Dressing Henry

After I finished Dressing Elizabeth, I had the idea for using patterns from Holbein et al to make this.

Dressing Henry

The Sampler above is a composite of patterns I adapted from Holbein paintings and others too of Henry VIII.

Ever since I stitched a portrait of his daughter, people have asked me to do a Portrait of Henry VIII. I have never seen a reason I would want to spend a month's time stitching a portrait of a man who beheaded several of the women in his life, but I have always noticed and loved the patterns of his clothes in the various paintings by Holbein et al.

After I finished stitching Dressing Elizabeth I decided to have a go at drawing a pattern for Dressing Henry and this project is the result.

Dressing Henry

As of January 2022 I have not written the instructions. Will I ever?

As I did with Dressing Elizabeth, I drew the oversize graphs as I stitched the piece because I can't go back and reconstruct them after I finish the stitching.

I have a couple of incentives to write this one: I like the knot pattern in the lower left and lower right and think it would make a splendid sewing case. A Sewing Case for Henry VIII? My friend Margaret Foster wrote me a wonderful poem about a Sewing Case for Henry VIII and the poem is a huge incentive to write the instructions and get on with making the sewing case.

Bottom line: I'll see.