Resources and Weblinks

Resources & Web Links
Surface Embroidery

If there are any links you would like to see added to this page, please contact the Guild Web Minister.

The stitches below are of just a few of those which were used during the period covered by the SCA. The stitches are organized according to the Sojourner categories on the Guild Programs page.

The West Kingdom Needleworkers Guild is only suggesting these sites for your information. We do not endorse these sites, nor is the Guild in any way responsible for the content of these pages. It is better whenever possible to consult books on historic needlework and a Guild Mentor.

Surface Embroidery

(a.) basic embroidery

(b.) laid work

(c.) beadwork

(d.) split stitch (including shading)

(e.) raised work

 
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Surface Embroidery -- basic embroidery

How-To Stitch Sources

backstich
http://inaminuteago.com/stitchdict/stitch/Back-stitch.html

buttonhole stitch
http://inaminuteago.com/stitchdict/stitch/Buttonhole.html

chain stitch
http://inaminuteago.com/stitchdict/stitch/Chain.html

couching stitch
http://inaminuteago.com/stitchdict/stitch/couching.html

herringbone stitch
http://inaminuteago.com/stitchdict/stitch/herringbone.html

outline stitch
 http://inaminuteago.com/stitchdict/stitch/outline.html

satin stitch
http://inaminuteago.com/stitchdict/stitch/satin.html

seed stitch / seeding

stem stitch
http://inaminuteago.com/stitchdict/stitch/stem.html

Information on Historical Techniques

chain stitch, stem stitch/outline stitch,buttonhole stitch, satin stitch

Embroidery from the Tenth Century Viking Grave at Mammen Denmark
 Tangwystl
http://heatherrosejones.com/mammen/index.html

The Minister of Arts and Sciences Newsletter for the Kingdom of Atenveldt
July 2003 C.E., Issue 28
Early Medieval Embroidery by Ealasaid nic Suibhne, OL
Barony of Atenveldt, Kingdom of Atenveldt
http://arts.atenveldt.com/Portals/arts/Newsletters/jul2003.pdf
7th Century Frankish – “Queen Bathilde’s Shirt”
Rough sketches of embroidery design, no photos of actual items/stitches

herringbone stitch
Viking Embroidery Stitches and Motifs
 Carolyn Priest-Dorman.
http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest/vikembroid.html
Anglo-Saxon and Viking Works of the Needle: Some Artistic Currents in Cross-Cultural Exchange
http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest/asvembroid.html
a few brief mentions of use of herringbone, no photos

WCoB Competition Documentation – Scandinavian

The Minister of Arts and Sciences Newsletter for the Kingdom of Atenveldt
July 2003 C.E., Issue 28
Early Medieval Embroidery by Ealasaid nic Suibhne, OL
Barony of Atenveldt, Kingdom of Atenveldt
http://arts.atenveldt.com/Portals/arts/Newsletters/jul2003.pdf
brief mention of how/when herringbone was used
10th Century Denmark – “Mammen grave site”
Rough sketches of embroidery design, no photos of actual items/stitches
backstich

this is such a simple & basic stitch, it’s difficult to locate specific examples of this one

Actual Historical Textiles and Patterns

Embroidery from the Tenth Century Viking Grave at Mammen Denmark
 Tangwystl
http://heatherrosejones.com/mammen/index.html

Frankish Costume: Queen Bathilde, 7th century
http://casbal.100webspace.net/classes/Decorative_Embroidery.pdf
Several photos of a shirt – difficult to see details, but embroidery is chain stitch

Historically Inspired Patterns and Pieces

 
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Surface Embroidery -- laid work

How-To Stitch Sources

Medieval & Renaissance Embroidery
http://www.bayeux-broderie.com/index.htm?lang=en
video on how to do laid work with results similar to Bayeux Tapestry

Bayeux stitch, Ancient & Modern
 Stitch Magazine, Embroiderer’s Guild
http://www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/pdfs/bayeux.pdf
a modern pattern/example, but good illustrations of how to do the stitch & accommodate curves

Bayeaux Paper
http://www.northernneedle.net/Research/bayeux.pdf
a nice paper on the history, spplication of the stitch and photos of extant pieces

Information on Historical Techniques 

Anglo Saxon Embroidery Techniques at the Regia Anglorum website
http://www.regia.org/embroid.htm
how to do laid-and-couched work.

 

Actual Historical Textiles and Patterns

The Bayeux Tapestry
 http://hastings1066.com/
Photos of all the panels, with translation of Latin text. Also the history of the piece & explanation of what some of the images mean. 

