Museum Collection Project: A Jacobean Gem

Traditional crewel embroidery by Owen Davies

What you need

Linen twill 50 x 50 cm
Chenille needles (sizes 18 and 24)
Appletons crewel wool:
- Mid Blue shades: 152, 153, 154, 155, 156
- Flame Red shades: 202, 203, 204, 205, 206
- Peacock Blue shades: 642, 643, 644, 645, 646
- Honeysuckle shades: 692, 693, 694, 695

Preparation

Download the design and copy it onto your fabric. Mount the fabric into an embroidery frame

What you do

Work each area of the design in alphabetical order. Each lettered area is also divided into numbered sections, which should be worked in numerical order.

The design is stitched with 2 strands of Appletons Crewel Wool throughout.

Rules for Jacobean work

Always work the 'furthest' (back) part of the design first, because if the top areas are worked first, it is more difficult to fill in the areas below. In this design the main stem is the furthest part as many of the leaves and stems overlap it.
Work with threads no longer than 25 cm: longer threads will wear thin as you stitch.
To finish a thread, bring the thread up to the surface of the fabric in front of the area being worked and leave the thread hanging. Begin a new thread as explained above and when the new stitching reaches the old thread, cut off the loose thread.
Never leave loose threads hanging at the back of the work, as this may become tangled and messy. Bring threads up to the surface, even if they are to be used later in the project.

Size of stitched area: 240 x 315 mm approx.

Click for closer view (85K)

Stitching

Linen twill is available from:

The Crewelwork Company
Pembroke House
Appleby in Westmorland
Cumbria CA16 6TS
tel: 017683 53683
www.crewelwork.com

Appletons Crewel Wool is available from many needlework shops, including:

The Voirrey Embroidery Centre
Brimstage Hall
Brimstage
Wirral
CH63 6JA
tel: 0151 342 3514

They also offer a mail order service (contact them for details).