costume design | Mr X Stitch

Have you watched the just-released trailer for HBO series' Game of Thrones (GOT) season seven? I love it. Love it. I watch it daily. In part because I've always liked James' song "Sit Down," and the trailer features a fabulous remix version. More significantly, however, I can't get enough glimpses of Cersei's gorget and shoulder armor. Did you see it? Take a close look at her shoulders—it's all embroidered. Our beloved hobby, needlework, bedecks and bedazzles the queen of the Seven Kingdoms. I don't know why Jerry and Estelle Kreinik picked a crown to be in their thread company logo, but it's appropriate now: costume designer Michele Carragher used Kreinik threads in the embroidery on Queen Cersei's outfit. Take a look at Cersei's embroidery in the trailer again. It sparkles. Just think: the same fibers you use in your needlework projects are featured in GOT. Forty + years ago, the Kreinik family put a crown in their logo. Today, one of their fibers is used in a queen's gown. This particular fiber, 3/8" Trim, is excellent for trimming ornaments, or couched in embroidery (bugs, flowers, and other dimensional designs). How it happened Here's how this particular costume happened: last summer, Michele contacted us about needing some additional fibers. She liked Kreinik's 3/8" Trim for this particular costume. Made from our Japan threads, the Braid looks incredibly high end, classy, almost timeless. It shows up well on camera and is perfect for reflecting the class, profession, personality, and epoch of a GOT character. Michele used our wired version in color Natural Pewter. The tricky part was that she needed it asap, shipped directly to the filming location in Northern Ireland (we make the thread in West Virginia USA). With the help of our ace production staff making what she needed, plus the production company and Michele organizing the shipping, we were able to get a cone to her in time. Kreinik 3/8" Trim, the wired version, is used by costume designer Michele Carragher in HBO series' Game Of Thrones, in Queen Cersei's clothing. Now when you see the new GOT trailer, season seven, or any past seasons, take a close look at the costumes. A talented designer stitched down to the wire (pun intended), brilliantly and meticulously to put it together. She did a great job. Unfortunately, we can't show any photos until the series has aired. We'll all just have to watch season seven to see the embroidery fit for a queen. It's wonderful for embroidery to be featured so prominently—but do you think people realize it's embroidery? Tell your friends to look at the costume details. This is a great opportunity to get people interested in stitching and teach them how to get started. Most of us aren't stitching large-scale, heavily embroidered projects like Michele Carragher, but it still stems from the same root: threads and stitches, coming together.