This was my very first project entered in an Arts and Science Competition.
Blackwork, often called Spanish Work, is a form of embroidery typical of Spain, as well as England. Although a form of Blackwork was known in England prior to the arrival of Katherine of Aragon in 1501, Katherine spent much of her childhood in Granada. Katherine is responsible for encouraging its use in England. Blackwork is stitched on even-weave linen with black silk thread in a Double Running or Holbein Stitch. Occasionally couching or stitching in red was added to provide spice. Some pieces were even done entirely in red. Blackwork was in much demand to enliven the clothing and accessories of both the Spanish and the English.
The Moors, who dominated Spain for many centuries, influenced Spain in many areas, scientific as well as artistic. Their influence was felt even after the completion of the Spanish Reconquest by the expulsion of the Moors from Granada, the last Moorish bastion, in 1492. Blackwork patterns generally take two forms: a scrolling pattern or a geometric pattern. Patterns were quite commonly derived from wood-cuts, paintings, engravings, and architectural motifs. Blackwork itself is of three different types: reversible with the same pattern on both sides, reversible with a different pattern on each side, and lined work covering the back.
The geometric patterns were a result of Moorish love of symmetry. It is not uncommon for Spanish-Moresque motifs found in architectural design to influence the textile arts. According to Mary Eirwen Jones in A History of Western Embroidery, “The skills of their architectural work is evidenced in such buildings as the Alhambra. Their delight in decorative textiles was strong and their influence exceeded those regions over which they held political power.” (122)
The pattern for this piece is based on a tile setting found in the Alhambra, a Moorish palace located in Granada. The diamonds are an addition to provide additional visual interest. Per tradition, the stitching is a Double Running Stitch in black silk thread on linen. I added the couching in Japan gold to dress up the simple tile pattern. Red thread is used to secure the goldwork because the contrasting color added a spark that would have been missing had the securing thread been black.
Drysdale, Rosemary. The Art of Blackwork Embroidery. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1975. 10-15.
Gostelow, Mary. A World of Embroidery . New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1975. 248-253, 332-335.
Geddes, Elisabeth and McNeill. Blackwork Embroidery . New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1976. 13-46.
Herbert, Tony and Huggins, Kathy. The Decorative Tile in Architecture and Interiors. Hong Kong: Phaidon Press Limited, 1995. Page 24.
Jones, Mary Eirwen. A History of Western Embroidery. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1969. 32-33, 36-37, and 122-125.
Snook, Barbara. The Creative Art of Embroidery. London: Hamlyn Publish Group Limited, 1972. 15-17.
Ugarte, Francisco. España y su civilización, cuarta edición. Rev. Michael Ugarte and Kathleen McNerney. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1992
(Copyright 1999, Katherine Estep Stephenson)