 

Historically Inspired Patterns and Pieces

 

 

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Surface Embroidery -- beadwork

How-To Stitch Sources

A Clothing How-To for Garments of the Byzantine Empire
Author: Black Tauna (1995)
http://members.tripod.com/BlackTauna/byzantineclothinginfo.html
some discussion of how to decorate with beads/jewels

Information on Historical Techniques

The Medieval Beadwork Page
 http://www.medievalbeads.com/ 

16th Century Embellishments, Part 2: Twenty-first Century Strategies for Achieving the Sixteenth Century "Look"
 http://www.lynnmcmasters.com/embellishment.html
brief discussion of medieval beadwork & a few photos

Stefan's Florilegium
 http://www.florilegium.org/files/TEXTILES/beadwork-msg.html
Medieval beadwork on clothing. Bead types. Bead sources

Actual Historical Textiles and Patterns

 

Historically Inspired Patterns and Pieces

Beaded Embroidery
Giuliana di Benedetto Falconieri
http://www.northernneedle.net/embroidery.html
overview of her research, plus photos/descriptions of projects

Bead Embroidery: Italian and German Beaded Embellishments
 By Roxelana Bramante
http://www.roxelana.com/beadembroidery.html
description of beadwork author did on 2 pieces of garb, 1 photo each, no closeup of beadwork

 
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Surface Embroidery -- split stitch (including shading)

How-To Stitch Sources

http://inaminuteago.com/stitchdict/stitch/split.html

 

Information on Historical Techniques

Opus Anglicanum (English Work or how to paint with a needle) former link is broken


Actual Historical Textiles and Patterns

Historical Needlework Resources
 Opus Anglicanum
http://medieval.webcon.net.au/technique_opus_anglicanum.html
lots of links to extant examples

Metropolitan Museum of Art
Works of Art: Antonio Ratti Textile Center 
The Flagellation, Panel, Altar Frontal, mid-14th century
Italian; Made in Florence
Silk and metallic threads on linen;
http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/
could be Opus Anglicanum, hard to tell w/ blurry closeups

Australian National University ArtServe
V&A Museum photos
 http://rubens.anu.edu.au/new/england/london/museums/victoria_and_albert/textiles/western_mediaeval/
Part of an English cope, 1310-40.  Silk twill embr. w/ metal threads & silk in underside couching, split stitch, some raised work
*some photos are blurry, others are excellent closeups, can really see the stitches

Historically Inspired Patterns and Pieces

Almoner's Purse, French, circa 1340
 by Joyce Miller
http://www.doctorbeer.com/joyce/emb/almpouch/almpouch.htm
photos of author’s completed pouch, based on historical illustrations, plus photos of extant pieces

Embroidered Partlet 16th C Florence
 La Signora Onorata Katerina da Brescia, Lochac
http://katerina.purplefiles.net/DOCO/Kat%20Partlet%20DOCO.htm
author documents her process of making a partlet, including use of split stitch

 

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Surface Embroidery -- raised work

How-To Stitch Sources

Information on Historical Techniques

Elizabethan Raised Embroidery
 by Branwen Madyn Wallis
http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/oak/15/eliz.htm
an overview article

Raised Work - Stump Work : A Confusion of Terms
Dianne E. Lewandowski – 2002
http://heritageshoppe.com/heritage/essays/stumpwork.html
descriptions of Elizabethan embroidery, Stumpwork, and raised work from different sources

Email list discussion on Elizabethan Raised Work/Stumpwork,
7th box down, Dianne Lewandowski
http://www.craftbanter.com/showthread.php?t=20713
a short discussion from a usenet group

Actual Historical Textiles and Patterns

Purse, last quarter of 16th century
http://www.metmuseum.org/

Sweetbag is no longer on-line, but type in embroidery in the search box and there are many items of interest
Photo and description of an English sweetbag made towards the end of the 16th century, in the collection of the Metropolit an Museum of Art.

Small square drawstring bag at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
 http://www.mfa.org/collections/search_art.asp?recview=true&id=119729
Motif of flowers with coiling gold wire stems; insect and small bird. Linen canvas ground completely covered in embroidery . Silver metallic threads make ground in slanted satin stitch. Three-dimensional flower petals and leaves of silver-wrapped color silk threads in detached buttonhole stitch. Polychrome silk embroidery in tent stitch. Also plaited braid stitch, couching, bullion knots, raised work, metal purl, flattened coiled wire. Braided silk cords, two wood-core drawstring pulls, three tassels at bottom.

Historically Inspired Patterns and Pieces

Elizabethan Sweet Bag (present day)
Mathilde's Medieval and Renaissance Embroidery Page
 http://mywebpages.comcast.net/mathilde/embroidery/mygall/sweetbag.htm
detailed description of how the bag was designed & constructed, includes photos & bibliography

 
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Guild Webminister: Jocelyn of Rowenwood
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This web page last updated on 10-12-11