emb-blackwork-msg - 7/21/99
Medieval Blackwork embroidery.
NOTE: See also the files: embroidery-msg, emb-linen-msg, emb-frames-msg, 8-P-Stitches-art, cross-stitch-msg, embroidery-SW-msg, p-x-stitch-art.
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NOTICE -
This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.
Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
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[Submitted by From: Donna Hrynkiw <donna at Kwantlen.BC.CA>]
From stuander at chinook.halcyon.comMon Dec 18 14:16:35 1995
Date: 2 Dec 1995 18:50:56 GMT
From: "Stuart L. Anderson" <stuander at chinook.halcyon.com>
To: sca at mc.lcs.mit.edu
Subject: Blackwork question
daniel fox (foxd at silver.ucs.indiana.edu) wrote:
: I have a question about reversible blackwork--What do you do with the ends?
The Blackwork finishing technique I like best is the "sneaky
finish" which I learned from Marion Scoular. In this
technique you end your threads under previously worked
stitches.
|| || || || || || ||
|| || || || || || ||
-----------||-----------||------------||------------
-----------||-----------||------------||------------
|| || || || || || ||
|| || X || || X || || ||
----||------------||-----------||------------||-----
----||------------||-----------||------------||-----
|| || || || || || ||
|| || || || || || ||
If your stitch runs from x to x on the diagram above, you
pull the stitch back with your fingernail and, using a sharp
needle, run your ending thread through the fabric threads
making sure you pierce the fabric threads. After you have
pulled your thread through let the stitch go back over your
ending thread. Do this for at least 3 stitches. Even if,
like me, you do not do this technique very well it is still
difficult to find where you began and ended a new thread.
It also holds very well as I found out once when I tried to
take it out because I had miscounted on the pattern. Now I
finish the pattern first and then finish the ends.
Marion Scoular gives much better instructions and diagrams
in her book, "Why Call it Blackwork." I bought my copy at
Threadneedle Street, 485 Front Street North, Suite B,
Issaquah, WA 98105, tel. 206-391-0528 (she does mail
order). Also try your local needlework shop. You can
probably also get it from Marion Scoular, Sherwood Studio,
2840 Skye Terrace, Duluth, GA 30136, tel. 404-497-0648.
Besides the "sneaky finish" this book gives good basic
instructions on blackwork techniques and has a good
bibliography at the end.
Karen Anderson
From: Louise Willey <lwilley at dpie.gov.au>
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles.needlework,rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Blackwork question
Date: 11 Dec 1995 01:29:27 GMT
Organization: Department of Primary Industries & Energy
the questions was: how to keep reversible blackwork reversible by
disguising the ends of threads.
the only way i know is to have a sufficient length (about 8 cm) to whip
over the stitches as if it were part of the embroidery - no 2 cm ends
tucked away with the eye end of the needle for this work. i whip the
new thread over the existing stitches when i start it (but of course -
excuse the oxymoron please) and i whip the old thread over the stitches
done with the new thread - don't double whip the same bit.
the very last few millimetres can have an annoying habit of sticking out
after the end has been cut off. i've discovered that if i whip one way
this happens more that if i do it the other way. by this i mean, for
ezample, if the stitches were a single horizontal line, one way would
be whipping from top down, the other way would be whipping from bottom
to the top. i'm sorry i can't draw a diagram for this - i hope you
understand what i mean. when i discover that the end is behaving
itself, i try to remember to keep whipping that way - if a tiny
"whisker" appears, i undo the tail and whip it the other way. there is
quite a bit of thread in this whipped tail, so it is possible to whip it
properly without resorting to eye of the needle juggling.
when it is all said and done, the back is the back (ahh! more oxymorons
- or is that a straight out tautology?) so neatness is the best you can
strive for. i agree that knots are a no-no. competition judges will
disregard anything they see with knots in it.
cheers! louise
From: theducks at greenduck.com (Steve Urbach)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Spanish Blackwork
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 02:20:32 GMT
Organization: Green Duck Designs
Marian.C.Pereira at bender.com wrote:
>I am interested in learning about Spanish blackwork. If anyone out there
>shares this interest I would appreciate your help. Many thanks.
Green Duck Designs carries a book by Katherine Epstein - New Model
Book for Spanish Stitch $9.95
>At your service,
>Do~na Petenera
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>This article was posted to Usenet via the Posting Service at Deja News:
>http://www.dejanews.com/ [Search, Post, and Read Usenet News!]
Derek Dragonsclaw
From: salazar at sprynet.com (Kim Salazar)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Spanish Blackwork
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 1996 18:45:22 GMT
Marian.C.Pereira at bender.com wrote:
>M'lords and M'ladies,
>I am interested in learning about Spanish blackwork. If anyone out there
>shares this interest I would appreciate your help. Many thanks.
