Game of Thrones has transitioned swiftly from a series of epic fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, to the most popular television series of the 2010s, to the most ubiquitous piece of pop culture in the developed world. It’s spawned a thriving parallel world of merchandise. Tourism Ireland has decided to take things a few steps forward.
Specifically 253 ft forward, for the time being.
Tourism Ireland has put together a tribute to the show’s contribution to Irish culture. They’ve created a 253-foot-long tapestry depicting a significant scene from each episode, which hangs in Belfast’s Ulster Museum. Yes, every episode – The Red Wedding, The Battle of Hardhome, The Walk of Shame, and of course, Mr. Snow’s return.
You name it, they’ve stitched it – in meticulous detail on this linen tapestry. And the tapestry will only get longer with every new season. Each episode will add a fresh design. And each design takes seven days to sew. The sheer grandeur of the show means that each detail took an excruciating amount of time to be embroidered.
Tourism Ireland spokespersons claim that the dragons took the most time to complete, although some human characters were challenging in their own way.
Designers have taken care to recreate the colours and designs as specifically as possible. Each illustration was first drawn by hand, and then recreated digitally to be able to create a weaving guide.
Belfast is home to Titanic Studios, which produces the show. This makes Belfast a more than apt location for the art work. The tapestry is part of a larger campaign to draw tourists to Northern Ireland. And what better way for the good folks in Ireland than to cash in on some modern-day adaptation of Norse legends.
– 253 feet long, and it will grow with each episode
– Unique coloured threads for each character
– Stitched on a Jacquard loom, on Northern Ireland linen
– Created over three months at first, each episode takes around a week to sew.
