Sunday Antique Crewel Work Collection Video #36 - Jacobean Idyll

Today Phillipa shares with us the historic inspiration for her Jacobean Idyll design.

During the past twenty years Phillipa Turnbull has spent many hours studying the textile collection at Muncaster Castle and has always been entranced by this particular set of bed hangings. The very low light in the castle has protected the hangings from the ravages of direct sunlight and has minimised consequent fading, thus the original depth of colour may be admired and appreciated over 300 years later.

This bold Jacobean design is a detail within a large “Tree of Life” embroidered on a rare set of late-17th Century bed hangings, which are part of the extensive needlework collection at Muncaster Castle in Cumbria, England. This remote Cumbrian castle has been owned and occupied by the Pennington family since at least 1066 and holds important collections of furniture, paintings, and especially, textiles.

And 10% of every sale of this kit is a donation to support the care and conservation of the Muncaster Castle textile collection.


You can recreate this design with our Jacobean Idyll, available from our website via this link:https://www.crewelwork.com/products/j...

You can recreate the Muncaster Bed Hanging with our kit, available from our website via this link: https://www.crewelwork.com/products/t...

You can read more about The Crewel Work Company’s antique textile collection in A Collection of Crewel Work book available from our website https://www.crewelwork.com/products/c...