Bayeux Tapestry

Sunday, 10:01 am

By KateC

Good morning. Here’s something to do while you’re drinking your coffee. Ever want to tamper with history? Don’t really like the way the Battle of Hastings turned out 938 years ago? Now you can make your own tapestry story, based on the characters and images found in the Tapestry of Bayeux (the one that narrates the Battle of Hastings—1066). Or maybe you’d just like to make a pretty tapestry worthy of hanging in your virtual castle. It’s an enjoyable way to pass some creative time.

The real Bayeux Tapestry is an astonishingly rich work of art that employed only eight colors of thread (yellow, grey, red, two greens and three blues). If you go take a look at images of the real tapestry, keep in mind that it is 900+ years old and while it was commissioned by men, it was most probably made by the very talented women of Canterbury, where there was a famous school of tapestry. Women have traditionally received little credit for this tapestry. It is a beautiful work of art and the patterns weren’t just machine stamped on some linen. Notice the incredible detail in the panels. So, I’m just saying.

(link to the Historic Tale Construction Kit found at ChasingDaisy)