Received a Notice from Barnes & Noble Regarding My Latest Embroidery Book

My latest embroidery book, 16th to 18th Century Double-Running Stitch Embroidery Patterns,  is currently available with Amazon and Barnes & Noble. However, I received a notification from Barnes & Noble stating, "Barnes & Noble Press print books must have a retail price of $14.99 or more. Due to increased shipping and printing fees associated with Print Projects, this change helps ensure that authors can cover the costs and earn royalties on the sales of their books. Starting April 22nd, 2026, our platform will not allow the creation of new listings for less than $14.99. If you have any titles retailing for less than $14.99 on May 14th, 2026, we will begin removing those listings from sale."

As I have always kept my books cost effective for people to purchase, I am unwilling to raise the price of my book from $6.99 to $14.99. Hopefully, the book will continue to be available as an ebook with Barnes & Noble.

My book will continue to be available with Amazon, along with my other 2 embroidery books: Pre-18th Century Embroidery Patterns (1st Edition) and Patterns from 16th Century Pattern Books. 

Embroidering an Italian Pattern from a Sampler Circa 1600 | Blackwork Embroidery

This particular embroidery pattern is from an Italian sampler, circa 1600, located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The sampler features silk embroidery done in a double-running stitch, as well as white cutwork.

 

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. 

For more information on the Italian sampler and other embroidery patterns from this sampler, please visit: https://tudorblackwork.blogspot.com/2020/09/blackwork-patterns-from-italian-sampler.html

 

        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 

 

 

 

         Photo credit: 

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

 

 

 

Same Pattern in 2 Different 17th Century Embroidery Samplers

When looking at Margaret Barber's English embroidery sampler circa 1661-1663 at The Met, a pattern stuck out to me that I had seen it before elsewhere! 

 

 This pattern is found at the very top of Barber's sampler.

  

That's because it's the same pattern found on Mildred Mayow's English embroidery sampler circa 1633 at the V&A Museum. This pattern is also found on page 100 of my latest book: 16th to 18th Century Double-Running Stitch Embroidery Patterns. 

 

 

On Mayow's sampler, the pattern is near the bottom.

 

 

 

 

 

Blackwork Embroidery of a Flemish Diamond Pattern from a 1544 Portrait

This embroidery pattern is based on a pattern found on the collar of a woman in a Flemish portrait from 1544. This painting is at the Art Institute of Chicago. 

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.

 

      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 

 

 

 

          Picture Credit:

 

Portrait of a Woman (at Art Institute of Chicago): https://www.artic.edu/artworks/110869/portrait-of-a-woman 

 

 

My interpretation of the embroidered pattern on the Woman's collar: https://tudorblackwork.blogspot.com/2020/05/16th-century-blackwork-embroidery.html

Flower Pattern Being Embroidered from Jane Bostocke's 1598 English Embroidery Sampler

This 16th century Elizabethan pattern is from an English embroidery sampler by Jane Bostocke (at the V&A Museum) from 1598. Blackwork embroidery is also known as double-running stitch or Holbein stitch. Usually, it was typically found as black silk thread embroidered on white linen in a reversible stitch on clothing.

 

          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 

 

 

          Picture credit:

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

 

 

What is Blackwork Embroidery?

What inspired the creation of blackwork embroidery in the 16th century and what forms of embroidery fall under the category of blackwork, such as Holbein stitch?

 

  Check out my embroidery book! 

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

 

 

 

Black Ink on a Coif that Faded to Blue?

This coif is labelled as a "panel" at the V&A Museum. This particular coif is dated to circa 1600-1630. However, this size and shape of coif was also worn in late 16th century England during the Elizabethan period. The museum describes this coif as "linen with pattern of flowers, birds, insects and animals drawn in blue ink".

 

 

 

 "This coif was once worked in blackwork, a style of needlework popular in England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It was worked with a single colour of silk, usually black, but also blue, green or red, on linen. Now only a few tiny shreds of the black silk embroidery thread remain. The use of iron in the dyeing process (to fix and enhance the black) and exposure to light have caused the threads to disintegrate.

The loss of thread has exposed the original embroidery design, hand-drawn in blue ink. The pattern consists of a variety of single motifs of flowers, birds and insects, very similar to those reproduced in embroidery pattern books of the early 17th century. These motifs were transferred to the linen by pricking the outline of the design on paper, pouncing (dusting with fine dark powder), then joining the dots left on the linen with a fine brush and ink." (V&A Museum)

 

If the coif was originally worked in all black thread, then it's possible to think that the ink was also originally black - but faded to blue over time, just as the black thread disintegrated over time.