I’ve been a fan of HBO’s Game of Thrones for many years and have taken a keen interest in the show’s costumes. I knew very little about the creative mind behind them until I stumbled upon an opportunity to meet London based Michele Carragher, the Embroiderer on a Game of Thrones.
Specialising in hand embroidery and surface design, her work is breath taking. She layers detail on detail, bead work, fabric painting, brocade, thread, applique and then adds textile manipulation to create exquisite pieces of art.
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| Michele Carragher |
Game of Thrones – House Stark
Michele’s embroidery is incorporated into garments, cloaks in addition to the iconic collars from Game of Thrones.
A large piece of cloth is stitched with lots of hand embroidery before being cut away and assembled into a finished collar.
Each collar has it’s own emblem. The Fish Crest from House Stark is embellished on this piece.
Markmaking
Michele’s work also utilises techniques and skills gained whist working in textile restoration.
The starting point for the following designs is lightweight organza and muslin fabrics. Hand drawn lines mark the way ready for the application of embroidery and bead work. The finished garment is then layered and appliqued with the cut away designs.
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| This embroidery appears on the dress of Myrcella Baratheon in Season 5 |
Embroidery Short Cuts
Patterned and pre-embellished fabrics, lace and brocades are used as a starting point for some of her pieces. Michele explained that this is sometimes taken as a shortcut for selected garments which are unlikely be seen up close on camera. Each fabric is further embellished with even more bead work and embroidery.
Daenerys Targaryen
Each character has garments themed around their own personality. This includes the choice of colour and the type of technique used to create the design. This piece was made for Daenerys Targaryen and includes her iconic Dragon scales.
Game of Thrones and the White Walker
If you’ve enjoyed this gorgeous Stitchery and want to see more embroidery from Game of Thrones, check out Michele’s website.
There’s also a detailed blog post about the White Walker and the Hardhome Embroidery.
*** Update: There’s a new book available, all about the stunning Game of Thrones Costumes from Season 1 through to Season 8 !