>At your service,
>Do~na Petenera
Unto Dona Petenera from Countess Ianthe, fair greetings.
If I may be so immodest, my book is an excellent source of patterns
using double running stitch (Spanish Stitch). It's got more than 150
specifically for that technique ranging from good choices for the
beginner through huge repeats for more advanced stitchers. I am
uncomfortable discussing it here, but feel free to drop by my Web site
or eMail me for more details.
If you are interested in the style of blackwork characterized by heavy
outlines filled in by geometric stitches, there are several excellent
books on the subject. Some of them are probably out of print, but
they are relatively easy to find. Look for:
Geddes, Elizabeth and McNeill, Moyra. Blackwork Embroidery: New
York: Dover Publications, 1976 (recently reissued and still
available)
Gostelow, Mary. Blackwork. London: BT Batsford, Ltd. 1976.
Pascoe, Margaret. Blackwork Embrodiery: Design and Technique.
London: BT Batsford, Ltd. 1986.
Also there is an excellent small booklet that was recently issued by
a noted British expert in and scholar of blackwork. It's difficult to
find, but worth the search:
Robinson, Jack. Blackwork Embroidery: My Methods and Techniques.
Langcastershire: Threadbare Press, 1995.
I think the only place Robinson's book is sold in the U.S. is The Yarn
Barn of san Antonio, 4300 Mccullough, san antonio TX 78212 phone (210
826-3679).
The only affiliation I claim with any of these sources is authorship
of my own. :-)
Ianthe d'Averoigne
"The New Carolingian Modelbook: Counted Embroidery Patterns from
Before 1600."
salazar at sprynet.com
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/salazar
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 08:10:42 -0600
To: ansteorra at eden.com
From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
Subject: Blackwork Information
Heilsa, All.
This is my last few minutes on the keyboard before the surgeon gets
me later this AM. Meanwhile, I found this nifty list of information sources
for Blackwork Embroidery on the Historical Costuming List, and thought I'd
share it with you.
As always, I did not compile this info, the original author's name is listed
at the bottom of the text below.
========================================================
Blackwork Embroidery
--------------------
http://www16.crl.com/~kdyer/documents/mag_book_vid.html
Needlework FAQ: Magazines, Books, Videotapes
http://www.ambook.org/bookstore/needlework/
Hard-to-Find Needlework Books
http://www.pacificnet.net/~pmarmor/bwarch.html
Elizabethan Blackwork: The Blackwork Embroidery
Archives [patterns and everything!!! yaay!]
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext.faq/usenet/crafts/textiles/faq/part1
/faq.html
Textiles FAQ from rec.crafts.textiles and alt.sewing
http://www.greenduck.com/newrtpl/charts.htm
Green Duck Designs Charts Category Price List
http://bull.got.kth.se/~annat/
Anna's LARP Crafts Links Page [a lot of this is
in Swedish, but the links are great; there's a whole
section on embroidery, and for the fellas, a bunch
of links on making your own armor, weapons, chainmail, and
even a link called "Much ado about bondage..." I'll
let you go there yourselves... plus, there's quite a
few costuming sites]
http://www.ftech.net/~regia/embroid.htm
Embroidery Techniques
http://www.crl.com/~kdyer/xstitch.html
Counted Cross Stitch, Needlework, and Stitchery
Page
Told in a Garden [stitchery resources and designs]
Black Swan Designs [counted cross stitch designs]
http://www.scsn.net/users/pegasus/
Pegasus Originals Inc. [more counted cross stitch]
and my personal favorite, the granddaddy of them all
(well, not really, but I'm mighty impressed by the contents
of this page-it's emphasis is on info., not flash):
http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~jscole/medembro.html
The Medieval/Renaissance Embroidery Home Page
Milieux:The Costume Site
http://ddi.digital.net/~milieux/costume.html
The best costume site I've seen, with links to everything you can imagine.
-----------------------------
NEEDLEWORK:
Medieval/Renaissance Embroidery Homepage
http://www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/jscole/medembro.html
Donna's Needlework Page
http://www.dabbler.com/ndlwrk.html
Valuable not so much for itself as for its many good links.
Counted Cross Stitch, Needlework, and Stitchery Page
http://www.crl.com/~kdyer/xstitch.html
The Lacemaker's Home Page
Blackwork Embroidery Archives
http://www.pacificnet.net/~pmarmor/bw_sesns.html
A little disappointing -- only six designs.
