  There are hundreds of photos about materials and techniques coming your way!

Read the Blog

Quick Links



Forward this issue to a Friend

Join Our Mailing List
Dear Stitcher -

I wanted to give you an update on the Jacket Tour and a few other timely items.

Tricia
 
Jacket Tour Planning Almost Complete
Reservations taken starting on January 13th
As you can imagine, putting together a tour of this magnitude is a momentous effort.  I am happy to have Susan Albury of Hanging by a Thread and Colleen at Virgin Vacations to help with the task. 

We have been busily ensuring that each of our tour stops will have the proper access to the embroideries which we want to see.  Many of the venues are under construction or closed at the moment (such as Museum of London and Platt Hall) and so it takes a bit of extra work to make sure we see what we want.

I recently reminded Colleen that we aren't a group of 'interested generalists' - we arhotele a group of extreme experts!  A whole bus load in fact.  That has meant being realistic about the number of stops every day for a group of this size so we can make sure that smaller numbers of people can see the embroideries close up instead of from afar for a few minutes.  So we have been tweaking the logistics to make sure everyone has something interesting to see/do while waiting for their turn.

This means that at some venues we have spent allot of time coordinating with the curators to know what will be on display in the galleries during that time frame so that everyone will have fantastic things to do while waiting their turn.  I also added in extra time at our gold thread maker.  Don't tell me that you all won't shop there!  I am asking for them to staff up for those hours so we can process the little purchases and get you all back on the bus in time.  I know from experience that their selection blows the mind and you will agonize over the choices. 

I am thrilled to let you know that we have put together arrangements to see over a dozen jackets - that is two-thirds of the existing embroidered jackets!  We will see pieces in the V&A,  Museum of London, Bath, Platt Hall, and Maidstone.  An impressive achievement as only one is currently on view!  We have also split the tour into a base tour of England visiting 'jacket significant sites' and one that travels to Scotland to see the pieces at the Burrell collection - can't forget their lovely jacket.  So you can choose either or both depending on what fits your vacation time and wallet.

I can't wait to publish the final itinerary in a couple of days. We have some nice surprises for you in store - it has taken allot of extra work, but we are gaining access to items not normally seen.  Even after the info is published this week, we will have a few more things to add that won't be 'ready-for-primetime' until after the first of the year.

Watch this page for the downloadable brochure
Winterthur to Display Plimoth Jacket
Fundraising Opportunity
jacket view
Plimoth Plantation and Winterthur are pleased to announce that the finished Plimoth Embroidered Jacket will be on display in the public galleries in the Spring of 2010.  The jacket will have its own little corner from Spring 2010-Fall 2011 and will join a much larger exhibition at Winterthur at that point.  Once finished being displayed at Winterthur, the Jacket will travel back to Plimoth for the long-waited exhibition there.  

Mounting any sort of exhibition or display during these economic times is difficult.  Our display plans for the jacket include a small flat screen monitor that would allow slides, photos and video about the jacket project to be displayed next to the jacket.  The inclusion of such a display would greatly enhance Winterthur's ability to tell the deep and complex story involved in the making of the piece. Unfortunately, the video displays at Winterthur are already spoken for during the early days of the jacket's arrival to Winterthur, therefore Thistle Threads invites you all to join with us in raising money to purchase such a screen to enhance the educational mission of the project.  

A special fund has been set up at Winterthur for direct donations to exhibiting the Jacket.  During the last days of 2009, any donations to the fund will be matched by Thistle Threads up to $3000 total.  During the course of the project we found that together we could take those small donations of $5-$25 and make something special.  I hope you will join the effort again.

Donate to Winterthur's Exhibit of the Plimoth Jacket
I am looking forward to resuming the Needlework NIbbles in January - get your stitching fingers ready!
 
Tricia Wilson Nguyen
Thistle Threads