Empress Theodora of Constantinople is looking very Elvish on my work table. I think she is channeling the radiant Lady Arwen at the moment, bathed in the light of the Ilúvatar.

I’m currently working on her magnificent robe. It was inspired by a combination of Byzantine and Ottoman fashions of the Middle Age, and is stitched from an antique Turkish textile. It’s quite delicate yet heavy, so I’m having to reinforce the original weave with contemporary polyester thread, basically stitching thread-to-thread. It’s absolutely maddening… but oh, so very beautiful!