E - Ermine

I was given a commission to make a heraldic dress for the above Coat of Arms. The overall design is not very challenging, with one exception. The background design is called "ermine" and is meant to duplicate the fur of a spotted ermine. But, as people used this heraldry, it became more designer, so it developed into something that is a cross between a pretty little art symbol and a little ermine footprint.

 

Doing a single ermine would not be all that challenging, but as you can see on the original Coat of Arms, having a repeated ermine greatly increases the complexity of the project.

Since this is for a person in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism), historical accuracy is something that is prized. I chose to use a wood block printing technique to add the ermine to the fabric. I began by carving a woodblock.

I experimented with several types of ink before discovering that there was one specifically made for what I was doing. It takes a long time to dry (a full week to cure and 4-6 hours before I dare try and move it), but it is working nicely.

 

 

 I chose to sew large sections of the dress first so that the ermine would fall exactly in the right spots and would not be cut off in weird ways.

The dress is still in the works, but here is a sneak peek of how it will look. I mixed machine applique with hand embroidery to get a mostly authentic look. I'll post again when this is finished and add a link here.