There are embroidery projects, and then there are Embroidery Projects.

And Janice Gail’s embroidered casket is definitely the latter – an Embroidery Project Extraordinaire!

Today, I’d like to share some photos of her masterpiece with you so that you have something enchanting to explore over the weekend.

You can click on any of the photos below to make them larger.

Janice’s embroidered casket is a result of her participation in Thistle Thread’s Cabinet of Curiosities class.

The class is a two-part adventure that explores the 17th century embroidered casket in all its details – from the embroiderers themselves, the subjects they chose, the materials and techniques they used, to trimming out, finishing and assembly. The classes provide structure, instruction, and all the right materials for those who have nurtured the life-long dream of creating their own 17-century-style embroidered casket.

Over on the Thistle Threads blog, Tricia will be writing about some finishes in the embroidered casket classes in the next couple weeks, so if this is your thing, you might look out for those upcoming articles. It’ll be fun to see how people have interpreted their own personal vision in needlework on their own embroidered caskets.

You can read about Janice’s embroidered casket and her design story here on the Thistle Threads blog.

Projects like this captivate my imagination. They pull me in with every little detail!

What I especially love about Janice’s work is that the parts are all so meticulously aligned to create the whole. The continuation of the colors, the sky, the greenery, the flora and fauna – they run through the various panels as leitmotifs that lend cohesion and interest to the whole.

Completing a project like this is no small task – 4,000 hours of work went into this masterpiece!

Imagine the dedication, the perseverance, the motivation to see a project like this through!

At the same time, imagine the fun of it! Every panel, every inset, is a project unto itself. And in each panel, there is so much variety – all those little critters, the figures and their details of hair, of clothing and props, the flowers, the trees – so many little aspects to work on in each panel.

These caskets remind me of the magic of exploring exquisite, finely detailed doll houses. I can’t help thinking how much fun dollhouse decorators have, collecting and outfitting their miniature mansions.

And when I see a piece like this, that same sense of wonder and discovery is there, along with (to be honest!) a little tinge of envy of all the fun the creator enjoyed in the process!

Above, you can see Janice’s casket set up on embroidery frames, with the work in process. I love, love, love this photo! It shows the scope of the project, the planning and the logistics involved in getting it all right.

Bravo to Janice on an amazing accomplishment – it’s certainly a grand finish worth celebrating!

And I hope you all enjoy exploring the photos as much as I do!

A Happy Holiday…

Happy Fourth of July to all my fellow Americans out there – have a happy & safe holiday. May the sun shine on your picnics and the stars sparkle behind your fireworks! And may your three-day weekend present you with amble stitching time…

And to all… a wonderful weekend!