Tudor Embroidery Needles

While researching for my next blackwork embroidery project, I first wanted to find out what period embroidery needles were used (what size were they, what were they made out of, how were they made, etc).  Here is what I found so far: 

By Elizabethan times, needles could be found in steel, bone, brass, and bronze.  Bone needles were most likely used for other crafts such as nalbinding.  Steel was most likely used for making embroidery needles.  In the Viking era, needles were also made from iron.




Viking needles from Coppergate

http://cathyscostumeblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/eye-of-needle-revisited.html






Pictured above are medieval thimbles, needles, and shears from the National Museum in Copenhagen.

http://s389.photobucket.com/user/Haandkraft/media/Museer/Nationalmuseet/fingerbol_nale_saks_middelalder.jpg.html#sthash.D8rnQ6Op.qjtu









Enhanced portrait of Costanza Caetani (circa 1480-1490) with pins, thimble, and sewing needle.



http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/style-of-domenico-ghirlandaio-costanza-caetani






The Needlemaker (1583)
http://www.nuernberger-hausbuecher.de/75-Amb-2-279-58-r