Blackwork Embroidery Patterns Inspired by Historical Paintings

The Portrait of a Young Woman was painted by a Netherlandish Painter circa 1535. If you go the provided link, the Met Museum allows you to zoom in close to study the embroidery pattern.

Below is my interpretation of the pattern found on the top of her collar.

Margaret More, Wife of William Roper, was painted by Hans Holbein the Younger, circa 1535-1536. This portrait is available at the Met Museum (pictured below).

Below is my interpretation of the blackwork embroidery pattern found on her collar.

Click here for another portrait (Charles de Cosse, Count of Brissac, circa 1535, painted by Jean Clouet found at the Met Museum) with blackwork embroidery done in gold.

Click here for pages from a book of moresques by Francesco di Pellegrino, circa 1546 (available at the Met Museum), with patterns that could be used for blackwork embroidery.

Pattern from 17th Century Linen Handkerchief

Here is an embroidered handkerchief with double running stitch at the V&A Museum.

This linen handkerchief was made circa 1600-1630 in England. It is embroidered with silk thread and includes bobbin lace. "Thread count approx. 50 threads per cm. balanced plain weave. With five rows of small S-shaped motifs worked with pale green and yellow silk in Holbein stitch forms a border of 2 inches and edged with the lace. Gold thread at the four corners." (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O11077/handkerchief-unknown/)

Below is my interpretation of the repeated pattern found on the above handkerchief.

Embroidered Chalice Veil

In the SCA, I have seen people use fabric with embroidery and beading to cover their cups. This is practical, especially when outside at events, to help keep insects from flying in or around their drink. An example of a cover can be found here.

I decided that I wanted to try to make a cup cover. I also recently learned how to use my embroidery machine. So, I decided that I wanted to test out my embroidery machine to make a blackwork-inspired cup cover. The hem is hand-stitched. The beading is made up of glass beads and pearls. Please see below:

Although I have seen cup covers in the SCA, I also wanted to see how historically accurate these covers are. What I have found so far is that beeswax covered linen was used to create a medieval version of Tupperware. Check this out. Waxed linen covers have been seen in artwork since the 14th century.

But waxed linen covers are fairly stiff and (obviously) have beeswax on them. The covers that I have seen in the SCA are decorated with embroidery and/or beads, but do not have any beeswax on them. So, I tried to do an internet search to find out the history (if any) on these particular types of covers. Note: if you put in "cup cover" into a search engine, you will not find many websites related to this specific type of cover.

This cup cover is actually known as a chalice veil. If you go here, you can find some museum examples from the late 16th century.

Needlebook with Embroidery

The other day, I came across an embroidered needlebook online here. I was intrigued by this and wanted to try making one myself. Below are my pictures with descriptions to explain my experience making my first needlebook.

 

 Above are some of the materials that I used. It's amazing to find another use for scrap fabric!

The outside cover is made of embroidered white linen. The inside is a red cotton fabric. The middle layer is red wool, to help stiffen the needlebook.

 The two black ties are lucet cords that I braided.

Inside the needlebook, I created a small pocket on the right that opens towards the spine of the book, so that items will not fall out as easily.

               

Here is what the completed needlebook looks like.





Lesson learned for the next time:

- Make the book smaller.  This book measures 3.5 inches wide
by 4.5 inches long.



Here is a tutorial with step by step instructions on how to make
your own needlebook.


Needlebooks are not period (SCA wise). After briefly researching the history of needlebooks, the first needlebook on record appears to have been in the late 1800's (per the Nordic Needle). Many were produced from the 1920's to the 1950's (Needlebooks). So, although these are not historically accurate, I still like the concept of it for something to hold my needles in at events, rather than the modern plastic container that I have been using.

The Backside of an Embroidery Sampler at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

These embroidery samplers were made by Elizabeth Burton, circa 1701. It is currently not on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, PA, but can be viewed online at the above link. Both are made of linen with silk embroidery in cross, Holbein, and many other various forms stitch.

Below are 3 pictures of the backside of the samplers, as well as 2 close-up pictures of part of the sampler. I like studying how the threads were ended and started, as well as how neat the embroidery is on the backside. Unfortunately, there was some adhesive around the edges of each piece, which has been removed, but the color has bled through to the front.

Examples of Blackwork Embroidery at Museums of Art

The links below of blackwork embroidery examples are at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburg, PA.
(Due to image licensing, I'm unable to provide a copy of the picture. Please follow the links provided.)

Here is a link to a plate, circa 1525 by Nicolò Pellipario.

This portrait could be blackwork embroidery on her collar. The portrait is of Isabella de' Medici by Alessandro Allori, circa 1570-1574.

This could also be blackwork embroidery on his shirt. The engraving is of Henry IV, King of France by Hendrick Goltzius, circa late 16th century.

This engraving also appears to have blackwork embroidery on the collar. The engraving is called Portrait of a Man by Ottavio Leoni, circa late 16th century.



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The link below of a blackwork embroidery example is at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in Memphis, TN.

Here is a Portrait of a Lady painted by Antonis Mor, circa 1540-1550. Look at her cuffs and collar.



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The link below is of an embroidery sampler at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This sampler has a variety of embroidery styles on it, including Holbein and cross stitch.

