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tambour

Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams

December 21, 2017 by Natasha Searls-Punter

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Runway through the years #Dior #runway #couture

A post shared by Tasha Searls-Punter (@tashasearlspunter) on Dec 21, 2017 at 3:44am PST

Every now and then, there is an exhibition that we feel we just have to see, and usually one holds out until it (hopefully) comes to London. However the risk of missing out on ‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ at Musee Des Arts Decoratifs was one that was too great and we felt compelled to go. So last month, Natasha made the trip to Paris to see the much hyped display.Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery

The exhibition begins with some history about Christian Dior’s family and his life before setting up the house as an art gallery owner and fashion illustrator. A brief introduction to the facets of the house it followed by the first main gallery. In this room, each section is divided by colour, each cabinate displaying a pallette with a variety of dresses, 12” minatures and accessories.

Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams

As an embroiderer, one of the most outstanding aspects of this exhibition was the level of detail you could see in the gowns and the emphasis that was placed on showing off the incredible textures. These were reflected in the papercut flowers and foliage that hung from the ceiling in a few of the rooms which were inspired by the fragrances that make up Dior’s famous perfumes.

Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
dior 1
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams

Some of the textiles could be descibed as quite tradtional beading, whilst others would be considered to be more experimental, playing with feathers and layering but all were undeniably beautiful.

Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams

They also had an in house embroiderer demonstrating some tambour beading onto a panel of one of the gown and chatting with the public about what she was doing. The piece was framed up in a large slate frame, with one end complete and, the other drafted on. The drafts and drawings for the piece were hanging to one side of her with a partically completed gown on display behind her. The finished gown was part of the final gallery to put the whole process into context.

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Tambour beading demonstration #Dior #tambour #embroidery

A post shared by Tasha Searls-Punter (@tashasearlspunter) on Dec 21, 2017 at 3:28am PST

Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams

The white gallery was reminiscent of the layout of the Savage Beauty exhibition at the V&A museum in London where you were dwarfed by the pieces, however here the emphasis was placed purely on the cut of the garments. Each one is the toile of a gown we had already seen in the body of the exhibition to explain the development of each piece and the alterations process it has been through to get to the final design.

Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery

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Floor to ceiling toiles #dior #paris #dressmaking

A post shared by Tasha Searls-Punter (@tashasearlspunter) on Nov 10, 2017 at 2:41pm PST

Final last gallery was all the real show stopping gowns, the space itself adds to the gravity of the items on display. They enhanced the experience with moving light displays across the walls which gave the impression of gold snow, unashamedly playing up to the couture fairytale.

Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams

View this post on Instagram

Dior: designer of dreams was magical! #paris #fashionexhibition #dior

A post shared by Tasha Searls-Punter (@tashasearlspunter) on Nov 9, 2017 at 10:45am PST

It would be fair to say this exhibition was excellent, going around it all took at least 2 and a half hours going through it all but one could have stayed much longer. The amount of pieces on display and the generous space that was given to each one made it a very leisurely experience. I really enjoyed the way they played with scale in the lay out, starting off the with minatures gallery, then allowing you to get up close with the real sized pieces and then emmersing you in the white and final galleries.

If you would like to read another perspective on the exhibition, have a read of Tina Isaac-Goizé’s thoughts for Vogue here.

‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ is on show at Musee Des Arts Decoratifs in Paris until 7th Jan 2018 so catch it while you have the chance!

Filed Under: Embroidery, Fashion Tagged With: beading, couture, Designer, designer of dreams, dior, display, dresses, embroidery, exhibition, feathers, gallery, house of dior, layering, musee des arts decoratifs, paris, ribbon, tambour, textiles

Hawthorne & Heaney have a new home!

January 5, 2017 by Hasina Akther

For those that don’t know Hawthorne & Heaney have moved into a fabulous new studio located in 14 Rathbone Place, Fitzrovia. A short walk from Tottenham Court Road station the new studio is spacious, airy and bright with 3 studio spaces.

