Aurelia Colleoni a’Buccafurno — German Brick Stitch Heraldic Bag

• Name: La Magnifica Aurelia Colleoni a’Buccafurno
• Project Title: A German Brick Stitch Heraldic Bag
• Location: Province of Malagentia
• East Kingdom Wiki Link: https://wiki.eastkingdom.org/wiki/Aurelia_Colleoni_a%27Buccafurno
• Website/Blog Link: https://lionspridesca.wordpress.com/
• Category: Embroidery

German Brick Stitch is a type of counted-thread embroidery that is done by counting the fabric threads before inserting the needle into the fabric.  The earliest seen German Brick Stitch dates back to the 13th century, but is most commonly seen from the 14th to the mid-15th century.  I designed and created a bag in this style using my heraldry and inspiration from an extant piece that is currently at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England.  It dates to the 13-14th century, believed to be made either in Germany or Spain, as brick stitch was used in both countries.  

Heraldic motifs were used for items such as bags, cushions, and clothing. I used Master Richard Wymarc’s chart of the extant piece as a jumping off point.  I took to photoshop and began to design the pattern to fit my heraldry.  It was important that the heraldry fits the stitching, and not the other way around.  Historically, in German Brick Stitch pieces, zoomorphic figures would all be facing the same way.

I tablet wove the edge to finish the bag.  This would have been a period way to hold the bag together and finish the edges of the bag.  I also decided to trim the opening of the bag this way as well.  For the handle, I attached a fingerloop braid.  The pattern I used was called “a grene of dorge of VI bowes,” documented from 1475.  It would have been slightly later in period than the original embroidery design, but I liked how the heart pattern matched my heraldry and decided to go for it.

• Optional Additional Links: https://lionspridesca.wordpress.com/embroidery/german-brick-stitch/heraldic-bag/