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About a year ago, I discovered a type of Elizabethan needlework called "blackwork." It is thought to have been brought to the English court by Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon. According to The Blackwork Archives, "Blackwork is a counted-thread embroidery worked in geometric designs with black silk on even-weave linen." In fact, The Blackwork Archive is where I learned how to work the double-running stitch, which is a reversible stitch that can be used to embroider articles where both sides will be visible. Paula Kate Marmor's tutorial can be found here.
My first attempt at blackwork was a bit ambitious -- a bread cloth with designs relating to the four seasons on each edge. I've nearly finished it. I used to think that the oak leaves (shown with the acorns) were the most difficult, but that was before I got to the "Holly and Ivy" motif. Anyway, details of the four motifs are shown below. |
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Heartsease, otherwise known as Pansies, representing Spring |
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A Fret Of Thistles, representing Summer |
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Oak Leaves and Acorns, representing Fall |
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Holly and Ivy, representing Winter |
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