Chelliga Embroidery Sampler Patterns with Double-Running Stitch Circa 1700s

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.