Blackwork
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Blackwork, sometimes historically termed Spanish blackwork, is a form of embroidery generally worked in black thread, although other colours are also used on occasion, as in scarletwork, where the emb
Early Spanish blackwork: Borgoña's Lady with Hare wears a chemise embroidered at the neckline and on the sleeves, c. 1505, Toledo.
Geometric scarletwork, Venice, 1520s.
Blackwork embroidery on both an outer and inner collar. Portrait of Simon George by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1535.
Bess of Hardwick in geometric scarletwork, 1550s.
Holbein stitch
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Holbein stitch is a simple, reversible line embroidery stitch most commonly used in Blackwork embroidery and Assisi embroidery. The stitch is named after Hans Holbein the Younger, a 16th-century portr
Blackwork
…off-white linen or cotton fabric. Sometimes metallic threads or coloured threads are used for accents. The stitches used for counted thread blackwork are double running or holbein stitch, backstitch, and sometimes stem stitch. Historically, blackwork was worked on plain-weave fabric. Modern embroiderers often use an even-weave fabric…
Cat in Holbein stitch and cross stitch
Modern chessboard in Holbein stitch
Collection of motifs in Holbein stitch and metal thread
Odo bayeux tapestry detail