I've not worked on the project for 10 days now, I have to complete another project and it's almost done.

Working on the light box and assembling the images on a Teflon applique mat.

I've had a break for a few days. That doesn't mean that I didn't work on the Bayeux, but it was minimal, not 6 the hours a day I normally do. Somehow I feel a sense of loss if I don't work the 6 hours, but I did enjoy the break.

I needed to attend to other things and have a bit of down time.

Here it is, Tuesday, 13th March and I'm up at 4.00 am, the heater is on, the dogs asleep in their basket, always at my side and I'm completing a rather difficult scene of 4 horses and riders.

When I create horses, the hooves are the most difficult, and despite numbering them, I always had difficulty getting them to fit.
So I complete the rest of the applique and then do each hoof  individually.

That way, I get it right and don't waist so much time.....
or get frustrated.

238 feet of ironed down applique.
There are almost 100 individual pieces in each foot, so how stiff is the project?

I'm using steam a seam lite by The Warm Company.
They have given me 3 rolls and I'm very frugal with it, I save every small piece for tiny appliques.

When cutting it off the roll, I use it in about 20" pieces... that way I find I'm not handing it too much.

The things I look for in a fusible web is the way it adheres the applique to the fabric without fraying.

Some pieces are tiny and if they aren't sewn down I found with other  fusible they tended to lift. But this one is perfect.

After I have done about 10 feet. I re-press the quilt top with an iron press. Trust me, they don't move.

I think I've discovered a great way to hold my applique down.

Of course it has to be ironed...(which I do a lot)

When I was doing my weekly ironing on Sunday, I looked across at my iron press...
Ah ha....why don't I try to press the applique down....(not just iron.)

So nervously I gave it a go...

Voila. I don't think that applique will move under any circumstances.

The press is flat and to be honest I bought it for applique but I never even gave the Bayeux Quilt a thought.... probably because I didn't use it on the other quilts.

Somehow, I've been slower this week.

The detail is very fine. When I've completed putting down a panel, I think goodness that doesn't look much. But in reality it's taken me 8 hours. (as it did today)

It takes about 12 hours to do one foot of applique. (that's just assembling it, not sewing)

3914 pieces of applique so far and 463 hours of work.

I can't create every day.
The work is rotated.
Prepare the applique, Put it on the quilt.
The preparation for just one foot X twenty five inches  takes about 4 hours depending on my degree of stick ability.

I also spend time researching each day and this is what I've learned about the garments I've created in fabric.

It stands to reason that metal chain mail suits stood the tests of time. However, the scholars have re-constructed garments and armour from iconographic evidence alone.

Chain Armour was made up of small linked iron rings and was called "Maille treslie"

Armour composed if fabric or leather body jack, onto which was sewn or riveted metal plates. Sometimes they even used horn and the garment was called a Byrnie, or broigne.
Each Character in the Tapestry has a different garment and it makes it exciting to re-create such ab diverse project.

The Bayeux Tapestry is the only artifact, apart from the Roda Bible to show armour with a square, mail-covered panel on the chest. Small circles are visible at each angle of the plate. Sometimes, ribbons are seen these small circles but it is presumed that the breastplate was a re-enforcement to hold the heavy metal helmets in place. Maybe they were like the eyelets on a tarpaulin.

I created a different costume today.
It's hard to know, but I think it's a form or armour.
In the tapestry there are 8 different designs for the armour. It's thought that the costume I created today could have been made from pieces of leather.
This part of the Tapestry depicts Duke William and his men passing into Breton territory at the mouth of the River - Couesenon.
The Couesnon River (French pronunciation: [kwenɔ̃]) is a river running from the département of Mayenne in north-western France, forming an estuary at Mont Saint-Michel. Its final stretch forms the border between the historical duchies of Normandy and Brittany. Its historically irregular course, alternating between two beds on the north and south of the Mont Saint-Michel

There are men and horses making steady progress to the entrance of the river.

The photos below are of the area depicted in the Tapestry.

The overall effect of machine embroidering the garment has worked out well.
Once constructed
each image will be illustrated with pigment ink, however, I won't do that until it's appliqued because the thread will be dyed at the same time.
I couldn't resist trying just a little illustration, you can see how it adds depth and interest to the image taking it from, flat to dimensional.I drew the flag, the helmet and face of just two of the characters.

One of the unique things about working on a project such as this is that "it's been done before"

I'll clarify that by saying that I don't think anyone has made a Bayeux Quilt in its entirety before... but maybe there is one out there somewhere.

I have over 20 books on the Tapestry. I've read all of them, some in more detail than others and  I always have one in my bag or on the I pad..

The books are a valuable resource and at first I learned of the history of the Bayeux Tapestry. It takes some time to get familiar with all the players.

At this stage I'm able to understand the visual dialogue of the images because of the information afforded me in the books.

I can follow the story of each character as the story unfolds.

Today's image is interesting and of course it makes it more intriguing after I have researched it.
We are presented with a group of Norman soldiers who are escorting the prisoner Harold Godwinson. He and his men are treated as guests in a way, but he knows he can't escape from his hospitable capturers. There is no question that he could return to England. William, has rescued Earl Harold from Guy Ponthieu.
I imagine that Harold is wondering just what William has in store for him.

There is trouble afoot.

Duke Conan of Brittany has declared his intention to attack Rivalon of Dol a Breton allies William.



Eve the warrior, William will intervene and take Earl Harold with him, another honorable warrior. No matter who he was fighting for Earl Harold has his pride at stake and in reality he was unable to refuse the offer.

Was William intending to show Earl Harold his superior fighting prowess? 

Today,  I had to create 3 soldiers preparing to go to war. This is the first time in the Tapestry that soldiers in battle clothes appear.

My dilemma was how I was going to represent the scene soldier with the dramatic attire.

I decided to print an image from the tapestry (on to fabric) and then free motion quilt it.
The video diary explains the technique.

The video