Hawthorne & Heaney have a new home! London Hand Embroidery

The studio now has multifunctioning rooms and our sister company London Embroidery School is using one of those rooms to host embroidery classes to learn techniques such as Goldwork and Tambour. Check out the website here to see what they have to offer:

http://www.londonembroideryschool.com

Hawthorne & Heaney have a new home! London Hand Embroidery

With such ample space we are able to be uber creative and this week our embroiderer Natasha has been working on creating goldwork inspired embroidery with a variation of metallic threads.

Hawthorne & Heaney have a new home! London Hand Embroidery Hawthorne & Heaney have a new home! London Hand Embroidery

Throughout history Fitzrovia has been home to many inspiration creatives such as the English writer Virginia Woolf and Nobel Prize Winner George Bernard Shaw, whose famous playwright ‘Pygmalion’ was later adapted into an American musical called ‘My Fair Lady’ 1964.

Hawthorne & Heaney have a new home! London Hand Embroidery

Fitzrovia is also famous for the local ‘Fitzroy Tavern’ located in Charlotte Street. In the 1920’s it became the hub for artists, tradesmen and intellectuals.

The latest big project in Fitzrovia has been the Great Portland Estates redevelopment of the former Royal Mail site between Rathbone Place and Newman Street. The site comprises 2.3 acres of land which will be created into a new public square with high quality offices, retail spaces and 162 residential apartments. Facebooks new UK headquarters will be located here.

It seems that we are in the perfect location for our craft!

References:
Great Portland Estates: http://www.gpe.co.uk/property/our-portfolio/north-of-oxford-street/rathbone-square.aspx

Hidden London: http://hidden-london.com/gazetteer/fitzrovia/

Fitzrovia Trust: http://www.fitzroviatrust.org/joomla16/index.php/ct-menu-item-3

 

 

 

Filed Under: Embroidery, London Tagged With: 14, craft, embroidery, fitzrovia, fitzroy, goldwork, LES, London, London Embroidery School, natasha, new, rathbone place, Studio, tambour, techniques

Hawthorne & Heaney for London Embroidery School

January 30, 2015 by Natasha Searls-Punter

Hawthorne & Heaney for London Embroidery School London Hand EmbroideryHawthorne & Heaney like most advocates of an ancient art feels the need to make sure that we pass the skills needed to make these beautiful pieces onto the next generation in order to try and preserve the skills. Therefore, from April, The London Embroidery School will be moving into the Hawthorne & Heaney office in Mayfair on the weekends.

Hawthorne & Heaney for London Embroidery School London Hand Embroidery

There is a range of the most popular classes that capture the essence of the work that we create available for the public to book and parcipate in. Couture Tambour beading, traditional military Goldwork and the much coveted and widely admired Lace Group are now available. So if you would like to dip your toe into Hawthorne & Heaney’s world, workshops from the London Embroidery School can be booked here. Hawthorne & Heaney for London Embroidery School London Hand Embroidery

Filed Under: Art, Embroidery, Fashion, London, London Embroidery Tagged With: couture, gold work, Hawthorne & Heaney, lace, learning, London Embroidery School, military, tambour, traditional, weekends, workshops

Hawthorne and Heaney: Tambour vs. Ari Beading

October 10, 2014 by Natasha Searls-Punter

One question we get asked a lot at H&H is the differences between Tambour and Ari beading, technical differences, the pros and cons of each and which is faster. Both tambour and Ari work off of the same principals of applying beads to fabric using a specialised hook. Using the hook a chain stitch is created through a twisting motion of the tool allowing the beads to be applied in a continuous line.

Hawthorne and Heaney: Tambour vs. Ari Beading London Hand Embroidery

Tambour is the name given to this kind of work in the west, and is believed to have come for the french word ‘Tambour’ as in drum because of the fabric is stretched in the frame. Ari is the name used in the East, countries such as India and Pakistan have a rich history of using this technique for sari making.

