We are delighted to open our interest list for the Muncaster Bed Hanging kit, our new project design soon to be replacing our beloved Glasgow Bedspread kit as it comes to the end of its limited edition.
I have been lucky enough over my career to have been in the presence of some fabulous historic embroideries. But none have taken my breath away quite so much a the crewel work bed hangings at Muncaster Castle. The bold, energetic colours are deep and robust and the absurdly over-sized tumbling leaves filled with yards of unimaginable angles of long and short stitch are quite the treat for anyone with an irrational love for Jacobean embroidery (I sense a few of you out there ;)
It has always been a dream of mine to create a kit from these hangings so that the collection at Muncaster may be experienced by all. We produced the Glasgow Bedspread Crewel Work kit, our first mega kit, nearly 3 years ago now and it was the hardest kit Laura and I have ever produced. We did it entirely together, from colour-matching, stitch mapping, outline drawing and mapping across 26 stitch charts, illustrations for step-by-step instructions, proofing (the proofing omg!). It took us about a year I can tell you that the kit wasn't always referred to by it's proper name!
We never thought we would launch into another monster kit so soon but I know won't be able to get this Bed Hanging out of my system until I've done it . So, this time to a wonderful team behind us, we have once again launched into producing an unfeasibly large crewel work kit. One that will take you months, maybe years to finish; one that will require its own storage solution; and likely a new frame (or not if you already have the Glasgow B!). In other words it will almost definitely be the most absurdly ambitious project you have ever done.
We know all that. But it's Jacobean embroidery...and I am a little irrational when it comes to Jacobean embroidery.
So over the past few months my team and I have been working to produce all you will need to recreate an ambitious 40 x 60 inch design of the original 4 poster bed hangings. Our release date will be November (hopefully!) and we are delighted to open our interest list ahead of our release date. Those who sign up will be contacted for the opportunity to pre-order the kit before it goes on general release.
We have used this design with the exclusive permission of the Pennington family at Muncaster Castle. 10% of each sale is donated to Muncaster for the direct benefit of their incredible embroidery collection, of which Crewel Work forms a large part. You can read about the collection at Muncaster here.
To sign up to our interest list for this kit, please add your details here.
