Iseult sewn into her dress

In Cornwall for the weekend and back to the legend of Tristan and Iseult.
Iseult, about to be thrown on to a burning pyre in punishment for her illicit love, looks pretty stunning (hair falling to her feet, bound with gold net) and dressed in a tunic 'of dark grey silk sewn with small
stitches of gold thread'. Apparently in the Middle Ages some garments had to be sewn on each time they were worn.
Like (they say) the dress worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang Happy Birthday
to President Kennedy at Madison Square Gardens in 1962.
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A German blog and Arthurian romance

Another suggestion from a reader... A German blog.
And an interesting coincidence - the writer (though I don't speak German, so am not sure!) has been to Cornwall recently, home of Arthurian romance and the setting for Tristan and Iseult's ill-fated romance, already mentioned...
And home to another Bridging Arts project, I Packed This Myself, which throws a spotlight on migrant workers who play a vital role in the Cornish economy - in fact it would grind to a halt without them.

Images and history

A highlight of the embroidery classes is course leader Hannah Walker's work on related images and history. While researching kantha (Bangladeshi quilted embroidery pictures above) she discovered a piece of trapunto (quilted) embroidery at the V&A, made in Sicily in the 14th century. There are 14 scenes of Tristan and Iseult's ill-fated love.

"Although in subtle shades, the large scale designs are very clear and the quilt must have looked particularly impressive by candlelight, with lively scenes of battles, ships and castles," says the V&A.



















Great embroidery and a great story. And a link to recent experience. In Cornwall a few days ago I had a meeting at a school near Malpas, where in the legend Tristan (pretending to be a beggar) carried Iseut on his back across the ford. The crossing in fading light.