First off, you *will* see *some* compression happening if you put a hoop
on velvet, no matter what you do... second, if you use too small a slate
or scroll frame, the same thing will happen.
Of course, I can also tell you from experience that attempting to stitch
on a piece as large as a skirt piece on a frame is darned difficult. In
fact I've had enough difficulty getting to the center of my (rather
largeish) seat cushion on my frame at faire that I've ended up making
comments from time to time about how I suspect that's why there are more
professional broiderers who are male than female... arms are just too
short for somethings.
Now.. there's hope. I managed to work on velvet a few years ago by
using one of those plastic q-snap frames and using terry cloth (you can
use another piece of velvet probably instead) to cushion where it is
compressed to hold, and provide more 'space' for the nap. Limiting time
in the frame and lightly re-fluffing it when off helps as well.
You *will* have to stretch out the clips for the frame, and it's
horribly non-period, so not real event-friendly, but it will work.
Creating embroidery slips and then attaching them to the skirt is period
for *some* periods... more than direct embroidery for certain periods
and decorative types, in fact.
I haven't got a picture of my embroidery frame, but what I created
(mostly from "scrap" wood) fits somewhere square between pictures I've
seen for medieval embroidery and mid-1600s work... both of which look
*very* similar in pictures/woodcuts, so I'm taking it as reasonably
period, and appropriate.
Ady B. might have a picture... but I can't remember if she's taken one
of the frame at faire in the last two seasons.
-Liz
(Mistress Mabel Ascomb, embroideress... at MDRF)
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