- Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, 2008
crewel embroidery on linen
8″x17″
After discussing Well-behaved Women Seldom Make History with Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, I had the urge to create an embroidery about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. I decided to borrow heavily (should I say mashup?) from the William Morris Woodpecker Tapestry and Cranach the Elder’s Adam and Eve.
I visited the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow in 2007 to study the colors in the Woodpecker Tapestry.
Please note: tapestry, a weaving technique, should not be confused with embroidery or needlepoint, also known as canvaswork. There are a lot of needlepoint kits that reproduce William Morris designs, but few people have the skill and patience to learn tapestry weaving. I’m a big fan of tapestry weaving but not a practitioner.
To help you sort out the different textile techniques, this link may come in handy.
Tags: Adam and Eve, buzzle.com, canvaswork, Cranach the Elder, crewel embroidery, Laurel Thatcher, mashup, medieval modernity, needlepoint, tapestry weaving, The William Morris Gallery, Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Ulrich, Walthamstowe, Well-behaved women seldom make history, William Morris Woodpecker Tapestry
Stabbed! 
June 15, 2010 at 7:01 am |
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June 15, 2010 at 11:14 am |
I love crewel. The shading on the bodies is beautiful. The wool blends in such a lovely way.
September 8, 2010 at 6:23 am |
What a wonderul embroidery! You are very talented.
IMHO you should try tapestry weaving too (I’m a beginner myself, but love it)
September 8, 2010 at 10:30 am |
I would love to learn tapestry weaving, but I’m afraid I’m already engaged in more techniques than I can master, so I’ll stick with illuminating, embroidering, beading and CAD.