The Medieval/Renaissance Embroidery Home Page
http://www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/jscole/medembro.html
===============================================
Original poster for the info above is:
Elizabeth Pruyn iteach at slip.net Oakland, CA
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 10:27:44 -0400
From: "lwperkins" <lwperkins at snip.net>
To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Re: Book Review Succeeds
I wish to thank everyone who wrote to me regarding Queen Elizabeth's
Wardrobe Unlock'd; the book came a few days ago and it is an astonishing
book---I learned more reading this book about noblewomen's garb in England
from 1560 to 1600 than from all my previous books combined. For anyone who
is interested in this period's embroidery , find a copy of this book--it
has close-ups of the most intricate blackwork, fabulous beasts, allegorical
symbols and just amazing needlework that I've ever seen. There's a complete
chapter on how the garb was made, close-ups of stitching and fastenings,
pictures of underwear(!). I learned that light colors were fashionable,
not just dark ones, that Tudor garb was hot to wear even in period, found a
picture of a period "Barbie" doll (an 11-inch fashion doll), and read a ton
of juicy gossip. Since I probable wouldn't have ponied up the 130.00
without some outside advice, I'm very grateful to all of you.
Yours in service,
Ester du Bois
lwperkins at snip.net
Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 17:33:50 -0700
From: bombarde at mindspring.com
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Blackwork Embroidery
>I'm enjoying 'Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd' by Janet Arnold - found
>a copy at the Canberra public library on Saturday - yippee!
>
>And I'm having fun trying out blackwork embroidery based upon some of these
>designs. Why didn't anyone tell me how easy and quick it is? I'd have tried
>it much much earlier!
>
>Please, does anyone have any relevant web addresses concerning this type of
>embroidery? Or any tales of successful works?
>
>Rakhel
>Lochac
Greetings! I am a fan of blackwork embroidery myself, and have found a
marvelous website called Blackwork Embroidery Archives at:
www.pacificnet.net/~pmarmor/bwarch.html
She has some lovely designs that are available to download, and a good
listing of available resources. Some of the designes are more modern, but
some are quite traditional and all are lovely. Enjoy!
Sally
known in these current middle ages as Lady Sarah Douglass Corccair
Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 19:26:16 -0700
From: "Karine" <alphafem at safelink.net>
To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Re: Blackwork Embroidery
TI had an article, many years ago, that detailed the patterning on Queen
Jane's cuffs, as they are affectionately called. The pattern was correct,
with the exception of the part concerning the small crosses, which the
author admitted that she couldn't figure out. Still, many thanks to this
lady for publishing it anyway.
The New Carolingian Sourcebook is inspirational, but should always be cross
checked with something else before going to work, as I have found a few
errors in the patterns.
Here are two wonderful books -- Magaret Pascoe's _Blackwork Embroidery:
Design and Technique_ and Geddes and MacNeil's _Blackwork Embroidery_.
For the money, both are excellent and have pictures of existing period
pieces.
Ilse Altherr has two books out on _Reversible Blackwork_ Vol I and II which
are extremely helpful.
Epstein's _An Anonymous Woman: Her work wrought in the 17th Century_
is another good bet. Lots of patterns taken directly from an existing
sampler.
There is also a Compleat Anachronist on blackwork that is a good starting
point.
Hope this helps.
Lady Tireachan MacPherson
Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 21:41:27 -0500 (EST)
From: Carol Thomas <scbooks at neca.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Blackwork Embroidery
>Please, does anyone have any relevant web addresses concerning this type of
>embroidery? Or any tales of successful works?
Some (but not all) of the blackwork seen in Holbein's portraits can be
charted. It can be addictive...
Lady Carllein
Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 21:45:43 -0500 (EST)
From: Carol Thomas <scbooks at neca.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Blackwork Embroidery
>Epstein's _An Anonymous Woman: Her work wrought in the 17th Century_
>is another good bet. Lots of patterns taken directly from an existing
>sampler.
There are also patterns in her "German Renaissance Embroidery" and "New
Modelbook".
Lady Carllein
Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 21:49:06 -0500 (EST)
From: Carol Thomas <scbooks at neca.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Blackwork Embroidery
>Ilse Altherr has two books out on _Reversible Blackwork_ Vol I and II which
>are extremely helpful.
Reversible is fun if I use 2 needles: a long thread and a needle on each
end. Do a few stitches with one, follow up and fill in with the other....
Trying to go all the way accross with one needle leads me, to errors,
frustration, and not-safe-to-be around.
Am working on a banner saying Small Churl Books with the letters filled in
with reversible blackwork. At the present rate, it should be done by the
millenium!
Lady Carllein
Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 19:55:29 -0800
From: Brett and Karen Williams <brettwi at ix.netcom.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Blackwork Embroidery