Medieval Stitches and Modern Themes
It all started with my first commission piece. An internet friend in Phoenix, AZ posted that she wanted a print of this meme to hang on her wall.
The OG meme that started it all
It just happened at the same time I was beginning to seriously consider starting a textile art practice, so before the Imposter Syndrome Gremlin could stop me, I responded that I could do her one better. I could actually embroider it for her. Her response was immediate, we agreed on a price, and I began to plan.
The original image was made using the Historic Tale Conversion Kit, a website that lets you make memes or scenes using images from the Bayeux Tapestry. The image file was too blurry to accurately trace the design for transfer onto the fabric, so I went to the source, the Bayeux Tapestry Museum's website. There they have a fully digitized view of the tapestry. I screenshotted several images, looking specifically for the farmer and building in the original meme, but also a few others I thought would improve the overall narrative of the piece. For example, I found the image of the building in the original tapestry was actually larger, so I included the full building in my piece. I found a group of townspeople who looked like they were huddled together in shock and awe, so I made them be his audience. I then found the cheeky little guy shading his eye to see far ahead of him, and decided it would be fun to put him in a tree, trying to get a view of the fabled field. And, of course, I had to add an actual field to be the focus of everyone's attention. I used Procreate to assemble the final composition before tracing it and transferring the design to the fabric.
Images from the Bayeux Tapestry Museum compiled in Procreate.
It took some time to get the hang of the laid couchwork stitch that was used in the Bayeux Tapestry but now that I've found a method that works for me, I'm really enjoying it. I finished the piece and mailed it to my first private collector where it proudly hangs on her wall.
Framed and proudly on display in my collector’s home
But why I am writing about this piece that I made and sent off to its owner a year ago? Because she has commissioned another Bayeux-inspired piece from me! The Historic Tale Conversion Kit strikes again, and she has asked me to embroider this:
Another meme for inspiration