Rose Pouches for Our Western Queens – 2012 – The West Kingdom Needleworkers Guild

Queens Aurora, Kara, Catherine, and Mina

For several years now we have been presenting each out going Queen with a Rose Pouch in our Kingdom’s colors (red rose, green leaves, gold center/seeded, on a gold background) at Beltane, Purgatorio, and 12th Night.

Rose Pouch for Our Western Queens – 12th Night, 2012
Queen Aurora Komnene
Needleworker: Robin of Thornwood

The materials are DMC floss and the technique is chain stitch (not exactly venturesome, but it is so wonderfully versatile and perfect for gradation) I just went with reds on the neutral to cooler side that harmonized well with one another

Rose Pouch for Our Western Queens – Beltane, 2012
Queen Kara
Needleworker: Alethia Elphinstone

I used crewel wool yarn, linen ground, and appliquéd it to wool cloth.

My inspiration for the embroidery was, of course, the Bayeux Tapestry, from which I took the design for the band, the dragon and bird motives, and the use of color – especially on the rose. The stitches were the Bayeux Tapestry stitch, stem, buttonhole, and if I recall correctly, herringbone stitch.

The pouch design was inspired by a Saxon pouch. I remember first seeing such a pouch in an artist’s rendition of a woman’s dress from a Saxon grave found in England. Her pouch had an ivory ring. I know I’ve seen such pouches elsewhere – perhaps in Dress in Anglo-Saxon England.

I was called in (to make the pouch) after Kara had become Queen, so I was fortunate enough to know for whom I was making the pouch. I was able to incorporate Kara’s Arms – the black stag which I trimmed in red to incorporate her colors of red, white, and black.

Rose Pouch for Our Western Queens – A & S Tourney, 2012
Queen Catherine Lorraine of Stonegate Manor
Needleworker: Aldith Angharad St. George