Published by Alexandra Makin
Present:
Now my first book, 'The Lost Art of the Anglo-Saxon World: the sacred and secular power of embroidery', is out (see blog), I am concentrating on the Cuthbert recreation project (also see blog and Instagram: @alexandramakin2). I am also working on an article exploring how people viewed embroidery in early medieval England, which I hope will be published later this year. In between these projects I am in the early stages of organising an edited volume based on the well received session I organised and ran at the IONA conference in Vancouver, Canada, last April. Keep an eye on the blog and Twitter (@alexandra_makin) for updates.
I am consulting / advising on a number of textile and embroidery projects, and working as an independent analyst of textiles and embroideries from different contexts.
During 2020 I will be giving papers at conferences in the UK and Finland. I am also giving lectures and presentations to a number of academic and special interest groups around the country.
Background:
I am a trained professional embroiderer with a background in Archaeology and textiles. Originally I trained at the Royal School of Needlework, Hampton Court Palace, on their three year embroidery apprenticeship. My academic background includes a BA Honours degree in Archaeology from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and a PhD in Anglo-Saxon Studies (University of Manchester).
My PhD Research, titled ‘Embroidery and its context in the British Isles and Ireland during the early medieval period (AD 450-1100)’, has led to me being interviewed on various news and TV programs and in newspapers.
I have published my first monograph, a number of papers in edited volumes and articles in popular magazines. I have also given lectures and run workshops on different aspects of embroidery, its history and its wider context to special interest groups and the general public.
Research Interests:
My areas of research focus on early medieval material culture, mainly embroidery, but other aspects too. I am particularly fascinated by how material culture entwined with and influenced early medieval life.
I am interested in experimental archaeology and how this can inform our understanding of the objects we find, and data we gather from documentary and visual sources. Such approaches are also important in helping us understand working methods and organisation, and their development during the early medieval period.
I have a special interest in the Bayeux Tapestry which has led to the uncovering of new facts about its embroidering. This research has led to me being interviewed and featured in local and national newspapers both in the UK and Normandy. I have also been interviewed for TV and radio in the UK and Canada.
Groups:
I am a member of The European Association for Archaeologists, the Society for Medieval Archaeology, the Archaeological Leather Group, the Finds Research Group, The Textile Society, The Medieval Society (University of Manchester), and MEDATS (Medieval Dress and Textiles Society).
I am also a committee member of the Early Textiles Study Group.
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Dr Alexandra Makin 
Fingers crossed, I can get this here. 🤞
“Be a Goldfish.” Ted Lasso
Sent from my iPad
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I just saw it! I was wondering what you thought about the research into the original intensity of the various thread colours.
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I’ve got it down for weekend watching so I’ll let you know about the colour intensity once I’ve seen it.
I knew the research was taking place but I’ve not seen the results yet so I can’t wait to see that bit.
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I felt like the methodology wasn’t explained all that well. Either that, or it was just me not understanding/not hearing it. Presumably they had to know how much light the tapestry has been exposed to over almost 1000 years so that they could then blast each modern sample with the same amount, because otherwise how could they tell which modern unfaded colour corresponded to the original faded ones? But the crucial bit I didn’t get was *how* they estimated that. I tried looking for details but only came across this, from 2020 (page 72): https://aic2020.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/AIC2020_BoA_20201013.pdf
Maybe I’m just not understanding how hyperspectral imaging works and it can detect concentrations of a substance which remain at the same concentration over the centuries even though the colour visible to the human eye which is linked to that concentration fades?
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