The Parham Owl Étui | Enchanted Embroidery

He is glorious isn’t he?

Or shall we say enchanting? He is actually one of the main sources of inspiration as to how Jenny Adin-Christies’ book was titled Enchanted Embroidery.

If ever there was a project that imbued a feeling of enchantment, Jenny’s The Parham Owl Étui would be the one.

The story we’re going to tell you about this very special owl is in three parts – his history, his function and his glory.

History

Jenny herself is going to narrate this section for us:

‘Parham House in Sussex UK is one of my all-time favourite stately homes. There is endless inspiration to be had amongst the needlework and other treasures at Parham.

I never like to make a direct copy of a historical textile, rather I prefer to take inspiration from their stitches, techniques and ingenuity and take this forward in my own style.’

‘A feature I fell in love with at Parham is the stunning painted ceiling in the 48m (158') Long Gallery, the third longest gallery in England.’

‘The painting on the ceiling features a barn owl, perching amidst the branches of the oak. It had been in my mind for years to produce one of my three-dimensional raised embroidery birds based on a barn owl, hence The Parham Owl Étui was developed.’

Function

Once Jenny had her inspiration for the owl, as is the Jenny way, it wasn’t just enough to create a superb three-dimensional design, she had to build in functionality to give her new creation purpose.

Upon first glance you would never think that the Parham Owl was an étui and yet this is another example of Jenny’s brilliance.

The head of the owl is removable so you can store your favourite thimble safely in his body. But that’s not all…

Once the head has been removed you can turn it over to reveal a hidden small velvet pincushion. But wait, that’s still not all…

Tucked behind each wing is a cleverly hidden Doctor’s flannel lining to store a selection of sharps. The wings are then held securely in place thanks to an ornate magnetic clasp, after all we all know how important it is to stow away your needles safely during flight!

Glory

We’ve already mentioned how fabulous and enchanting The Parham Owl Étui is, as anyone who has seen it in real life can attest. He has been created using a range of techniques inspired by the 17th century and Elizabethan embroideries in the Parham collection, such as needlelace and counted stitches on an exposed canvas ground.

The magnificence continues with the materials Jenny has used, which include the finest selection of silk, crewel wool and perlé cotton threads as well as metallic threads like gimp, metallic mesh ribbon and pearl purl.

Not to mention the fettucine ribbon, wire-whipped silk and bespoke sequins that feature in his wings and beyond.Not to mention the fettucine ribbon, wire-whipped silk and bespoke sequins that feature in his wings and beyond.

To help give us all some context as to just how extraordinary The Parham Owl Étui is, this piece was chosen to be exhibited at Homo Faber in 2024, a biennial exhibition celebrating contemporary craftsmanship, organized by the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship.

Jenny had the great pleasure of traveling to the exhibition in Venice and seeing her beloved owl on display in all his grandeur at this distinguished event. You can check out the photos of Jenny’s visit on her Instagram page HERE and view the listing for the owl on the Homo Faber catalogue HERE.

All this, and remember, as remarkable as this project is, you too can create your own Parham Owl Étui by following Jenny’s incredibly detailed step-by-step instructions provided in the book Enchanted Embroidery.