Lady of Shalott

Release date: December, 1997

Stitch count: 226H x 164W
Model stitched on: 28-count Tea-dyed Monaco from Charles Craft
Model size: 16.25" x 12.25"

Chart: computer generated
Leaflet: not available
Kit: not available
Downloadable Chart: available

Available ONLY via PatternsOnLine.com

©Leisure Arts, Inc. P.O. Box 55595, Little Rock, AR 72215

Description: A scene from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shalott", the story of a beautiful lady who could only view the outside world through the reflections in a large mirror, and who wove those sights into colorful tapestry. One fateful day, the lady chose to ignore the mirror and turned instead to her window, and looked out to see Sir Lancelot and Camelot, thus bringing upon herself the mirror's curse (of death). Executed in rich colors with realistic shading and detail, this design captures the moment the lady turns from her mirror and tapestry to gaze out her window toward Camelot. The border features a mullioned pattern interspersed with floral motifs.

Background Information: The catalyst for this design was "The Lady of Shalott", as sung by Loreena McKennitt (from her CD "The Visit"), a truly beautiful version of Tennyson's poem. This subject was a favorite of the painters of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, and many "visions" of the tragic lady exist, all very different. In fact, some artists painted this subject several times! I decided that a very lush interior would be apropriate for this scene, so went a bit crazy with drapery, pattern, and shading, along with lots of rich colors. The border features a mullioned pattern: this is borrowed from architectural terminology, and means waving lines meeting and diverging at regular intervals.

Stitching Comments: This is another challenging design: it is fairly large, color-complex, and very detailed. It also contains some over-one stitching: the face. A significant amount of effort and time will be required to complete it, but if you are a fan of the romantic/tragic, and enjoy a challenge, you will enjoy stitching this piece. (I would recommend the CD "The Visit" by Loreena McKennitt as background music to stitch by!).

Specialty Stitches: Algerian eyelet, diamond eyelet

Important Tips: See: Large Designs, Charting Technique, Organizing Floss, Specialty Stitches, Miscellaneous Tips

Lady of Shalott Floss List

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