How to Sew a Wall Hanging Featuring Crocodile and Frogs Patterns
The wall hanging featured in this article was inspired by hangings that were stitched by Bess of Hardwick, and by Mary Queen of Scots during her imprisonment by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I in the late sixteenth century. Bess's husband of the time, the Earl of Salisbury, was responsible for keeping Mary prisoner, and it seems the two formidable women became friends.
One of Mary's first requests was for “an imbroiderer to draw forth such work as she would be occupied about.” She is reported to have said that “all that Day she wrought with hir Nydill, and the Diversitie of the colors made the worke seem less tedious.” It must certainly have helped to pass the time. Most of the weird and wonderful creatures that feature in the Oxburgh hangings were copied directly from a scientific book called Icones Animalium by Conrad Gesner, published in Zurich in 1560.
How the ladies came across this unlikely title is not recorded; the animals seem a strange choice for a queen to stitch, and it is hard to imagine either Mary or Bess, who married four rimes and made a personal fortune from dealing in coal, lead and land, as keen needlewomen. Did Mary, with her French mother in mind, stitch A Frogge, while Bess—never outsmarted in a business deal—smilingly worked at Crocodil?
Whatever impulse brought these strange embroideries into being, I love them for their oddity, and the funny spellings of the names. In fact I have become devoted to them. Other motifs are ciphers and monographs relating to the lives of the two women who stitched them. The panels were worked in cross stitch in silk on linen canvas, originally applied to green velvet to make four wall hangings.
At a later date, three were converted into bed curtains and one, the source of the panels shown in the V&A museum, was cut up to serve as a valance. The three complete hangings were returned to their original use and are now on display at Oxburgh Hall. The pieces of the fourth hanging are displayed at the V&A.
One of Mary's first requests was for “an imbroiderer to draw forth such work as she would be occupied about.” She is reported to have said that “all that Day she wrought with hir Nydill, and the Diversitie of the colors made the worke seem less tedious.” It must certainly have helped to pass the time. Most of the weird and wonderful creatures that feature in the Oxburgh hangings were copied directly from a scientific book called Icones Animalium by Conrad Gesner, published in Zurich in 1560.
How the ladies came across this unlikely title is not recorded; the animals seem a strange choice for a queen to stitch, and it is hard to imagine either Mary or Bess, who married four rimes and made a personal fortune from dealing in coal, lead and land, as keen needlewomen. Did Mary, with her French mother in mind, stitch A Frogge, while Bess—never outsmarted in a business deal—smilingly worked at Crocodil?
Whatever impulse brought these strange embroideries into being, I love them for their oddity, and the funny spellings of the names. In fact I have become devoted to them. Other motifs are ciphers and monographs relating to the lives of the two women who stitched them. The panels were worked in cross stitch in silk on linen canvas, originally applied to green velvet to make four wall hangings.
At a later date, three were converted into bed curtains and one, the source of the panels shown in the V&A museum, was cut up to serve as a valance. The three complete hangings were returned to their original use and are now on display at Oxburgh Hall. The pieces of the fourth hanging are displayed at the V&A.
The frogs makes a jolly picture, and I think Crocodile would also, but I was tempted to try my hand at a version of the embroidery surround, as shown in the V&A picture, so mounted it onto a cushion. I cut the stitched piece out, leaving a canvas margin about ½in (12mm) deep, and then centered it on the velvet and basted it in position. Satin stitch in perle cotton thread covered this canvas margin; stem stitch was then added to both edges of the satin stitch to give the edge an even finish.
Velvet is difficult to work with so it is essential to hold the work in a frame to keep it flat during embroidery. I used two skeins of ecru cotton and a large sharp needle to stab through the fabric. The fragments of couched cord embroidery on the hanging led me to add some red lines of stem stitch, also in perle cotton thread, to relieve the plainness of the brown velvet.
Velvet is difficult to work with so it is essential to hold the work in a frame to keep it flat during embroidery. I used two skeins of ecru cotton and a large sharp needle to stab through the fabric. The fragments of couched cord embroidery on the hanging led me to add some red lines of stem stitch, also in perle cotton thread, to relieve the plainness of the brown velvet.
HOW TO SEW IN THE CROCODILE PATTERN
FINISHED STITCHED AREA
11½in (29cm) square
CUSHION SIZE
17in (43cm) square, excluding trim
STITCH
Tent stitch (basketweave) or half cross stitch
MATERIALS
17in (43cm) square of interlock canvas, 12 holes per inch (2.5cm) Size 20 tapestry needle
REQUIRED NEEDLEPOINT WOOL
Y3 PUTTY 3 skeins
K429 PALE DIRTY PINK J1 skein
Z64 SKY GREY 2 skeins
M422 GREY BLUE 1 skein
J427 SOFT BROWN 1 skein
J145 PINKY BROWN 2 skeins
X28 CHESTNUT 1 skein
W117 DARK BROWN 1 skein
B8 GOLD 1 skein
B5 PALE GOLD 1 skein
K429 PALE DIRTY PINK J1 skein
Z64 SKY GREY 2 skeins
M422 GREY BLUE 1 skein
J427 SOFT BROWN 1 skein
J145 PINKY BROWN 2 skeins
X28 CHESTNUT 1 skein
W117 DARK BROWN 1 skein
B8 GOLD 1 skein
B5 PALE GOLD 1 skein
HOW TO SEW IN THE FROGS PATTERN
This was stitched by a friend some time ago, and hers are the initials on the right-hand side. There is no record of the wools originally used, and in selecting equivalents it has been necessary to allow slight variations in shade. The list of yams begins with the background colors, starting from the top of the design, with M52, and working downward to W98.
FINISHED STITCHED AREA
Approximately 16in (40cm) in diameter
STITCH
Tent stitch (basketweave) or half cross stitch
MATERIALS
22in (55 cm) square of interlock canvas, 14 holes per inch (2.5cm) Size 20 tapestry needle
REQUIRED NEEDLEPOINT WOOL
M52 PRUSSIAN BLUE 1 skein
M422 SKY GREY 1 skein
Z60 MID-GREY 2 skeins
Z64 DOVE GREY 3 skeins
Y58 PUTTY 2 skeins
P665 GREY MIST 3 skeins
P417 LIGHT LEAF GREEN 2 skeins
P91 MIDDLE LEAF GREEN 1 skein
W117 OUTLINE BROWN 4 skeins
M422 SKY GREY 1 skein
Z60 MID-GREY 2 skeins
Z64 DOVE GREY 3 skeins
Y58 PUTTY 2 skeins
P665 GREY MIST 3 skeins
P417 LIGHT LEAF GREEN 2 skeins
P91 MIDDLE LEAF GREEN 1 skein
W117 OUTLINE BROWN 4 skeins