Embroidering a Blackwork Pattern from a 16th Century Italian Sampler

This embroidery pattern is from an Italian sampler, circa 1600, located at the V&A Museum in London. The sampler features silk embroidery done in a double-running stitch, as well as long-armed cross stitch.

 

Blackwork embroidery is also known as double-running stitch or Holbein stitch. Historically, it was typically found as silk thread embroidered on white linen in a reversible stitch. 

The full sampler at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70028/sampler/sampler-unknown/ 

For more information on the Italian sampler and other embroidery patterns from this sampler, please visit: https://tudorblackwork.blogspot.com/2020/02/how-to-create-your-own-blackwork-design.html

 

        Suggested Items for Purchase: 

- 16th to 18th Century Double-Running Stitch Embroidery Patterns (2nd edition on Amazon): https://amzn.to/42NlF4P 

- Silk thread (Needle in a Haystack): http://www.needlestack.com/WebStore/Thread/AVAS_Ovale.html or http://www.needlestack.com/WebStore/Thread/AVAS_SoiePerlee.html 

- Slate Frame (T.F. Woodcraft): https://www.tfwoodcraft.com/shop/slate-frames/ 

- Beeswax: https://amzn.to/3ZFtwPM 

- Scissors: https://amzn.to/44cTNYx 

- Linen Fabric: https://amzn.to/3MnnccA 

- Craft Stand: https://amzn.to/3pYGlR0

 

 

16th Century Blackwork Embroidery | Needle, Fabric, Frame, Thread, & Pattern

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. Holbein stitch, also referred to as double-running stitch or Spanish stitch, is a reversible counted stitch used in early 16th century blackwork embroidery. 

 

Blackwork embroidery was made popular in Tudor England by King Henry VIII's first wife, Katherine of Aragon. Prior to Henry VIII's and Katherine's divorce, this embroidery had been commonly referred to as Spanish stitch (since Katherine was Spanish). After their divorce, the term blackwork was adopted for use to describe this particular type of embroidery (rather than the previously used term of Spanish stitch). 

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. Discover where to locate historical patterns, how to recreate these patterns, and watch step by step instructions on how create this lovely embroidery. 

 

Suggested Items for Purchase: 

- Patterns from 16th Century Pattern Books: https://amzn.to/3VxcuS3 

- 16th to 18th Century Double-Running Stitch Embroidery Patterns (2nd edition on Amazon): https://amzn.to/42NlF4P 

- Silk thread (Needle in a Haystack): http://www.needlestack.com/WebStore/Thread/AVAS_Ovale.html or http://www.needlestack.com/WebStore/Thread/AVAS_SoiePerlee.html 

- Slate Frame (T.F. Woodcraft): https://www.tfwoodcraft.com/shop/slate-frames/ 

- Beeswax: https://amzn.to/3ZFtwPM 

- Scissors: https://amzn.to/44cTNYx 

- Linen Fabric: https://amzn.to/3MnnccA 

- Craft Stand: https://amzn.to/3pYGlR0

 

Embroidering a Flower and Diamond Pattern by Jane Bostocke, circa 1598

Holbein stitch, also referred to as double-running stitch or Spanish stitch, is a reversible stitch used in early 16th century blackwork embroidery. Follow along step by step as I embroider a flower inside of a braided diamond pattern. Both of these patterns are located on Jane Bostocke's embroidery sampler from 1598, currently at the V&A Museum in London. 

 

  Picture credit: "Sampler." V&A Museum. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O46183/sampler-jane-bostocke/ 

 

       Suggested Items for Purchase: 

- Patterns from 16th Century Pattern Books: https://amzn.to/3VxcuS3 

- 16th to 18th Century Double-Running Stitch Embroidery Patterns (2nd edition on Amazon): https://amzn.to/42NlF4P 

- Silk thread (Needle in a Haystack): http://www.needlestack.com/WebStore/Thread/AVAS_Ovale.html or http://www.needlestack.com/WebStore/Thread/AVAS_SoiePerlee.html 

- Slate Frame (T.F. Woodcraft): https://www.tfwoodcraft.com/shop/slate-frames/ 

- Beeswax: https://amzn.to/3ZFtwPM 

- Scissors: https://amzn.to/44cTNYx 

- Linen Fabric: https://amzn.to/3MnnccA 

- Craft Stand: https://amzn.to/3pYGlR0

 

The Same 16th Century Flower Pattern Found on Both an English & an Italian Embroidery Sampler

Watch step by step as the flower pattern from the 16th century is embroidered. This pattern can be found on both an English sampler (Jane Bostocke's sampler from 1598) as well as an Italian sampler (located at the the Museo del Tessuto in Prato, Italy from the late 16th century). 

