Jacobean Embroidery at the V&A with Lynne Hulse and Nicola Jarman

Brilliant class for embroiders wanting a historical basis from which to work.

Elizabethan work runs from 1558 -1603.  Jacobean work runs 1603-1625.  The Reformation took place from 1530s.  The Protestant church no longer required ornate embroidered vestments, so skilled embroiders needed other work, so shifted to the domestic sphere.  Aristocracy and middle classes took on embroidered clothes as a reflection of their position in society.

Elizabeth I blackwork smock

Embroidered clothing falls from favour after Charles I.  He favoured lavish silks - privileged the textile, not the work upon it.  (So does this link with the Hugenots weaving silks?)

Objects wear out.  But are seen in paintings - view this with scepticism - they are not a fashion journal of their time.  Shows wealth, and may indicate wealth from previous generations.

In 1600s, linen showed wealth.  They had embroidered cuffs and necklines.  Shifts were worn close to skin and would be washed.  Little else was.

1620 Embroidered jackets very popular.  Worn for show.  Nightcaps and coifs very popular.  Informal wear or during illness.

Embroidery was the only work a genteel woman could do in public, or with friends/while entertaining.  No embroidery manuals - done via oral tradition.  Middle class girls went to boarding school - made samplers.

Lawn - from Lyon. Very fine. French
Cambric - from Cambrai.  Fine. French
Holland linen - from Holland.  Coarser.

Best silks were from Southern Europe.  English silk did not hold its colour, especially black.  Spanish silk was much better quality, better mordants, twice the price.

Twisted Sisters are silk skeins. Floss is not twisted.  Silk is S or Z twist.  Catches light differently.

Where embroidered objects have no thread, the iron mordant has destroyed the threads.

Terms have changed.  In the 17th century, needlework was what we now call canvas work.  Embroidery was what was done on luxurious fabric.  Jacqui Carey notes stitch names change.  Mary Thomas who wrote an early 20th Century book, gave an interpretation which named stitches for that era.  They are not necessarily correct, or worked in an authentic way.

16th century embroidery stitch fashions moved away from geometrics, moved to speckling.  Taken from engraving, thus emulate their marks.

End 17th century, emblems come into vogue.  Mythological creatures eg wyvern.

One of the great things about this class, was that we benefitted from Lynn Hulse's knowledge of what is in the V&A archive.  She had selected about 10 items from the archive - incredibly delicate and fragile - rarely accessed. Amazing opportunity.

Blackwork shift. Black silk on linen.
Probably Spanish silk thread - still incredibly black, no degradation of thread.

Square neckline.  Edged with black lace.

Even the underarm gusset was embroidered

Showing the reverse side of work.  Very densely patterned with dense stitching.

Cuff with black lace edging.  

Lynn made no mention of symbolism of imagery.  I think I could see thistles, and maybe peas.  But not confidently enough to make definitive identification.

Linen shift

Not all blackwork was black. This is a red that has discoloured.

Pattern was stamped on.  This pattern 16 different motifs in a 4 x 4 grid.
Underarm gusset was not embroidered

Cuff

Embroidered hood.  Rinceau scrolling

Expensive lace edging.  

Inserted V panel to enable hood to sit well over shoulders.
Insert is virtually invisible, and is embroidered over.

Some stitching has rotted away.
I wonder whether it is where it has been handled to hold it under the chin,  that has  rotted the thread?

This was my favourite headpiece.
Unfortunately displayed the wrong way up, because the  buttonholed loops are for a cord to draw it in around the neck.

Many different plant - pear, pea, carnation.
Raised chain band in metal thread.

Inside of hood

Different hood.  More metal threads.  Shows gathers at top of head.
Hair would be grown long, then worn in a bun or coil under the hood.

With lace edging.
This was the most expensive hood shown, because of the amount of metal thread, and lace edging..

Black thread has rotted away. But stitch holes can still be seen

Much of the black silk has rotted.
English silk, dyed with iron mordant, which has deteriorated.

Head cloth, worn under hood.

Unusual motifs, and stitched with spun black and white threads, giving the effect of grey shading

I found these unworked patterns to be the most interesting  items displayed.
Embroidery patterns were printed on the precious linen. 

Water damage can be seen.  The pattern is a tree of life, with various plants and flowers.  

I wonder whether the pattern is symbolising Charles I and II
as it has several caterpillars, and a pair of butterflies
positioned where a clasp might be appropriate,

I just love the way the design fits the shape.  I'd love these bodice panel shapes as wall panels.  Much more interesting than designs that fit a square frame.

I wonder whether these panels were not worked because they were placed too close together.
No seam allowance to allow them to be cut and stitched.

In the afternoon, we started the Tree of Life kits. We had exquisite hand woven linen, 130 threads to the inch.  Roisin, the weaver, came in to see us. Only using 2/3 techniques, and 2 threads.  Back stitch, Holbein stitch, seeding; and fine and very fine black silk.  I learned a new way to start a thread.  Two tight back stitches half an inch along a line with an off-knot, then take thread back to beginning and work along, and over, these stitches, then snip off the off-knot.  Likewise to finish off.  No weaving/oversewing on the back.  Back stitches to be c1.5mm long!!  and reduce it when going around a tight curve!  I think I managed about 3" of stitch that afternoon!

The following day, I worked around a flower, then we started infilling with seeding, in 2 grades of thread.  I think I overworked mine a bit, but there's plenty more space to refine it.  I might go back and selectively increase the density of the stitching to define the moulding.  There are lots of tiny insects - endemic to the era.  So I stitched a spider and a flea.  Other class members picked out the bed bugs, ticks and caterpillar.  The butterfly is apparent again - I'm sure these are symbolic of Charles I and II, so are Royalist motifs.  Lynn had some silver metal thread for purchase - dates from 1920s, from a convent that was closing.  I had 4 lengths.  Maybe some couching?  Maybe along the lengths of the tree of life?  Or circular couching on the flower centres?

Lynn Hulse is a great person for my network.  She is really hot on historical techniques and academically robust.  Coincidentally, I'd booked a class at The School of Textiles in Coggeshall in April,  and lo and behold, Lynn and Nicola are running this too!  There is a choice of techniques here, and I think I'd like to do metal thread embroidery rather than colour shading.  Lynn had some good advice for picking threads, and recommended Au Ver de Soie, 7 strand, splittable silks.