Faith rewarded

Faith, known to many as the Plimoth Plantation jacket project, is complete at last and was revealed on The Embroiderer’s Story blog on December 10. I’ve followed this project since my first day as a CraftGossip editor. I know the level of effort and expertise applied to it — by 260 volunteers! — and so I expected a lot; but the jacket goes far beyond my imaginings.

Publicity materials from Plimoth Plantation note,

Since the winter of 2006, the Museum has worked closely with historic needlework scholar, Dr. Tricia Wilson Nguyen, who has coordinated the unmatched creation of a woman’s 17th-century linen waistcoat lavishly embroidered in silk and gold. This unique and significant jacket is based on surviving pieces from the first quarter of the 17th century in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in London, England.  Additionally, because of the intricate and specific detail of this jacket project, historic metal threads that have not been in production for centuries, have been brought back, not just for use in this project but also for the general public too.

“It is interesting to note that the Museum’s research into these jackets has yielded several interesting discoveries, helping to recapture lost technologies, which have now been shared with the next-generation-needlework community and beyond,” said Ellie Donovan, Plimoth Plantation Executive Director. “Rediscovering lost technologies and sharing them with the world is at the heart of what we do at Plimoth Plantation, and it is of the utmost importance to future innovation in all areas.”

Congratulations to everyone involved in the project for its unqualified success. And sincere thanks for the education and entertainment the project has provided to needleworkers worldwide.

Get all the details and see many more beautiful photos at The Embroiderer’s Story blog.