This was another gift, for a friend of mine, who was enchanted by the richness of gold lame, so I incorporated it into this piece. Though the wings decorated with 2 and 3mm metal (brass and 12/20 gf) and 4mm garnet beads are intriguing, they overpower the rest of the piece, which is only 2/3 or so the size of Lady, above. The Brits are great at incorporating lame and other shiny metal things into their embroidery, but it's clear I have a ways to go before I master the effect.

I used the last of the pink fabric, once again lacing it to the Japanese frame. (This is turn is clamped into an elaborate floor frame that holds the piece sufficiently off the floor for a seated Westerner to work it; when my spouse came to pick me up from my first traditional Japanese embroidery class, I pointed to this $200 contraption and said sweetly, “Dear, you've just got my birthday present.”)

Again, I used the overdyed cotton and wool fibers for the leggings and cloak, respectively. Those lumpy green things on his tunic are dyed green freshwater pearls, and they're prettier than they look or sound here.

Overdyed wool and caron “watercolor” perl cotton; DMC 6 strand; lame; gold fill and brass beads, garnets and dyed freshwater pearls. Private collection. Appears to have been made around 1993.

Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.