{"id":401,"date":"2015-03-01T19:46:00","date_gmt":"2015-03-01T19:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/2015\/03\/01\/blackwork-and-redwork-2\/"},"modified":"2015-03-01T19:46:00","modified_gmt":"2015-03-01T19:46:00","slug":"blackwork-and-redwork-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/2015\/03\/blackwork-and-redwork-2.html","title":{"rendered":"Blackwork and Redwork"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\nBlackwork\/Redwork Embroidery<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThere is some confusion over these two embroidery
\nstyles.  It is not just the obvious
\ndifference of the colored thread.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nLet us start with Blackwork.  Traditionally blackwork was black silk thread used to embroider
\nmosaic designs onto white linen.  Some
\nearly writers attributed the introduction of this embroidery to Catherine of
\nAragon and was called \u201cSpanish work\u201d. It reached the height of popularity in
\nEngland in the 16thC and early 17thC. 
\nActually, it was known in England before Catherine arrived in 1501.
\nHowever, they were correct associating it with Spain and the Moorish invasions
\nfrom northern Africa.  Historically, the
\nMoors settled in  the south of Spain in
\n711 CE and introduced their geometric motifs simply outlined in black on a
\nwhite ground.  These Arabesque designs
\nwere adapted by the Spanish , and later other European countries.  <\/span><\/div>\n
\nThe stitches employed were back stitch, braid stitch,
\nbuttonhole, coral, double-running seeding or speckling stitches.  Often it was highlighted with silver
\nmetallic thread.  When first introduced
\nSpanish work was used in edge treatments for collars an cuffs, and delicate in
\nquality.  As fashions changed, the work
\nbecame more elaborate and embellished larger areas of dress.  The motifs also changed from the geometric
\nto flowing floral and imaginary bestial designs.  Even simple designs became more intense by using filling
\nstitches.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nBlackwork Embroidery, Elizabeth Geddes and Moyra McNeill, Dover Publications, NY,1976 <\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nRedwork is a late relative in the embroidery family.  It became popular in the mid 1800\u2019s when
\nembroidery threads became available in Turkey Red.  Turkey Red is an old dye produced in the Near East, the recipe a
\nclosely guarded secret.  The \u201cmagic\u201d of
\nTurkey Red was it\u2019s brilliant true red hue. Other red dyes, cochineal and
\nmadders produced orangey or brownish reds.  
\nTurkey Red was also fade resistant and vintage textiles that were dyed
\nwith this red are still vibrant.  Redwork
\nembroidery is the outlining of designs using backstitch or stem stitch. The patterns
\nwere taken from magazine illustrations, later commercial patterns could be
\npurchased by mail. <\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n

Two vintage redwork embroideries<\/p>\n

\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nLess often dark blue thread was used, perhaps inspired by the blue and white china ware of the East or the blue and  white rural Chinese embroideries.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n  By the end of WWI
\nother piecework replaced this embroidery style, but as is often the case it
\nenjoyed a revival in the 1970\u2019s.  Most
\nstores that sell sewing , knitting and embroidery supplies also sell \u201ckits\u201d
\nwith iron-on transfer designs. <\/span>  <\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\n Lace Tales -” Quality hot iron transfers, taken from actual antique linens or original drawings”., Susan Osburn, Fredericksburg, TX<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThis transfer is intended for pillow shams<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
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\n<\/div>\n
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\n<\/div>\n
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\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nSentimental Stitches<\/div>\n
\n#40210 The Stitcher<\/div>\n
\nGay Bomers, Grand Rapids MI<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Blackwork\/Redwork Embroidery There is some confusion over these two embroidery styles.  It is not just the obvious difference of the colored thread. Let us start with Blackwork.  Traditionally blackwork was black silk thread used to embroider mosaic designs onto white linen.  Some early writers attributed the introduction of this embroidery to Catherine of Aragon and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=401"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}