Hawthorne and Heaney: Tambour vs. Ari Beading London Hand Embroidery

In Tambour, the beads are loaded up onto the thread first and then the piece is worked on from the wrong side (back) so any guides are only applied to the reverse.  This means that you can work on a continuous thread until you finish the area, which makes it very quick, avoiding any unnecessary starting and stopping. One challenge with Tambour however is that you can not really see the work while you are working on it unless the material is particularly transparent which some people find more difficult.  In Ari the beads are loaded onto the hook itself so you would load up as many as is comfortable onto the hook, work with them, release the thread, reload the hook and begin again. This allows you to work on the right side of the fabric and see the beads as they are applied but does require you to stop and start as the beads are used up.

                        Hawthorne and Heaney: Tambour vs. Ari Beading London Hand EmbroideryHawthorne and Heaney: Tambour vs. Ari Beading London Hand Embroidery

There is also some differences in the tools used for these two stitches, the Tambour hook is placed into a holder, usually wooden which allows the size of the hook to be changed according to the work in hand. Notice that the hook is quite long in itself and almost closed to help it to pass freely through the fabric without snagging. The Ari hook is set into a metal or wooden holder so can not be changed between jobs although they too also come in different sizes. The hook part itself is wide but tiny to allow the beads to slip off when applied and to pass through the fabric easily.

   Hawthorne and Heaney: Tambour vs. Ari Beading London Hand EmbroideryHawthorne and Heaney: Tambour vs. Ari Beading London Hand Embroidery

Both techniques are not just restricted to beads, they can also be used to create the chain stitch allow as a decoration in its own right or to apply sequins instead of beads. As to the question of which is better, that is down to the creator to decide as to which they are more comfortable with, the effect in the end is almost identical.

If you would like to learn more about these couture beading techniques, have a look at the London Embroidery School website for classes and courses on Tambour Beading as well as a way to purchase the Tambour and Ari hooks shown above.

Filed Under: Embroidery Tagged With: ari, beading, chain stitch, embroidery, france, Hawthorne and Heaney, india, London, London Embroidery School, pakistan, sequins, stitches, tambour

Hawthorne & Heaney for Jaye Pearce

July 11, 2014 by Natasha Searls-Punter

A few months ago we were approached by an interiors consultant called Jaye Pearce for a rather special project, her wedding dress. She had decided she wanted something different and being a creative person, decided that she was going to have a little more of a hand in what her gown would look like than just choosing it, she was going to design it.

Hawthorne & Heaney for Jaye Pearce London Hand EmbroideryHawthorne & Heaney for Jaye Pearce London Hand EmbroideryHawthorne & Heaney for Jaye Pearce London Hand Embroidery

This is the point where we starting discussing the possibilities for making her design a reality so Jaye presented us with a detailed sketch of the design she wanted for the top of her outfit which was going to be in a very sheer fabric with delicate beadwork. The design comprised of deco inspired fans complimenting the contours of the body, a scattering of stars and romantic cabbage roses surrounded by daisies.  The design had a quite whimsical nature with all its delicate components so to reflect this is was decided that the beads would be a combination of seed pearls and satin cut frosted glass beads in the traditional ivory tone. This was highlighted with very fine silver stitched details which offset the lining which was in a vintage blush pink.

Jaye has very kindly sent us some pictures from her big day where you can see the full outfit in all its splendour and so you can see the beading how it is meant to be seen.

Hawthorne & Heaney for Jaye Pearce London Hand EmbroideryHawthorne & Heaney for Jaye Pearce London Hand Embroidery

And here’s the lady herself, congratulations to the happy couple for all the ladies at Hawthorne & Heaney!

Hawthorne & Heaney for Jaye Pearce London Hand EmbroideryHawthorne & Heaney for Jaye Pearce London Hand Embroidery

Filed Under: Art, Embroidery, Fashion, London, London Embroidery Tagged With: beading, bespoke, blush, bridal, couture, deco, embroidery, fans, handmade, Hawthorne & Heaney, icory, Jaye Pearce, London, personal, romantic, roses, silver, summer, tambour, vintage

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