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Overview of Historical Embroidery Styles, Part 5

In the last post, I left off with the invention of machine embroidery during the Industrial Revolution. By the mid-1800s, there were advancements in practically every area of textile production – printing, weaving, knitting, dyeing, lacemaking – as well as the invention of the sewing machine. New textiles were becoming available to more people at
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Overview of Historical Embroidery Styles, Part 4

Today I’m taking a look at the embroidery of the early 1800s. Not much changes in the first few years, with 18th century embroidery styles still very popular. I left off with Whitework, and so that’s where I pick back up. Whitework As we move into the Regency era, the use and variety of Whitework
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Overview of Historical Embroidery Styles, Part 3

This week, we continue our embroidery journey into the 1700s. Embroidery returns to clothing in full force after a bit of a lull in the previous decades. Embroidery thrived in the 18th century and embellished both men and women’s clothing, including coats, waistcoats, gowns, petticoats, stomachers, and accessories. Jacobean-Inspired Designs When the use of embroidery
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Overview of Historical Embroidery Styles, Part 2

The next stop on our overview of historic embroidery styles is the 17th century. This is a particularly fascinating era for me as a historical costumer, since there are times when embroidery is lavishly used on clothing, and other points where it seems not to be used at all. Blackwork At the end of the
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Overview of Historical Embroidery Styles, Part 1

Historical clothing is rich with examples of beautiful embroidery designs. Almost every era has distinct styles and techniques that set it apart. If I were to ask you about 18th century embroidery, an elaborately embroidered court suit might come to mind fairly quickly. However, what if I asked about the 1600s or the 1850s? Over
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Ribbon Embroidery Book Reviews

Ribbon embroidery is a beautiful way to add softness and dimension to your projects. My online class focuses on techniques and patterns found in period examples. If you’re looking for additional inspiration, here are book reviews of the titles I keep on my own bookshelf. A-Z of Ribbon Embroidery Published 2016 I love the A-Z
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Embroidery Inspiration | Shamrocks and Clovers. Baby wrapper embroidered with tiny shamrocks.

Embroidery Inspiration – Shamrocks & Clovers

Everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, so today I’m sharing some shamrock and clover embroidery inspiration. One of my favorites is this gown in Dior’s Spring/Summer 1953 collection. It’s a riot of greenery and clovers accented with bright pink-purple berries (or maybe clover blossoms?). Met C.I.60.21.1a, b. Another fun example is
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18th. c Passementerie fly fringe class supplies

Costuming and Chaos

The world is a pretty overwhelming place right now. Here in Washington, all the schools in 3 counties just closed for 6 weeks. The grocery store is absolute chaos. Life as we know it is suddenly suspended. For my own sanity, I want to escape into a world of pretty dresses and tea parties. To
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A Visit to Atlanta

Earlier this month I had the great pleasure of teaching my first classes of the year in Atlanta, Georgia. As always, the students make teaching in person a lot of fun, and it was great to meet some students that I already knew from online classes. This time I offered two classes: an 18th century
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Embroidery Inspiration – Ribbonwork

Ribbon embroidery and ribbon work reached a height of popularity in the 1920s, although it’s actually been around for some time. The three-dimensional texture of these designs is unmistakable, and working with ribbon instead of thread means designs can be completed comparatively quickly. You’ll see it on everything from designer evening gowns to delicate lingerie,
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