Embroidery Inspiration – Violet and Violets

It’s springtime, the lilacs and pansies are in full bloom, and the only thing I’m missing is a patch of delicate wild violets. They’re one of my favorite springtime flowers, and sadly, I have none in my current yard. Obviously, I need to fix that!

In the meantime, let’s take a look at all manner of items featuring all members of the viola family, as well as the color violet.

I have to start with this absolutely stunning open gown from the DAR. The purple silk is striking, and the floral embroidery is one of the relatively rare examples of 18th c. polychrome embroidery on a woman’s gown.

We get a double dose of violets with this men’s court suit. Not only is it made from a beautiful purple velvet, the waistcoat and coat both feature embroidered pansies. The Met. 

Delicate pansies and other flowers are worked in tambour embroidery on this sheer muslin panel.  There are some beautiful close ups of the embroidery work on the Maria Niforos page. While this section looks like it could be an apron, it’s an exact match to a longer panel at the Cooper-Hewitt. 

This waistcoat features sweet blue and purple violets along the front edge, along with a variety of other colorful flowers. Manchester Art Gallery. 

This Regency reticule is a lovely shade of violet, with a different design on each side. The subtle cream silk and gold spangles create a striking design. LACMA.

LACMA M.2007.211.253

These exquisite French pumps are a vivid blue-violet achieved with the new aniline dyes of the Victorian era. They are further adorned with embroidery, goldwork, fringe, and fancy braid. The Met. 

This 18th c. silk satin bergère hat showcases a delightful assortment of ribbon and polychrome silk flowers. The multi-colored pansies at the front are especially sweet. MFA

And last but not least, this fancy table mat from the 1950s, with pansies of all colors – including a quite unusual red! Cooper-Hewitt.

I have even more examples of monogrammed items to share this week on Facebook! I’ve also pinned all these and more over on Pinterest.

What do you think about violets? What item would you want to use them on? Let me know in the comments.

Did you miss last week’s Embroidery Inspiration? Check out my overview of 18th century embroidery here.

Resources:

• A surprising number of antique linens*, vintage ribbonwork*, and handkerchiefs* embroidered with violets have survived and are for sale on Etsy.
• You can find a wide assortment of cross stitch, fonts, alphabets, 3-D bouquets, and other machine embroidery designs.
• Trish Burr has a number of FREE hand embroidery designs on her website.

Books:

• • Jane Nicholas’ book about Shakespeare’s Flowers* showcases beautiful stumpwork violets and pansies, among other lovely examples.
  • Stumpwork Flowers*
  • The Art of the Monogram*
  • Treasury of Floral Designs and Initials*
  • A-Z of Embroidered Flowers*
  • Trish Burr has several books with violets or pansies among the designs: Redoute’s Finest Flowers in Embroidery* , Miniature Needle Painting Embroidery*, and  Needle Painting Embroidery: Fresh Ideas for Beginners*.

*Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you choose to make a purchase. These are marked with an * after the product name. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers, and I do not recommend products solely to get a commission.