Tudor Embroidery...

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By Margaret Pitts...

Evidence abounds that women in Tudor times were prolific embroiderers. Much can be learned by studying paintings from the period, particularly portraits. Details in the dress show highly elaborate embroidery and, of course, pieces of clothing and remnants of bed hangings, upholstery etc can be seen in stately homes and museums throughout Britain. It is thought that particularly during the reign of Elizabeth I, many ladies were influenced to try to emulate the Queen’s skill. The results were evident in the beautifully decorated clothes and furnishings of the nobility and also in the houses of merchants where the womenfolk and young girls practised their stitching for practical purposes too.

.1. A type of embroidery particularly associated with the Tudor period, is Blackwork. This is a simple yet effective straight stitch, commonly, but not always, worked in black thread on a light background, usually of linen. Where the design needed to be reversible, a double running stitch (also known as Holbein stitch) was used. Blackwork is sometimes referred to as Spanish Work, as it is thought to have been introduced to England by Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII. At first it was used to decorate collars and cuffs, but later it was incorporated into furnishings, such as these miniature cushions. (See Below...)

.6. In Tudor times, larger and more elaborate work was undertaken by professionals in their workshops, particularly tapestries, which were woven rather than stitched.This is a miniature version of the sort of thing that might have originally been a tapestry.It is worked in tent stitch.

.2. Bed hangings and coverings were often embroidered in Blackwork designs. This one, worked in brown thread on cream silk, is my own design, based on the Tudor Rose. (Below)

.7. Apologies to the designer of this miniature work, as I am unsure of whom to credit.

Carpets were originally brought into this country from Eastern Europe and were so valuable that they were placed on tables rather than on the floor. They became quite a status symbol, so copies were made of the designs and embroidered professionally for the wealthy to display in their houses.

The miniature carpet below is normally displayed on the wall in my Tudor house.

.3. Embroidered panels were popular and this pair is done in Blackwork. The knight is worked in dark brown thread and the medieval maiden in shades of blue. Both incorporate gold threads which was also common practice at this time.

.8. As well as the stitches described so far, Crewel work (in wool or silk), Quilting and Stumpwork (a type of embroidery using raised designs) were also in popular use.

The Elizabethan period in particular was noted for its exquisite embroidery, not only for household articles, but also for personal items of clothing, including gloves, jackets, hoods, hats, scarves, tiny purses etc. Even embroidered book covers and bindings have survived. Two of the most famous embroiderers of that time were Mary Queen of Scots (after all, she had lots of time on her hands) and Bess of Hardwick who acted as her jailor over a long period. A beautiful bedspread stitched by Bess survives at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire and after studying pictures of it, I tried to make a (simplified!) copy of it in 1/12^th scale.

.4. Many larger items such as wall or bed-hangings were made from smaller pieces embroidered onto canvas using Tent Stitch, also known as Continental Stitch. These smaller pieces of work, or slips, were then carefully cut out and appliquéd onto larger areas of silk or velvet. This was also a way for the novice to practise stitching, as too were the better-known samplers. The earliest surviving English sampler is dated 1598, but there is evidence that samplers were worked before this date.

These are two miniature ones I made for my Tudor house. (Below)

.10. If you are wondering why there is a pig sitting on the bed above, here is one explanation:

Mattresses, being made from straw, wool or feathers, were the source of many unwanted bedfellows. It is said that one way of minimising these was to put a leather pouch containing a small pig into the bed some time before the Master was due to retire. Fleas, bugs, tics etc were attracted to the warmth of the pig’s body inside the bag and so the whole lot could be safely removed before the head of the household arrived in his bedchamber. …….and thus, the derivation of the phrase “A pig in a poke”!

And now for something completely different:This Tudor Inn was an embroidery kit I was given. When I had finished stitching it, I was loath to close up the interior by sewing on the roof as per instructions. Instead, I decided to fill the Inn with 16^th century people – and a dog. You may be able to make out a serving wench carrying a tray with a tankard of ale, a fellow playing his flute, someone eating from his trencher, barrels in the corner and pictures on the walls.

The scale is approximately 1/144^th…….so the people inside are tiny!

.5. Designs often incorporated flowers, birds, insects and fruit --- strawberries were a favourite and appear on this miniature wall hanging designed by Sandra Whitehead. I embroidered it in 1/12^th scale, using tent stitch.

I can recommend the following books for further information and wonderful designs to embroider:

Medieval & Tudor Needlecraft – Knights & Ladies in 1/12^th scale by Sandra Whitehead
Celtic, Medieval and Tudor Wall hangings in 1/12 scale Needlepoint by Sandra Whitehead
Miniature Embroidery for the Tudor & Stuart Dolls’ House by Pamela Warner
Traditional Needlework in Miniature by Annelle Ferguson