General Discussion

Personal Observations

Samplers

• English

• German

• Spanish

Bibliography

My Homepage

• 28 ct. even-weave linen - because it was similar in appearance to medieval material, but mostly because it fit my budget and was readily obtainable.
• Cotton Embroidery Floss - inexpensive, easy to obtain, and available in a wide variety of colors. Also extremely easy to work with.
• Silk Embroidery Floss - expensive, hard to find, available in limited number of colors. Tends to want to knot up. I found it hard to work with.

A number of reasons went into the selecting of the colors for the patterns:

• To compliment the color scheme of the room in which the finished samplers will be hung.
• To compliment and contrast with each other in an appealing manner
• I could reasonably expect to obtain most of these colors if I were to dye the threads myself.

General Discussion

Originally, I had planned on going one blackwork sampler. But I got caught up in the patterns and the embroidery itself. One simple stitch - running stitch worked double to form the reversible patterns. But the complexity of some of the patterns! It took hours sometimes to figure out how to work the pattern so that after the second running stitch thread was added, I would have a reversible pattern.

In period, not all blackwork was completely reversible. The reverse blackwork was generally reserved for those items of apparel or trim for which both sides of the work would be readily seen. Refer to picture attachment A. This picture shows the blackwork trim worked on the edges of the ruff and you can see the pattern on both the upper and underside readily. Refer to picture attachment B. Here, the blackwork pattern appears to be worked on either really sheer fabric, or more likely, a stiffened openweave lace-like fabric.

I chose to do all my patterns in a reversible form because it added to the complexity and the satisfaction level of accomplishment for me.

In the 16th century, the reversible blackwork was worked without knots at the beginning or endings of the threads. The non-reversible blackwork may or may not have had knots depending on the use intended for the item, the skill of the embroiderer, and the station the user/purchaser of the item occupied in society.

While I did not use knots, some lumps seemed to have occurred when I added a thread over a previously existing thread. And some colors of threads were more easily blended than others. The black thread was the easiest to end and begin, while the yellows and golds were the hardest. This is probably due to the dyestuffs used and not the thread itself.

The English Sampler was the first sampler I completed. This piece taught me a lot about blackwork in general and how to decipher complicated blackwork patterns in particular. This was my learning piece. I spent many hours unpicking and redoing parts of the patterns. The many diagonal stitches used were often my downfall, as I would discover to my dismay when I would go to join my thread back to a pattern already laid down. Sigh. Time to unpick again. The blue bramble rose pattern is my favorite on the whole sampler. It took me a week to figure out how to do the pattern in a reversible format. Finally, I ended up breaking the pattern down into sections and then joining the sections together. I think I also unpicked the whole pattern at least three times during its construction. The black grapevine pattern at the bottom of the sampler is my other favorite. The representation of the grapes was a real treat to work. Starting out with all these right angles and diagonals, and then looking at the product as the second thread was laid down and seeing what appeared to be circles forming. Intrinsic satisfaction at its best!

The Spanish Sampler was worked next. This one went much faster. I was starting to get a handle on this reversible thing. But, I started looking at the patterns and noticed something about them. They were distinctly different from the English ones. The English ones for the most part, could have been taken directly from nature. And there was some what we call celtic knotwork today, influence seen. But the Spanish sampler definitely showed Moorish, Persian, and Middle-Eastern influences. There were complicated mosaics and patterns that could have been lifted directly from the floor tiles and decorations in the mosques of the Middle-East. The lotus flower pattern flowing across the middle of the sampler is seen in many middle-eastern fabrics and items yet today.

The German Sampler was worked last. This one was so different from the previous two. There were straight lines and rarely any diagonals. The cross motif showed up again and again as does the acorn motif. But the non-use of diagonals much puzzles me. Is it something to do with their culture? With their religions? Or is it more subtle than that? The patterns were the easiest to work and figure out. Of course, with all the experience I gained with the other two samplers, it may have just been a case of getting used to figuring out the patterns. But, it was very hard to get lost while working the different patterns. They were easy to learn and repeat. And they were very fast to work. I could whip a pattern out in just two or three hours instead of evenings, or even weeks.

While all the samplers had an acorn motif, only the english sampler had the acorn leaf associated with it. Again emphasizing the nature aspect of their body of patterns. The prevalence of the acorn pattern in the German Sampler could be the result of the massive forests of their geographical area. The straight-lines could be for ease in replicating a pattern. A kind of “we want it to be pretty, but we want it done fast” practicality. Or, it could represent a desire to impose order on all things - a thinking in straight lines approach. Practical and orderly - two traits I have learned to associate with the german culture in my modern studies.

Future plans: To complete a French Blackwork sampler and an Italian Blackwork sampler. Research on the Italian sampler shows many large floral patterns - often replicating or imitating their brocade patterns. The Italian sampler will be worked entirely in silk threads on linen. For the French Blackwork sampler, I plan to pick apart a linen embroidery piece of fabric, and dye the resulting threads myself. Then use the dyed threads in the sampler.