Hand and Lock Embroidery

Elementary my dear Watson

The highly awaited film Sherlock Holmes, has hit the box office with a storm and Hand & Lock are proud to announce that their embroidery plays a key part in many scenes and is featured throughout the film!

Set decorators Sophie Tyler and Alison Cardy, both of whom have worked on award winning ‘Atonement’, approached Hand & Lock in September 2008, to embroider some integral props for Sherlock Holmes. These ranging from hand embroidered handkerchiefs, embroidered gold wire symbols onto velvet chair fronts and banners with silk appliqué Hebrew symbols.

Hand & Lock embroidered over 10 handkerchiefs for Holmes and Watson with a beautifully intricate hand embroidered monogram on each, the SH in a burgundy anchor silk for S. Holmes and JW in a navy anchor silk for Dr Watson. To Hand & Lock’s delight, Holmes’ monogrammed handkerchief features as an important prop in one of the opening scenes and also appears later on in the film.

The appliqué banners and chair embroideries are featured in the same room, within a scene with Lord Blackwood and his cohorts. The embroidery cannot be missed, as it is everywhere in the room and really helps to set the scene of the ‘Dark Arts’! The appliqué banners are hung on the walls in each corner of the room. The champagne coloured base silk combined with two shades of appliquéd gold silks, along with a satin stitch and gold fringing make the banners look very dramatic and dark! The chair embroideries similarly add to this effect with embroidery created in gold wire and silks using many textures of purl and raisings to create a three dimensional effect onto a dark blue velvet ground.