{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1790727"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1790727/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PF9978/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PF9978/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2025PF9978","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2025PF9979","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1790727/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1790727","accessionNumber":"T.83-2024","objectType":"Coifs","titles":[{"title":"'an unstitched coif . . . '","type":"series title"}],"summaryDescription":"This coif was embroidered by Amelia Brookins as part of a project called <i>an unstitched coif . . .</i>  in 2023. The project was created by Toni Buckby, a Collaborative Doctoral student at the V&amp;A Museum and Sheffield Hallam University, exploring many aspects of 16th and 17th-century blackwork embroidery. Toni devised <i>an unstitched coif . . </i>.   to reconstruct the creative, mental, physical and social contexts of blackwork embroidery. She found an early 17th-century coif in the V&amp;A’s collection with its embroidery design drawn with pen and ink, T.844-1974. Toni made a digital version of the design, printed 40 copies of the design on linen and sent out a social-media invitation for volunteers to embroider them. The invitation went viral and hundreds responded.  After the initial forty designs had been distributed, Toni made the digital design available on her website <u>https://blackworkembroidery.org/unstitched-coif-design/ </u>, inviting others to print it on material of their choice. Seventy-seven embroiderers submitted their coifs for display and inclusion in Toni’s PhD and have been acquired by the V&amp;A as the collection,<i> an unstitched coif . . .</i> \r\n\r\nAmelia Brookins downloaded Toni’s design and transferred it onto unbleached linen and here is her story: \r\n\r\n\"My background is in costume design and although I've been sewing for years, I only picked up embroidery during the pandemic. When I saw the opportunity to join this project, I was excited to be a part of it and to practice a new embroidery technique. I had no previous experience with blackwork, though I've seen it in portraits depicting 16th century clothing. With this in mind, I did want a traditional approach to the coif, so I used plain, unbleached linen and black cotton thread. (I like to describe mine as 'the peasant woman's coif', as my materials were not as fine as others!) I used a book to help me understand the process and stitches involved in blackwork. I found it very challenging. While I did use some of the fill patterns in the book, I was not very successful with counting stitches and ended up just approximating the fill patterns within the outlines. It also required creativity to come up with fill patterns for each motif. I am still pleased with how it turned out.\r\n\r\nI was not able to join many stitching sessions due to my full-time work hours, but did try to stay connected to the group through the Discord chat. It was great to see everyone's progress - but also intimidating to see the expertise of some of the other participants! Overall, it was helpful to see the diverse methods others were using. I enjoyed being a part of the project with a group as it gave me more motivation to work on the embroidery and to improve in my skills.\r\n\r\nThe project gave me more confidence in my embroidery skills and inspired me to try more historical methods in the future.\"\nAmelia Brookins\r\n","physicalDescription":"Coif of linen, hand-embroidered with black cotton thread in back, chain, outlin, counted-thread and speckling stitches, for 'an unstitched coif . . . ' project.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Amelia Brookins","id":"AUTH405213"},"association":{"text":"made by","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"linen (material)","id":"AAT14069"}],"techniques":[{"text":"hand embroidery","id":"x30339"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"linen, cotton; hand-embroidered","categories":[{"text":"Embroidery","id":"THES48960"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2025PF9978","2025PF9979"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"T&D1","id":"THES381048"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Coifs","id":"AAT213433"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2023","earliest":"2023-01-01","latest":"2023-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Amelia Brookins","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"46.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"approx","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"24.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"approx","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Amelia Brookins 2023' embroidered in black thread at bottom right edge.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Coif, linen hand-embroidered with cotton thread, Amelia Brookins, 2023, 'an unstitched coif . . . ' project","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.83-2024"],"accessionNumberNum":"83","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":2024,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-10-09","recordCreationDate":"2024-11-14","availableToBook":true}}