Stitched nativity: Melchior and co.

The idea for my stitched nativity figures was born after seeing Christmas decorations over on Luzine Happel's website. She is a wonderful Schwalm embroideress and scholar. The names for the used filling stitches in each particular figure were taken from her books: Limetrosen 1 & 2 and Wickelstiche 1. In my opinion, Luzine's books are a must have for a well sorted embroidery library. You can order her books through her website. English and French versions are available (how cool is that?!).

As most of you will be well aware, you can't repdroduce just any drawing of Melchior and co. into a stitch pattern. They needed to have bold, rather rounded shapes for this kind of embroidery to work. A bit like Dick Bruna's Miffy. I related my ideas to my very talented husband and he immidiately started to draw. Soon we had Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, a shepherd, two sheep and three wise men: Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar. I only wished stitching was as fast as drawing...

Firstly, I stitched Mary. Her dress is filled with a pattern aptly called "geteiltes Herz" which you could translate as broken heart or divided heart.

Time for the animal entourage. The standing sheep was filled with "Gefieder". Yes, you read that right: plumage. The reclining sheep was embroidered with the "Welle" or wave.

Next up was Joseph. I wanted him to look like a typical Middle Eastern papa from the first century BC. So, much influenced by Hollywood, Joseph got a striped jellabiya filled with "Hasenohren and Fischgräten" (hare's ears and fish bone). Very fitting, I would think.

And the latest stitched figure is good old Melchior. Tradition has it that he was the oldest of the three Magi or astronomers. Filling his rich garment with a star-like pattern called "Hahnentritt" (cock's step) seems fitting.

Followed by the adorable little star of my nativity: baby Jesus. His crib was filled with "Flechter" or wicker (this probably reminds you of another adorable biblical baby: Moshe). And his tightly swaddled body was filled with "Netz" or net.

I hope you liked my first blog post. In the next one, we'll take a shepherd as example to show you how these figures are embroidered. Until then: Happy Stitching!

P.S. Any comments are greatly appriciated :)!