Spanish Ensemble - Embroidery Madness

I think that part of what makes me so enthusiastic about textiles is the way that it is a somewhat tragic art. Other arts, like painting, sculpture, and, though in my own opinion to a lesser extent, writing, have continued with no loss of the knowledge of skills - that is, they are not 'dead languages', even if it may look that way from what makes the news. Many intricate textile skills now have almost no, perhaps none, living workers who keep up the same standard as well as the techniques of their ancestors. Lacemaking in, as my title states, Bruxelles (by the way, I know it's the French spelling, but it's such a pretty word) and Burano, and the old English art of Opus Anglicanum being two examples off the top of my head. I've always been a fan of cramming things together, and adding extras to probably finished projects. Basically, the more you can add, and the more complicated a thing, whether clothing, art, or architecture, the more I'll like it. With that in mind, here is a preview picture from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. It's an ensemble from late 16th century Spain that is entirely embroidered.

Who would make this now? Where would they start? Who would wear it? What would it cost?
It's obvious, when you look at things like this, that they are the result of a ridiculous system of aristocracy and near-absolute monarchies. But at the same time, it's not as though we could look at the Sistine Chapel ceiling only after considering the moral and financial affairs of the Renaissance Popes. It shouldn't be an art form that is sidelined merely because it is unfashionable. So, you don't like the fashions of the day - no. big. deal. Look closer, look at that beautiful stitchwork.

Follow my above link and look at the detail. Zoom into their beautiful photography. You'll see all the swirling stitches - they're a little van Gogh when you get close enough. and don't forget to count the techniques! That this has survived is incredible. If the beauty of art is in the devotion of the artist to his subject, then surely, the skill that is displayed in textile work is just as worthy of attention as any other. Though I shouldn't forget - to produce such works over the centuries has required not just dedication and vision, but a great deal of co-operation! No one person can master every skill required in the making of an outfit like this, quite apart from their not having enough time in their 16th-century-women's-life-expectancy-of-30 days. What can I learn personally from such a huge achievement, though? Well, to begin with, I'd best try not to be overwhelmed. Then realise that for these stitchers, the panels of a gown, a jacket, a skirt, etc, were just large needle-canvases, and not something that would impede their stitching. The shape is irrelevant, and only the area to be covered would be dismaying. If I remember this, later on in the course, perhaps I can construct a model or garment on a theme that matches the decoration on the fabric.