Family Crest Embroidery

My most recent project has been to finish my father's birthday present.  My Dad loves researching our family history, and when my brother and I were at the Renaissance Faire we saw the perfect chance to encourage his hobby.  At the Historical Information booth they sell differing packages of family history and crests.   

My father’s mother’s maiden name is Drouin, and his father’s name is Beaudoin; we decided to purchase both of these family names.  My father has actually researched these two names extensively himself, and while we were in France this past summer we actually had a chance to visit our ancestral home.  

Stain-glass window in the church

Robert Drouin's baptismal plaque

The Beaudoins in Pin la Garenne

Pin la Garenne was an adorable town, and is the town where our ancestor, Robert Drouin was born.  Robert Drouin is famous because he was apparently the first French settler in Canada.  Pretty cool, aye?  We got to visit the church where Robert Drouin was baptized, and then we had an authentic French meal.  It was honestly the best food we had the entire time we were in Europe; it was fantastic.  To punctuate that statement, I have a picture of my dessert: A chocolate tower filled with ice cream and strawberries…it was the most scrumptious thing I have ever eaten.

In Le Hotel Pin la Garenne (Beaudoins and a girl friend)

The dessert to end all desserts...

 Anyway, back to the project at hand.  There was an embroidered version of the two family crests at the Renaissance Faire with satin and metallic floss.  They were gorgeous.  They were also several hundred dollars.  We decided to buy the cheaper version, paper and ink.  I then thought, as I often do, Hey, I could do that!  And then, as I often do, again, I realized what a monumental task I had just volunteered myself for….five days away from my father’s birthday.

I got all of my materials from Joanns, using satin embroidery floss on tan muslin.  I printed out the re-sized version of the family crest we bought at the Renaissance Faire and copied it onto the muslin before beginning as a guide.  The first crest I started was the red one, which I did finish by my father’s birthday.  My days and nights were filled with frantic embroidery; I even gave up lunch hours at work to embroidering.  I finished the blue one a month later, because after his birthday had passed I grew a wee bit lazy.

Here are the finished results:
 

 And the entire, put together presentation:

This was my second time embroidering, and I have to say, I rather enjoyed it this time.  I may have to start embroidering more of my projects :D

Please let me know what you think or leave a question!