Beginner's Guide to Blackwork

By Lesley Wilkins

An introduction to the sixteenth century embroidery technique in which beautiful patterns are created by stitching geometric designs onto evenweave fabric.

Inspired by the past, Lesley Wilkins illustrates her techniques with a whole host of wonderful designs flowers, plants, birds, animals and figures. She covers everything from the materials to use and working with a chart, to getting started and how to stitch. Patterns are created by small stitched units which are combined in many different ways some heavily textured, some delicate and light. Borders can be built up by repeating and joining motifs. Clear step-by-step photographs accompany the author's comprehensive instructions, and the motifs, borders, fill-in patterns and images are all charted, with inspirational pictures of embroideries showing how to build up finished designs.

"The designs in this book are amazing. Some are very simple and others have a look of intricacy in them. There are figures, flowers, borders and much much more, this gives a lot of inspiration if you want to design your own piece." —Postcard Reviews
"A comprehensive book about the blackwork technique, covering the materials to use, how to use a chart, getting started and what designs we could do." —Mr X Stitch

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Mar 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781781267332

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Biackwork is a counted thread method of embroidery, using straight stitches in a contrasting colour worked on evenweave fabric. The true origin of this type of embroidery appears to have been the Moors and Arabs, who in the thirteenth century travelled to England with soldiers and noblemen returning from the Crusades in the Holy Lands.

In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, there is a description of what seems to be blackwork in ‘The Miller’s Tale’:

‘Her smock was white and embroidered in front and behind with coal-black silk, and embroidered also on the inside and outside of the collar.’

It is believed that the Spanish princess, Katherine of Aragon, brought blackwork to England with her in 1501. Eight years later she married Henry VIII, and for more than twenty years she influenced the English court with her passion for embroidery. The stitch she used was known as ‘Spanishwork’. It had become part of Spanish culture during the rule of the Moors.

There were many portraits painted at this time showing people wearing clothes decorated with blackwork embroidery. One of the blackwork stitches was named after Henry VIII’s court painter, Holbein, because so many of his sitters displayed it.

Blackwork’s closely textured stitching was not only decorative – it was also used to reinforce collars and cuffs, and to disguise dirt during a time of poor hygiene. The poorer classes also stitched the delicate designs on their clothes as a cheaper alternative to lace, which was difficult to obtain due to high

Reviews for Beginner's Guide to Blackwork

[marthajeanne · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a good book for beginners, but doesn't go beyond that. I would recommend Marion Scolar's 'Why call it Blackwork?' instead.

[drinkingtea_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very clear instructions and simple designs that you can complicate to your heart's content.