Heraldry A&S Main Page

Back to Merouda.Com

Historical Stitches: Simple instructions for historical embroidery stitches, including split, satin, couching.

Split stitch: Entire article devoted to split stitch embroidery. Technique suggestions in addition to simple instruction.

Make a Chemise Binding: Illustrated instructions to make a plain book cover in the style of a chemise binding.

Girdle Book Slip Cover: Directions for making a plain book cover in the style of a girdlebook.

Other Sites, Supporting Documents

Crewel Embroidery: A brief history of crewel embroidery; it was actually somewhat difficult to find an article about crewel's history rather than yet another site selling crewel kits.

A Guide to English Embroidered Bindings: Short article on history, method, materials.

Chemise Binding: One of only 7 examples still in existence

V&A Access to Images: Search for  museum item number 634-1865  to see a 16th c. Italian book cover of gilt bronze. Search for item number 1324-1864 to see an emboidered book cushion cover.

Between the Angel and the Book:  Interesting  article, but as reference for book covers, what you really want to look at are the illustrations. Paintings include chemise bindings, book cushions, and "book bags."

Heraldic Arts and Sciences:
Beyond the Banner and Shield
Part 8: Heraldic Covers without Rebinding 

 

Heraldry is used in all aspects of book production. One finds it in the watermarks impressed during the papermaking process, in the illuminations, and, most significantly for this project, on the bindings of books.

Book covers, as described in this article, appear to be a post-period item. There are period bindings of embroidered velvet, and of course, as mentioned, beautifully made leather and jeweled bindings are so ubiquitous that entire websites, coffee table books, and museum exhibits are devoted to them. Books with such splendid bindings are not things that a modern person would cover; generally, we cover books because our bindings are so very plain. The sort of books that roll out of machine bindaries don't lend themselves well to exquisite bindings. 

However, binding before the modern era was often purchased separately from the book itself. Books might be purchased from the seller as a collection of leaves or in a temporary binding. Those who could afford to buy better bindings did so--and they understood the value of protecting those bindings.

Hence, while you probably won't find a modern style book cover (or dust jacket or slip cover, as they are also known), there are plenty of examples of book accessories designed to protect better bindings and books. There are book cushions to rest the book upon, book boxes and book purses to protect the book in transit or while stored in the home, chemise bindings, and book scarves.  

The period chemise binding is probably most like what we think of as a book cover. This was an outer binding that was attached to the book; it covered the inner binding and had additional material that could be wrapped around the book for further protection.

The primary project on this page, an embroidered panel appliqued to a velveteen (cotton velvet) ground, is currently constructed to have a fairly loose fit and functions as a sort of cross between a chemise binding and book cover.  Book covers are pretty easy to make, and they are a featured project in many embroidery and other fabric craft books.  They are popular for a very good reason, and they are a wonderful SCA-compatible project.

This particular project is the result of my tendency to salvage bits and pieces, beginning the creation process before I actually know what I am creating. While going through the craft section at my favorite thrift store a number of years ago, I found a linen panel stamped with a badly drawn achievement and foliate border pattern. I already had quite a stash of salvaged persian wool, and so it was not a big jump to decide to do a crewel achievement. I like to embroider, although it's not my best craft, and I figured I'd make something out of the panel eventually. 

It took years to decide upon what I would make, and by then, I had more than a few mistakes I had to work around.

Click on thumbnails to see larger pictures.

 

Most of the work is done by the time I started taking pictures. I'd done the embroidery "in the hand," that is, without benefit of hoop or frame. Late period English crewel work generally does not cover the entire ground fabric, and so I left large sections of the linen showing. I embroidered the Sept Pendray badge over the original pattern and made a new border similar to the sorts of things I'd seen on the Marian hangings. When I finished that, I cut away the rest of the linen.

Oy, mistake. Eventually, I ran across this piece of brown velveteen I'd purchased at a garage sale and realized that it was just right for a book cover. I learned, much to my chagrin, that closely cut linen doesn't fold under very well. It would much rather fray. I also learned that crewel work creates an uneven surface for applique. Sure, I knew that there was some fabric crinkling from the tension of the embroidered area, but I didn't realize that the difference between the covered and uncovered ground was so great that flat application wouldn't be possible.

Oh, well.

 The book cover, finished, on a book. It's a loose fit, mostly because I am not sure what size book I want to use it on. It's currently sized for an 8.5 by 11 inch book. The cover is one long piece of material that has had two pockets made for insertion of the book simply by folding the excess material back and sewing it down 

 

A close up of the appliqued panel. The crewel work is done primarily in split stitch, but I also used satin stitch, a little beading with fake pearls based on their use in the Bostoke sampler, and couching for the cord surrounding the panel.

Something I have long noted in embroidery books featuring applied panels and couched cords is the tendency to deal with the ends of the cords by turning them into cheesy tassels. Because of the size of the cord I needed to use to cover the linen fraying gaffes (and why it did not occur to me to just use multiple smaller cords, I dunno), I could not tuck the ends under the applique without creating huge lumps. However, I also did not want to have cheesy knots-and-frayed-ends passing for tassels.

These simple metal aiglets seemed an elegant solution. To make them:

  • With a pair of tin snips, cut a small strip of tooling metal foil. The strip should be large enough to wrap the cord 1 and 1/2 times.
  • Carefully examine your cut edges. If there are any sharp bits on the metal, you will have to file them down a bit; this can be frustrating to impossible on such small pieces, so do your best to cut smoothly. Newer tin snips cut with a wave, a safety edge, and those are your best choice. This metal is blade sharp if cut improperly! Be careful! Blood stains do not improve your work.
  •  Determine which end of the metal strip will be on the outside of the overlap; fold that end over with a needlenose pliers and flatten it down with a hammer. This will give the outer edge of the metal a neater appearance.
  • Place the foil strip around the end of the cord. Wrap it snugly around the end. Make sure that you placed the strip against the cord so that the folded flap will be on the inside of the aiglet, leaving nothing but a neat seam showing on the outside.
  • Place the snugged aiglet against a safe surface and flatten it with a hammer. You are not trying for perfect flatness; you are trying to tighten the aiglet with compression, thereby keeping the aiglet in place and preventing the cord from fraying.

You're done!

The cover on the book, opened. There is a good deal of loose material at the bottom of the book, adding to the illusion of a chemise binding. 

 

This beautiful book cover is someone else's work. It also has a variety of heraldic motifs, and the maker solved the problem of an adjustable fit by adding cords to the back. It also appears that the pockets to hold the book are of a different material.

I don't know where I got this picture. If you recognize it, please tell me; I want to give credit where it is due.

Another exceptional book cover, this one by Constance Grey and Emmelyne de Marksbury. Emmelyne spun and died the silks, giving the completed embroidery materials to her (now former) Laurel, Emrys Eustace. He gave over the silks to his friend, Constance, who, in her turn, embroidered Emmelyne's achievement on to this book cover as a gift upon the occasion of Emmelyne's elevation. It's a great piece of work, but it's an even better story. :-) 

 

 

Two very simple heraldic covers. Not everyone is into embroidery or leather tooling or whatever; these are simple paper renderings of individual's arms attached to book covers. The example on the left features arms applied to a 3-ring binder in order to cover a corporate logo; the arms have been attached by overlaying clear Contact paper.

The example on the right features arms that have been glued to a paper folder. 

{Elyse Boucher} {Arts and Sciences Top} {A&S Heraldry} {Poopie the Pirate} {Help Support This Site}

<