Introduction

Greetings fellow Drachenwald embroiderers. I am Lady Lia de Thornegge, normally residing in the shire of Aros in Nordmark. Racaire enjoined us to introduce ourselves and our favourite stitch, so I am here to say I love counted blackwork embroidery using Holbein stitch making the entire thing reversible.

This stitch is worked using silk thread on even weave linen in geometric patterns. There are loads to be found on the 'net and more to be found in books, Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd by Janet Arnold, being one of the latter. As that title suggests this is a stitch most famous in the Elizabethan era, where it creates a striking pattern with black on white for very little effort. I've made a few items of clothing incorporating blackwork embroidery and they can be seen on my webpage, along with a couple of other items: http://www.geocities.com/lia_de_thornegge/embroidery.html

I am currently working on a set of collar and cuffs that is due to go on a shirt of this period (mid to late 16th Century). I am not keeping it for myself, rather it is a little encouragement gift for a lady living in the middle of nowhere (as far as the SCA is concerned) whom I would like to see in late period clothing. I am crafty that way.