Tudor Blackwork Embroidery: Learning the hard way

When I first learned how to do blackwork embroidery, I was taught with embroidery floss and cross stitch cloth. Neither of these items are historically accurate, but the cross stitch cloth helped me as a beginner to count stitches. I had been given a free bag full of different colors of embroidery floss. So, I used the materials available to me as a beginner. One of my first projects was a sampler that I made for my mother. This project was done with embroidery floss on cross stitch cloth.

As I continued to study and practice my embroidery skills, I upgraded to stitching on linen. A common practice used during the Tudor period was black silk thread on white linen. Although I had upgraded to using linen, I still was using embroidery floss at this point in time. One of the problems I discovered while using embroidery floss was that the threads knot quite easily and are sometimes impossible to undo. This leaves the backside looking messy, rather than reversible like it's supposed to be. Here are some pictures of my projects from that time:

Blackwork embroidery on the collar of the Elizabethan partlet. Based on the blackwork embroidered collar in a Holbein portrait believed to be either Henry Fitzroy or Prince Edward (1541).

The backside of the partlet.

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Blackwork embroidery on the sleeve cuffs of my Elizabethan shirt. This particular pattern was used in Hans Eworth's portrait of James Stewart, the Earl of Moray (1531-1570).

The backside of the cuffs.

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Eventually, I chose to try out black silk thread on white linen. I discovered the ease and joy of using silk thread. One enormous perk was that almost all knots came out easily, making my project actually look almost completely reversible like it is supposed to be.

The blackwork embroidered cuffs that I made for my little man's "pirate shirt" and the beautiful tokens I received for displaying it at Harvest Day 2012.

Blackwork embroidered cuffs done with black silk thread on white linen. This pattern is based on the pattern found on the Hans Holbein the Younger's portrait of Queen Jane Seymour (1536).