A counted-thread embroidery style, historically also called Spanish blackwork, worked most often in black silk thread on white or off-white linen using double running (Holbein) stitch, backstitch and occasionally stem stitch, producing precise geometric or floral patterns on an even-weave ground. Most strongly associated with Tudor-period England, blackwork's uniform, reversible stitching and dense repeating patterns earned it the popular sixteenth century nickname poor man's lace, since it let ordinary households approximate the visual richness of costly true lace at far lower cost.
Facts
OriginMost strongly associated with Tudor-period England; popularly nicknamed poor man's lace in the sixteenth century for its ability to imitate costly lace using only thread and an even-weave ground. 1 Distinguishing Technique or ResultCounted double running (Holbein) stitch and backstitch, worked in a single thread color on even-weave linen, build precise geometric or floral patterns that read identically from either side of the fabric. 1 Connections
Associated With
Tools Used
Embroidery Hoop is used in Blackwork Embroidery Pattern.
Sources
1. Blackwork (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIntroduction, first paragraph, second sentenceQuote, Introduction, first paragraph, second sentence
Most strongly associated with Tudor period England, blackwork typically, though not always, takes the form of a counted-thread embroidery, where the warp and weft yarns of a fabric are counted for the length of each stitch, producing uniform-length stitches and a precise pattern on an even-weave fabric.
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