On Sunday, 23rd August 2020, Gillian Vogelsang wrote:
As part of the work being carried out at the TRC in Leiden, on volume 3 of Bloomsbury's Encyclopedia of Embroidery (Scandinavia and Western Europe), I came across a fascinating sample book now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (MMA 25.92).
The book dates from the early 17th century and comes from Portugal. It is filled with numerous small pieces of actual embroidery worked on a linen ground using silk yarns in various colours. The samples were stitched together and then made into the booklet that is loosely bound.
Who did this is unknown, but he or she created a fascinating compendium of stitches and designs used in early 17th century Portugal. A variety of stitches are represented in the book, including cross stitch, satin stitch, bullion stitch, double running stitch (Holbein stitch), various types of knots, as well as reticello and drawn thread work.
Some examples of geometric patterns, which were worked in cross stitch, are given below:
Some cross stitch patterns from a Portuguese sample book (17th century; chart by Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, based on MMA 25.92). Please click on the chart to see a PDF file that can be enlarged as required.
Some cross stitch patterns from a Portuguese sample book (17th century; chart by Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, based on MMA 25.92). Please click on the chart to see a PDF file that can be enlarged as required.
