A slate frame is a historic type of embroidery frame that has been
around for centuries. This specific type of embroidery frame keeps the
tension on the fabric even without warping the fabric, like a modern
hoop frame would. A slate frame is typically made from wood. It has two
horizontal bars and two vertical bars (also known as stretcher bars).
The stretcher bars have holes with pegs or notches to hold the
horizontal bars in position, to keep the fabric taut.
Check out my embroidery books!
- 16th to 18th Century Double-Running Stitch Embroidery Patterns (2nd
Edition of Pre-18th Century Embroidery Patterns).
https://amzn.to/43lwjRp
Step by step of how I draft early 16th century blackwork embroidery, aka
Holbein stitch or double-running stitch, patterns from the portrait of
Jane Seymour (3rd wife of Henry VIII of England) painted by Hans Holbein
the Younger.
Hans Holbein the Younger was a European painter, just like his older
brother Ambrosius and his father, Hans the Elder. If you hear the term
'Holbein stitch', it is in reference to Hans the Younger. From his
friendship with Erasmus, he had a letter of introduction and found
himself in England to eventually become a court painter in the court of
King Henry VIII of England. Compared to other artists at the time,
Holbein painted numerous portraits with blackwork embroidery in them.
Check out my embroidery books!
- 16th to 18th Century Double-Running Stitch Embroidery Patterns (2nd
Edition of Pre-18th Century Embroidery Patterns).
https://amzn.to/43lwjRp
Hans Holbein the Younger was a German painter in the 16th century and
became a court painter for King Henry VIII of England. Many of his
paintings included blackwork embroidery.
Check out my embroidery books!
- 16th to 18th Century Double-Running Stitch Embroidery Patterns (2nd
Edition of Pre-18th Century Embroidery Patterns).
https://amzn.to/43lwjRp
Blackwork embroidery, also known as Holbein Stitch or double-running
stitch, started out as a geometric counted stitch in 16th century
England and ended the century as a swirly floral embroidery through
pouncing.
Check out my embroidery books!
- 16th to 18th Century Double-Running Stitch Embroidery Patterns (2nd
Edition of Pre-18th Century Embroidery Patterns).
https://amzn.to/43lwjRp
Starting on June 10, 2025, Amazon will be increasing their prices to print books, which will therefore unfortunately cause the price of my books to go up.
Order these books today before the price increases!
16th to 18th Century Double-Running Stitch Embroidery Patterns (2nd edition): https://amzn.to/4miYBTy
Blackwork embroidery, also known as Holbein Stitch or double-running
stitch, was found on many garments in the 16th century, including cuffs,
partlets, shirts, coifs, and more. This video includes a list of
materials recommended for this type of embroidery.
Learn about Holbein Stitch (the earlier form of blackwork embroidery from the 16th century), along with what type of sewing needle to use, fabric, embroidery frame, thread, and how to recreate historic patterns.
Recently, I made a video where I wanted to see how long I could talk about blackwork embroidery before I had to leave to start my day. After the recording stopped, I realized that there were certain things that I had not discussed (such as embroidery frames), along with pictures that I had wanted to share but did not have time to edit to include. This is a combination of various videos that I have recorded over the last few years.
Yesterday as the 25th anniversary of the Order of the Evergreen in the
Kingdom of the Middle (in the SCA, please see below for more info).
While reading about the history, I was inspired to challenge myself to
see how much I could talk about blackwork embroidery this morning before
my day began.
For anyone curious about what exactly the 'SCA' is -- The Society for
Creative Anachronism is an international, non-profit educational
organization that studies and recreates the medieval and Renaissance
years of 600-1600AD.
For more information and to locate your local branch, please check out SCA.
Chelliga is the name for an embroidery sampler from Morocco from the 18th century onwards. They can include a wide variety of colors, stitches, and design.
Here are a few embroidery patterns from the chelliga at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The double-running stitches appear to have been on every 4th hole in the fabric. "Young women from all social classes would learn these skills from a master craftswoman (mu'allima), who taught within her home."
If you look closely, you can find some minor mistakes, such as the incorrect number of holes counted for a stitch which then threw off the other stitches in a small section of the pattern. For example, in the picture above, look at the black thread to see that that section of the design is not centered like the rest of the pattern.
The chelliga was regarded as a certificate or diploma that guaranteed the
skills of both the teacher and the student. Unlike European samplers, chelliga do not normally include the name of the worker or a date.
Hans Eworth trained in Antwerp as a painter, along with as a goldsmith
and a jeweler. In 1540, he became a master freeman in the Guild of St.
Luke in Antwerp. By 1545, he was in London, England.
The Guild of Saint of Luke was first mentioned in 1382. In 1442, the
guild received special privileges from the city of Antwerp. The guild
was a guild for painters and artists until 1795.
Eworth's style of painting was
influenced by the work of Hans Holbein the Younger, who had been a court
painter to Henry VIII. Eworth painted many portraits of the gentry and nobility
in Tudor England. Eworth’s experimentation with pose and scale are attributed
to the variation in pose found in Holbein’s works. The poses, range from
miniatures to life-size portraits and from bust-length to full-length,
according to the National Gallery of Canada. It’s worth noting that Holbein
died in 1543.
Depending on the source,
about 26 portraits up to 40 portraits are attributed to Eworth. There may be
upwards of 56 portraits attributed to him. He was the principal court portrait
painter during the reign of Mary I, from 1553 to 1558. During this time, most
of his commissions were from Catholic patrons. Therefore, during the reign of
Elizabeth I (a Protestant), he fell out of favor with the court because of the
previous association with Catholic aristocrats, even though he himself was a
Protestant.
Although he may have fell
out of favor, he continued painting during Elizabeth’s reign. For example, he
painted Elizabeth I and the Three Goddesses in 1569, which is in the Queen’s
Drawing Room at Windsor Castle. From 1572 until his death in 1574, he was
employed by the Office of Revels to design costumes and decor for Elizabeth I's
receptions and pageants.
Lucas Horenbout (or Hornebolte) was a renowned Flemish artist
(illuminator), who was employed by King Henry VIII of England in 1525 as
a court miniaturist and later appointed to the office of King's Painter
in 1534 (this position was renewed in 1544).
Twenty-two miniatures have been attributed to Horenbout, dating from c.
1525-c. 1543/4. His later work was overshadowed by the output of his
brilliant pupil in the art of miniature painting, Hans Holbein the
Younger.
My interpretation of the embroidery pattern found on Katherine of Aragon's miniature portrait by Horenbout:
My interpretation of the embroidery pattern found on the Portrait Miniature possibly of Anne Boleyn:
My interpretation of the embroidery pattern found on Henry Fitzroy's nightcap.
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