Beginner's Guide, Introduction to Blackwork Embroidery

Lolaness wrote an article earlier this year called "How to Get Started Creating Cutwork Embroidery", and I thought I would branch out one part of her article to talk to you about another of my favorite needleart hobbies, blackwork.

Blackwork is embroidery traditionally done on white or off-white evenweave fabric with black thread. Though nowadays blackwork is done in any color with any color background, if you are looking to make something that may pass for authentic, your color choices are limited. The fabric was typically linen and the threads were silk.

Blackwork gets its name from the color of the thread, much like whitework does. When black wasn't used, sometimes people used red silk threads, leading to them calling it Scarletwork.

Blackwork dates back to at least the 14th century, though it is unknown exactly how or where it originated. It is speculated that similar types of embroidery were done for hundreds of years beforehand, and though it is difficult to tell when or where it originated or traveled from, it appears to have made its way up through Spain, which is where much of the record begins. It did, at some point, influence Spanish needlework.

By the 16th century, needlework was no longer done mostly for the church and it was starting to make its way into the secular population, where persons who were not nobility were prevented by law from wearing "excessive" clothing. Blackwork was a cheaper alternative to lace and could be worn by persons besides nobility.

As for blackwork, the patterns vary from small, easy pieces with windows where the beautiful, geometric patterns are done, to large pieces of fabric or articles of clothing with scrolling, geometric designs. Traditionally, all blackwork designs used horizontal and vertical stitches, no diagonals, but there are many beautiful pieces that have utilized the diagonal stitches.

Blackwork is easier than it looks. Very few types of stitches are employed to create the beautiful and varied designs that make up a blackwork piece. However, one of the things that makes blackwork stand out is that it looks the same on the back of the piece as it does on the front. This is due to the types of stitches that are used.

Oddly, the invention of the printing press provided the next boost to blackwork embroidery. Pictures, done with black lines on white paper, could easily be transferred onto fabric and used in blackwork. It fell out of favor after the 7th century, but during the 19th and 20th centuries, it was back and had changed yet again. More elaborate patterns and a liking for pictures of scenery expanded the boundaries of blackwork, and the revival in the 1930's and 40's is where the different thread colors, as well as even more types of designs, came into play.

The most common stitches used in blackwork are: double running stitch, also called the spanish stitch, the holbein stitch, or the line stitch, stem stitch, back stitch, split stitch, bosnia stitch, and others like the double cross and the algerian eye. These are just the common stitches used, there are others that have been used for blackwork.

If you would like to get started with blackwork, you'll need patterns or a book. There are many free patterns available online. You will also need an even weave fabric where you can easily count the threads that you have to cross over, and floss or embroidery thread. You can use embroidery floss available at any craft store.

The even weave fabric, if you're using stitching fabric, is typically anywhere from 18 count to 22 count (that's threads per inch), and there are many fabrics available in these common sizes.

If you want to stitch on another type of fabric, you can use waste canvas.

Blackwork designs are easy enough that you can start making your own patterns once you get the hang of how the patterns work and how they will look when completed on fabric.

I hope that you consider taking up some type of embroidery, particularly with Winter right around the corner. If you decide to get into blackwork, I do recommend it. Check some of my other articles (previous and upcoming) for other types of needlework you may enjoy. I myself do quite a bit of hardanger. Embroidery of any type is a wonderful hobby not just for chilly weather, but for any time of year.