Here is the sampler made by Elizabeth Burton, circa 1701.

Need an Idea of how to Wear Your Blackwork Embroidery?

I have seen Tudor shirts and partlets with blackwork embroidery. However, when I saw this video, I thought the detachable cuffs were such a neat idea! Not only can you change your stomacher, sleeves, hood, or forepart to create a new outfit, but you can also wear detachable cuffs to help change the look of your outfit!

Check out the video here.

Above is an example of a detachable cuff, found here on the Thistlebees website.

Researching Embroidery from the Bahri Mamluk Dynasty Period

Here is an interesting paper on the Near and Middle Eastern Textiles from the 9th to the 14th centuries: http://home.earthlink.net/~lilinah/Textiles/MEtextiles.html

Above is a picture (from the link provided above) from 13th or 14th century Egypt.



Below are a few links and pictures from Miriam bat Shimeon's research.

https://awalimofstormhold.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/a-diagonal-embroidery-with-vines-and-hooks/

https://awalimofstormhold.wordpress.com/2014/01/15/an-embroidered-mamluk-shawl/

https://awalimofstormhold.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/a-complicated-mamluk-blackwork/

The Back Side of a German Sampler from 1618

In the V&A Museum, there is a German embroidery sampler from 1618 made by Lucke Boten. The sampler is made of "Linen, embroidered with silk and linen in double running, Montenegrian cross, two-sided Italian cross and satin stitch, with cutwork, drawn thread work and buttonholed bars" (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70238/sampler-boten-lucke/)

Per the V&A Museum, "It is the earliest dated German sampler so far known." ("Sampler")

(Pictured above is "Sampler" at the V&A Museum)

Pictured below are close-up pictures of the backside of the embroidered sampler, courtesy of the V&A Museum.

For more information on how to do the two-sided Italian cross stitch, please visit https://pieceworkmagazine.com/two-sided-italian-cross-stitch/.

For more information on how to do the Montenegrian stitch, please visit these websites:
https://www.needlenthread.com/2011/06/montenegrin-stitch-thoroughly-montenegrin.html and https://hands-across-the-sea-samplers.com/montenegrin-stitch/



Work Cited:

"A Stitch in Time: Two-Sided Italian Cross Stitch." PieceWork Magazine. https://pieceworkmagazine.com/two-sided-italian-cross-stitch/.

"Montenegrin Stitch - Thoroughly Montenegrin!" Needle 'n Thread. 8 June 2011. https://www.needlenthread.com/2011/06/montenegrin-stitch-thoroughly-montenegrin.html.

"Montenegrin Stitch Worked On The Straight." Hands Across the Sea Samplers. https://hands-across-the-sea-samplers.com/montenegrin-stitch/.

"Sampler." Victoria & Albert Museum: London. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70238/sampler-boten-lucke/.

The Underneath Side of Embroidery on 16th Century Shirt

It is amazing how different embroidery stitches can appear from far away compared to up close!

Based on my first impression of the embroidery on the shirt below, I thought it was a single bold line creating the embroidery seen below (please see my blog post here).

 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

 http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O115767/shirt-unknown/

However, upon closer examination, it turns out that it is reversible cross stitch! Such tiny small x's create the bold single line that appears as you stand further away from the shirt.

I am also fascinated by how neat the underside of the embroidery is! Can you spot where the embroidery threads end and/or begin? Take a look:

Above pictures are credited to © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The above pictures are from inside the cuffs and collar, as well as the shoulder seam. The collar is lined with linen. 

For information on reversible cross stitch, take a look at this link:

https://www.needlework-tips-and-techniques.com/reversible-cross-stitch.html

The Roots of Blackwork Embroidery

Check out this article on The Roots of Blackwork Embroidery, from the West Kingdom's Needleworkers Guild!

http://www.wkneedle.org/the-roots-of-blackwork-embroidery/

I like this quote from the above article, "One such “rule” is the idea that the back of the embroidery should be as neat as the front. This seems in particular to be a Victorian obsession. Professional embroiderers in the Middle Ages and Renaissance were often aiming for speed and had deadlines to meet — and perhaps, didn’t feel it so important to put extra work into something that would never be seen. So there are quite a few examples of historical embroidery that have knots, thread skips, or even loops of thread on the back." (Christian de Holacombe)

Even though I prefer the neatness of having my embroidery reversible, it is nice to know that the backside of my embroidery does not need to be free from all blemishes and could still be considered historically accurate.

Historical Blackwork Embroidery Pattern with Cross Stitch

If you are like me, I first learned how to do cross stitch many years prior to learning how to do blackwork embroidery... and realizing that when I outlined my cross stitch patterns, I was essentially doing blackwork and not realizing it.

So, when I saw this pattern on a 17th century English sampler on the V&A Museum website, I was ecstatic to see blackwork and cross stitch embroidery combined in one pattern.

The original pattern (seen below) can be found on the upper right hand corner of the sampler at http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70136/sampler-unknown/.

 ("Sampler" at the V&A Museum, London)

Some of the patterns on this sampler are missing their embroidered threads. Thanks to how blackwork and cross stitch embroidery work, we can essentially plan connect the dots to rediscover the original pattern. Please click here to see this.