Maxine Brandt started her study of Japanese embroidery when she was 66 years old. She began her study in Anaheim in 1986 with Mr. Tamura from the Kurenai-kai school in Japan and later with Shay Pendray. She continued her studies until her death in April 2004. During those 18 years, Maxine finished more than 40 major pieces of Japanese embroidery, including 7 pansy designs for family members and close friends. Max stitched 2 to 3 hours every day. She named each piece based on the the composition of the design. Percy was the name of her peacock (on the scroll). Her last three pieces were tigers. Originally she intended to stitch one tiger (O.D. and Lili Eau-de-Tigre) but each of her children wanted it so she decided she would just have to stitch two more (Lili & O.D. II & Lili & O.D. III 1/2). She finished the last one shortly before her death. The tigers were meticulously stitched with 2-4 sugas of silk or about the diameter of a strand of hair.

Each piece took several hundred hours to complete. Her son George wrote that O.D. and Lili was completed in 2002 and took 609 hours to stitch when Maxine was 84. Icarus was completed in 1995 when Max was 77. Clem and Tyne (koi, duckweed and waves) was adapted from a late 18th century design. It was completed in 1996 and took 450 hours.

George has provided many of the images over the past several months to supplement the initial images you may have viewed earlier in 2005. The last image is one of Maxine taken several years ago standing outside her home that backed to the golf course. Everyone agrees it is how we remember her and her wonderful smile.

Max (as we affectionately called her) faithfully traveled from CA to Callaway Gardens for several years until her health kept her home. In Japan the government gives a seal of approval to artisans who promote and preserve a style or technique. The phase was coined in 1965 and is known as Living National Treasure (LNT). In 2000, Maxine was given the title as our LNT. She was extremely touched by the honor and very proud of her title. When she sent a letter or a note, she always put LNT after her name. Max had a terrific sense of humor and also added MS for Mother Superior. I never asked her how she got that designation as it seemed to fit her so well.

Click here to see a few of Max's many, many breathtaking embroideries. Several of the tiger pictures were taken by Evelyn Edwards and George Brandt. A video of her work is available now. If you would like to receive the CD ($5.00 _+ $2.00 S&H) and/or the quarterly e-mailed newsletter, please write me at taylored@needleartworks.com.

Jennifer Ashley Taylor
November 2005