        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 

- Pre-18th Century Embroidery Patterns (1st Edition). https://amzn.to/4cnysi5 

- Patterns from 16th Century Pattern Books. https://amzn.to/43VMwwI 

 

       Suggested Items for Purchase: 

- Silk thread (Needle in a Haystack): http://www.needlestack.com/WebStore/Thread/AVAS_Ovale.html or http://www.needlestack.com/WebStore/Thread/AVAS_SoiePerlee.html 

- Slate Frame (T.F. Woodcraft): https://www.tfwoodcraft.com/shop/slate-frames/ 

- Hoop Frame: https://amzn.to/3sktIBs 

- Beeswax:  https://amzn.to/3ZFtwPM

- Scissors: https://amzn.to/2ZO93cP 

- Linen Fabric: https://amzn.to/3m1bsuJ 

- Craft Stand: https://amzn.to/3pYGlR0 

 

 

Jane Bostocke's sampler: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O46183/sampler-bostocke-jane/sampler-jane-bostocke/ 

Italian sampler: https://www.museodeltessuto.it/museo/collezioni/?lang=en 

 

 

More information on the Italian sampler: http://tudorblackwork.blogspot.com/2019/10/patterns-from-italian-linen-cloth-circa.html

Don't Miss Out on my Embroidery Book!

Need something to do inside while its cold outside? Try some historic embroidery patterns from my book!

16th to 18th Century Double-Running Stitch Embroidery Patterns 

 

 

 

This book is available on Amazon, as well as Barnes & Noble (with a different front cover).  

 

 

 

Connect the Dots to Reconstruct Partially Missing 16th Century Embroidery Patterns on a Sampler

Recreate the embroidery patterns on historical samplers that are missing some of the embroidered threads by essentially playing a game of connect the dots. A double-running stitch means that there are two journeys to make the embroidery pattern look like one solid line and therefore making the embroidery reversible, so that it looks the same on both sides of the fabric. Since it's reversible, if part of a thread is missing, one is still able to fill in the voids to recreate the original pattern.

 

     Suggested Items for Purchase: 

- Patterns from 16th Century Pattern Books: https://amzn.to/3VxcuS3 

- 16th to 18th Century Double-Running Stitch Embroidery Patterns (2nd edition on Amazon): https://amzn.to/42NlF4P 

- Silk thread (Needle in a Haystack): http://www.needlestack.com/WebStore/Thread/AVAS_Ovale.html or http://www.needlestack.com/WebStore/Thread/AVAS_SoiePerlee.html 

- Slate Frame (T.F. Woodcraft): https://www.tfwoodcraft.com/shop/slate-frames/ 

- Beeswax: https://amzn.to/44eT3Cl 

- Scissors: https://amzn.to/44cTNYx 

- Linen Fabric: https://amzn.to/3MnnccA

 - Craft Stand: https://amzn.to/3pYGlR0 

 

        Photo credit: 

- Embroidered Sampler: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/221177

 

 

Embroidered Flower Pattern from Jane Seymour's Cuffs from 1536

Follow along step by step as I embroider a geometric looking flower pattern from the cuffs of Jane Seymour, the third wife of King Henry VIII of England. 

Suggested Items for Purchase: 

- Embroidery Stand: https://amzn.to/468W4Tz 

- Embroidery Hoops: https://amzn.to/467ezHP 

- Sewing Needles: https://amzn.to/3PWtH5d 

- Silk Embroidery Thread: https://amzn.to/3PVh5LB

- 16th to 18th Century Double-Running Stitch Embroidery Patterns book: https://amzn.to/43lwjRp