Defined as surface embroidery using wool yarn, the earliest record of the word ‘crewel’ dates to 1494*, yet such hand-stitched embellishment dates to at least 1,000 years ago. The Bayeux Tapestry – which some believe was crafted in the 1070s – is widely seen as the earliest surviving example of crewel.
From the medieval period, crewels were worked by women in their own homes, but also by professional embroiderers who created the likes of wall panels, bed hangings, door curtains and coverlets for warmth and decoration. By the Tudor era, skill in elaborate needlework was viewed as a sign of piety and diligence among daughters of gentry and nobility, while the work of professional embroiderers became formally assessed from
