The 9th Day: Ivory Pincushions

Here are four small ivory pincushions, each decorated with motifs that look to me like they cry out to become blackwork designs.

I am guessing that these are all from India -- East India Company -- made for the English market as tourist items. They are all about 200 years old.

Wouldn't the little butterfly make a super piece of blackwork?

My history with blackwork is not a distinquished one except for one time, the sleeves on my portrait of Elizabeth 1. Even Carol Algie Higginbotham who is the best at blackwork had kind words for Elizabeth.

Otherwise I flunk blackwork for this reason: I don't always pay attention to the 'over three' (tranditional) or over 2 (modern). I think it is more important to make the design as wonderful as I can, so if I make wrought iron in blackwork, I try my hardest to make good wrought iron, not good blackwork.

But I like to do blackwork and I'll do it again sometime in my 'break the rules' fashion. If I do, I will undoubtedly use the designs from the little pincushions.