I turn my attention to counted thread embroidery in these latter days of the year.
Sometimes we need an intense challenge, but the holidays have their own challenges. We don't need more. But neither do we want boredom. Rather, our souls seek a comfortable balance. Winter, in general, can be stressful with bone-chilling weather, and light deprivation.
Blackwork, also known as Holbein embroidery, after the 17th-century portrait artist in the court of Henry VIII is a favorite of mine. Others are pulled thread embroidery and Hardanger. Almost any embroidery stitch can be worked over a set number of threads.
From the book Blackwork & Holbein Embroidery, book 2, by Ilse Alrherr (self-published), this pattern has been modified. The book is out-of-print. Attempts to contact the author for permission to reproduce part of her pattern were fruitless. The modification makes the border narrower and required a re-design of the corner motif to compensate for the change.
In my long life, I have observed that trends in the fiber arts market turn to the predictability of counted thread work when the social climate and world politics are uncertain and unstable. The year 2022, coming hard on the Covid 19 pandemic and disputed political outcomes have been unsettled with little to suggest an impending change.
I have worked on several of the patterns in my books by Altherr, and consider her a master of historical hand embroidery. I took a class from her in the 1980s in Mobile, Alabama through the local Embroiderers' Guild. I chose this pattern for a specific piece of fabric that I wanted to use as a table centerpiece and worked it in ecru pearl cotton on Hardanger cloth.
