The pouches are entirely hand-stitched, building on the Round Pouch pattern by Margo Anderson. These pouches retain the stiffening ring, but instead of a hinged lid feature a drawstring closure. The exterior is a cotton brocade, and the lining is a silk-look polyester. All seams are backstitched and sewn by hand.
Name:
Coinneach Mac an Leigh
Æthelmearc Gazette article:
Madoc Arundel
Good afternoon Lord Coinneach. I was very excited to see your entry, as my first forays into A&S were in pouch making (albeit leather rather than cloth.) I do have several questions regarding both your documentation and construction.
First, do you have a reference for the pouch as depicted in the Trebon Altarpiece? I admit that the photos I have access to are not of the highest quality, but I was unable to find a pouch depicted. I would like to have the depiction to compare to your finished piece. Also, are you aware of any source material that describes the design of the pouch? You mentioned Margo Anderson’s pattern, but the only pattern on the commercial website I was able to find that resembled the photo was of a Highlander sporan. Although Margo Anderson is a commercial source, but might they include any references to historical pieces in their pattern packets? If so, I would be interested in seeing that as well.
With regards to construction, did you have a specific purpose in using silk-look polyester? I assume it was either for cost or durability. Can you tell me what material you believe would have been used in the Altarpiece-era pouch? I have the same questions regarding the use of DMC floss.
I like the fact that you explained the difference in belt attachment from the extant piece and your project.
I love the fact that you wove your own cord for the drawstring, especially because you went to the extra trouble to research the ratios needed to make the cord accurately lengthed.
Your comment about the gap in the closed bag being caused by heavy fabric may be correct. I note this same issue when pleating garb. I would be very interested to see any “down a rabbit hole” research you may or may not choose to do on this particular aspect of the pouch construction.
Laird Coinneach
Here’s a photo of the altarpiece in question: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%99ebo%C5%88_Altarpiece
The pouch in question is seen in the front center panel, The Entombment of Christ, near Jesus’ feet. It is being worn by, I believe, Joseph of Arimathea, but it might be Nicodemus. I admit it’s a small photo, but you can enlarge it.
The brown pouch in the included photos is a pouch I made from the Anderson pattern; that’s why I included it. It’s included in the Elizabethan Accessories pattern pack. I don’t recall whether Margo included references to historical pieces.
When I make garb, I try to use only natural fibers, because I find they breathe more readily than synthetics, and are thus more comfortable, as well as being more authentic. On small accessories, like these pouches, I’m willing to use synthetics, and often do because of cost. The silk-look poly serves to cover the seams and makes the pouch more comfortable for the user’s hand. The Altarpiece pouch may well be leather, and if it is I would not expect a lining; the flesh side of the leather feels like a fine suede. DMC floss was used solely for the color match.
I made a terrible mistake in the documentation; the lengths of floss I braided were about 36 inches, not 18, and came to a finished length of close to 24 inches. I then cut the finished length in half, making two drawstrings. I found that ration a few years ago; I took seven skeins of DMC floss (8 metres each) and braided them as an experiment to determine the “shrinkage” I could expect from the braiding. That’s where the ration came from.
Thank you very much for the kind words and the chance to correct my error in the documentation. I promise I will report anything I find “down that rabbit hole!”
Madoc Arundel
Thank you for the expansion.
Madoc Arundel
Ahhh… I can see it now that you have pointed it out. When I was looking at the images earlier, the resolution was not quite this good and I mistook it for a part of the burial linens.
Laird Coinneach
Easy mistake to make!
Katja
Hi, lovely piece with clean, smooth stitches. I think your documentation is good, with clear explanation of what steps you took and why you used the materials you did. Nice work!
Katja, OP, OL, CB, Thescorre
Laird Coinneach
Katja, you’re going to make me blush!
Queen Liadain
Interesting project and well crafted. I appreciate your additional clarification in the notes. I very much wish I could see these in person. Well done!
Laird Coinneach
Thank you, Your Majesty! You will be able to see them; the Lord and Lady who commissioned them often play in Thescorre, even though they live in Ealdormere.
Queen Liadain
Excellent! I will keep an eye out! 🙂