| ANNE WANNER'S Textiles in History / Vocabulary Project |
 |
The second edition
of the Vocabulary Project is published available at Textilmuseum St.Gallen CHF 33 + postage information about sales conditions http://www.textilmuseum.ch/ Stickstiche Embroidery Stitches Points de broderie Punti di ricamo ...........................Anne Wanner-JeanRichard ...........................St.Gallen 2014 |
| The 4
booklets of the first edition are now unified to 1 book
of 100 pages, a description of Cross Stitch in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland is added, in the annex there is a list of illustrations and the index of embroidery stitches in 4 languages together with keywords and captions also in 4 languages. Finally a selected bibliography is also published.
|
 |
 |
 Detail photos of historic embroideries of the Iklé collection, St.Gallen, Switzerland. |
 |
The project of a glossary
of embroidery stitches arose among the members
of the „Embroidery Group“, one of the
specialized groups under the banner of the CIETA (Centre
International d’Etude des Textiles Anciens, based in
Lyon). |
Book
of 100 pages, in 4 languages (German, English,
French and Italian) Many samplers and diagrams of embroidery stitches in colour. Detail photos of historic embroideries of the Iklé collection, St.Gallen. Author: Anne Wanner-JeanRichard, Rheinfelden. Diagrams: Margarete Müller-Schulten. Layout, photos, scans, embroidered stitches: Anne Wanner-JeanRichard. Translation: Elizabeth Fischer (English and French), Thessy Schoenholzer (Italian). Consulting: Ute Bargmann (Conway, MA, USA), Mary Schoefer (Lyon, F), Uta-Christiane Bergemann (Bochum, D), Marianne Flügel (Köln, D). Editor: Textilmuseum St.Gallen, Schweiz. © Textilmuseum St.Gallen, Anne Wanner-JeanRichard. ISBN 978-3-033-04016-8 Photonachweis Textilmuseum St.Gallen Cover: Büro Sequenz, St.Gallen, Jürg Waidelich, Druck: Firmengruppe APPL, Wemding, www.appl-shop.de 2nd edition 2014 |
| Acknowledgements My gratitude goes to the Iklé-Frischknecht Foundation for its financial support of the project. The textile examples from the Iklé-Jacoby collection were made available thanks to Michaela Reichel, director of the St. Gallen Textile Museum, Ursula Karbacher, curator and Janina Hauser, textile conservator. I am indebted to my husband Rene Wanner for expert advice and technical assistance on digital presentation. Thanks are also due to all CIETA colleagues who encouraged this endeavour through our many discussions during conferences and meetings. |
| Examples of Stitches and Samples |
Examples of Running Stitches |
Running
Stitch |
front |
reverse |
Back Stitch |
front |
reverse |
Stem Stitch |
front |
reverse |
| Examples
of Flat Stitches |
Satin Stitch |
front |
reverse |
Surface Satin
Stitch |
front |
reverse |
Self Couching |
front |
reverse |
| Examples
of Looped Stitches |
Buttonhole
Stitch, Blanket Stitch  |
front  |
reverse  |
Chain Stitch |
front |
reverse |
Feather
Stitch |
front |
reverse |
| Examples
of Cross Stitches |
Cross Stitch |
front |
reverse |
Cross Stitch |
front |
reverse |
Herringbone
Stitch |
front |
reverse |
Herringbone
Stitch Laced |
front |
reverse |
| Examples of Historic Embroideries |
| Linen
Embroidery in Switzerland |
Some 400
pieces of embroidery made in this technique are preserved
in Swiss and foreign collections. It flourished mainly at
the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century.
Thanks to the coats of arms embroidered on them, they can
be attributed to the German parts of Switzerland. No
French or Italian emblem or inscription is to be found
among them. Most probably, but this remains to be proven,
the main linen production centres also became the main
centres of this handicraft. Such was the case of Sankt
Gallen and the region of Lake Konstanz. The regions
bordering Northern Switzerland – Alsace, the Black
Forest and Southern Germany – are to be included in
this area of distribution. One of the finest particularities of these embroideries produced between the 15th and the 17th century lies in the vitality and freshness of their narrative evocations, be it on the tablecloths and seat covers for domestic daily |
use or on the
altar cloth linens. Christian themes dominate, both in biblical scenes or symbolic representations. The materials used and the embroidery techniques are consistant in the group: the ground fabric is linen, in some cases a linen warp with cotton weft. The fabric doesn’t merely serve as the ground, but always remains visible, without challenging the dominating white embroidery thread. Sometimes brown and blue embroidery threads would also be used, and in certain cases coloured silk threads, as well as metallic or wool threads. The reasons for the decline of whitework embroidery during the 17th and 18th century are not known: was it due to the Thirty Years’ War, which brought devastation mostly to Germany? Or must it be attributed to changes in the arrangement of domestic interiors and the evolution of costume? At any rate, lace-work henceforward captured popular favour. |
|
 |
Detail of Annunciation of the Virgin, 1585, |
Detail of Annunciation of the Virgin, 1585, |
| "Stumpwork" - English relief embroidery | In England,
after the Reformation, embroidery was often seen as a
sign of devotion in women. For the Puritan mind, a
schoolgirl’s sampler symbolised her virtue and
piety. The padded embroidery techniques, which were
traditionally taught to young girls as early as 1630 and
up to the end of the 17th century, seem to have been
particular favourites. The scenes illustrated were taken
from the Old Testament and classical mythology, such as
Adam and Eve, the sacrifice of Isaac, the judgement of
Paris or Ovid’s metamorphoses. Depictions of King
Charles the First and his wife Queen Henrietta Maria were
very popular, as they were a way for the embroiderer to
represent herself and her beloved. These minutely stitched pieces of handiwork have come down to us as pictures, frames, book covers and motifs embossing jewellery boxes or beauty cases. They are stuffed with cotton, flax, tow or wood chips. Hands and faces are sometimes modelled out of |
wax and bone.
The embroideries are also decorated with pearls, gold
thread, bits of glass, or even real hair, and may include
crocheted or knitted pieces. The scenes and characters
are lovingly set in lavish bowers filled with exotic
flowers and surrounded by playful pets and wild animals. The name „Stumpwork“ was given to this style of embroidery in the 19th century. Its origin is unclear and subject to various interpretations. Maybe it refers to the meaning of “clumsy“ that the term “stump” implies. After all, in 1913, this technique was disparaged as a hideous travesty of relief sculpture. Today, these works strike us by their unique naiveté, charm and sincerity. They seem to still echo the hopes and dreams about love and life, harboured by the young girls who worked on them with such skill and patience. (Text by Ursula Karbacher, Curator Textilmuseum St.Gallen) |
 |
 |
Detail of stumpwork embroidery, England, middle of 17th c., St. Gallen Textilmuseum Inv. 32235 |
Detail of stumpwork embroidery, England, middle of 17th c., St. Gallen Textilmuseum Inv. 32235 |
| home | Last revised June, 2014 |
