Artisan Works Embroidery Tutorials

Blackwork Embroidery Patterns – New Transcriptions

I have transcribed two more Elizabethan freehand blackwork embroidery patterns, both from extant smocks in the Victoria and Albert Museum collections.  I was very excited to find the museum listing for the lattice pattern.  I have admired the embroidery design on Pinterest for years, but the link was no longer any good and I had failed to find it on several attempts in the past.  I found it the other day when looking for something else in their collections, and I couldn’t have been happier about it.  I finally had confirmation that the embroidery was indeed an extant piece, rather than a modern created piece in the Elizabethan style.

One other thing that was neat to find out upon inspection of a higher resolution image, is that the latice pattern embroidery is the only example of double-running stitch I have seen used on freehand blackwork (or redwork) embroidery in period.

I am providing all of these designs for personal use, free of charge.  They are also available for non-profit educational use, provided I, Sidney Eileen, am given credit for the transcriptions.  If you do make something using or inspired one of my designs or transcriptions, I would love to see your creation.  Please share it here, on my facebook page, or tag me in a tweet (@Sidney_Eileen), instagram (@sidney_eileen), or facebook post (@bySidneyEileen).  It’s the amazing things all of you do that inspire me to provide resources like this one.

These patterns and any others I have posted can also be found all in one place on the page, Freehand Blackwork Embroidery Patterns.

Freehand blackwork embroidery pattern, transcribed by Sidney Eileen, from an extant Elizabethan smock.
Freehand blackwork embroidery pattern, transcribed by Sidney Eileen, from an extant Elizabethan smock.
Scarletwork Embroidery on an Elizabethan Smock (detail) - From the Victoria and Albert Museum, Made in England, Great Britain (made), 1560 - 1580, Linen fabric, linen thread, embroidered with red silk thread
From the Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum: Made in England, Great Britain (made),
1560 – 1580, Linen fabric, linen thread, embroidered with red silk thread; hand-woven, hand-embroidered, hand-sewn.
Freehand blackwork embroidery pattern, transcribed by Sidney Eileen, from an extant Elizabethan smock. The design is repeated enough times to include variations of the figures found on both the front of the smock and the sleeve.
Freehand blackwork embroidery pattern, transcribed by Sidney Eileen, from an extant Elizabethan smock. The design is repeated enough times to include variations of the figures found on both the front of the smock and the sleeve.
Scarletwork Embroidered Smock (detail - sleeve and front) - From the collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Made in England, Great Britain, 1615 - 1630, Linen fabric, linen thread, silk thread embroidery
Scarletwork Embroidered Smock (detail – sleeve and front), from the collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.