NEEDLEWORK REVIVAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21799, 14 May 1934, Page 3

NEEDLEWORK REVIVAL

APPEAL OF EMBROIDERY

England taught Europe the art of mediaeval needlecraft, continued in embroidery, and the tradition of the days of the Tudors, Stuarts, and Georgians is becoming highly developed in the present renaissance of fine needlework and embroideries which is making such a powerful appeal to all classes of women to-day, states a London writer. As far back as the 13th century marvellous embroideries were created, and women worked the most elaborate designs with silks, wools, yarn and dyed threads. Embroideries in coloured silks on linen were used as borders for panels of embossed Florentine velvets. There were backgrounds of diapered gold sprinkled with delicately coloured flowers. Raised bullion work, gold and silver threads, bestowed an additional richness on many beautiful pieces of work still extant. Much of the most expert needlecraft of the early centuries was expended on ornamental panels, copes and altar frontals for the churches, and from these magnificent ecclesiastical foundations tapestries and hand-embroideries came into the home furnishing schemes of later years as wall hangings, pillow and cushion covers. Modern women take their embroidery seriously. Old examples are studied for the sake of their beauty of design and colouring. Expert advice is sought and lessons are studiously taken whenever new types of embroidery are under consideration. Manufacturers are meeting the demand for historic and traditional designs and colourings in preparing canvases, linens and dyed yarns, silks, wools and embroidery cottons for working the designs. Whatever the chosen period it is possible to copy exactly any and every variety of tapestry and other decorative needlework to suit the taste of the fashionable embroiderer who delights in working chair covers, cushion covers and many other furnishing pieces. Petit point or tent stitch is certainly among the most popular forms of embroidery at the present time. One reason for this is the fact that the work is of real value from the artistic and the monetary point of view when finished. Such things are costly to buy. And they are personal creations in embroidery that the worker is proud to have achieved and the possessor is delighted to own. Apart from tapestries and silken embroideries, there are hosts of simply worked stitches which can be used for household linens. Punch work is most effective. Darning on filet net is fascinating. Cross stitch on canvas on the lines of the Old English samplers is a charming form of embroidery which lends itself well to modernist colouring and design. This stitch can also be very quickly worked in a tapestry cftect.