piecework_vol_xxx_2_

Embe lish Knitted Beads From Victorian Wavy Braid to Colorful Cast On a Porcupine Quills Lacy Shawl Clever Summer 2022 Cocoon Tassels a Luxury from Laos

Your trusted SILK experts and HAND-DYEING SPECIALISTS since 1977 65 Roses® Colors—10% of sales is donated to Silk Ribbons in120 colors, hand-dyed in Colorado Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Lace-weight Silk-Blend Yarns* and 100% Silk Yarns available in more than 150 colors, hand-dyed in Colorado *Evelyn Clark Designs “Icelandic Modern Lace Shawl” knitted by Diane de Souza www.treenwaysilks.com • Call toll-free 1.888.383.silk (7455) Lakewood, CO • USA

www.lisaknit.com Use your hands, for peace.

GET EVERY ISSUE! Handwoven, Spin O , PieceWork, and Easy Weaving with Little Looms PLUS 100+ crafting videos for as little as $15 per month. MIGHTY MAGNET: Try This Supported Spindle Aid NEW ADDITION! Translate Card-Weaving Patterns into 4-Shaft Drafts p. 2 the art & craft of spinning yarn FALL 2021 PieceWork Library Septemb AS Yccoeus’slol rLieosve featuring unlimited access to Weldon’s Practical Needlework FiPnoeirntsFocus on the INNING FOR PIN LOOMS NØSTEPINNE HAND GINNING COTTON ojects with Dazzling Details 2WwEayAsVtoE Lost In Search of FwIitNh tIiSpsHfroSmTTRomONG OF p. 16 SPINOFFMAGAZINE COM ON THE Spin + Weave a TWSGhoteumoirareTtnyerSCumttilhtoacthlhainnsg Pin-Loom Scarf Nøstepinne Wind 3 Ways Revive Victorian STticakrint gSWtiotrckhing! Get 4NEW ADDITION! Utopian Ideals & Print Issues KMnilitlwao1r9ktehr’-sCSehntauwrly a Year! Video Easy Weaving with Little Workshops Looms will be published quarterly and included in the Long Thread Media All Access Pass. on pin-loo , tablet, and i i -heddle weavi uded KOrneittninbguGrogssaKmneirtWtienbgs Galina Khmeleva presented by Subscribe today at longthreadmedia.com

Waverly Wool Brown Sheep Company, Inc. Needlepoint Yarn MITCHELL, NEBRASKA Each color comes in either a small 8-yard hank or a large 4-ounce skein. Perfect for needlepoint, tapestry weaving, and more! www.brownsheep.com

Notions Spiraalikoriste (spiral decoration), Suomi (Finland), 800–1050 CE (KM18000:2035). Wool, spiral decoration. For the love of haberdashery Courtesy of Finnish Heritage Agency On a perfect day in what seems a lifetime materials and form them into fabulous cloth. Dr. ago, I was making my way through a gallery Annamarie Hatcher discusses the use of porcupine at the National Museum of Finland in quills in Indigenous Mi’kmaq textiles, Karin J. Helsinki, peering into one display case brimming Bohleke shows us a few marvelous examples of with ancient wonders after another. A small group wavy-braid trims (rickrack!), Natalie Dupuis gives of tiny bronze coils and a modern re-creation us the second installment in her series on goldwork showing shiny new coils stitched in patterns onto couching, and Linda Ligon explores the silkworm cloth kept me rooted in place long enough that a cocoons turned tassel trimming by industrious docent stopped to ask if I was OK. Laotian weavers. I hope this issue inspires you to explore Seeing an Iron Age example of mixed materials— embellishment this summer! bronze and handspun wool—up close had shifted my perspective on the very human relationship with Kate Larson embellishment as nothing ever had. The desire to Editor beautify, to develop the skills needed to embellish our bodies and our homes, to gather materials of all sorts—be they ancient bronze coils or plastic beads— has been with us for a very long time. Of course it has. In this issue of PieceWork, I wanted to celebrate the ingenuity of makers who reach for disparate EDITORIAL ® PieceWork® (print ISSN 1067-2249; online ISSN 2377- EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Anne Merrow 7591) is published quarterly by Long Thread Media LLC, FOUNDERS Linda Ligon, Anne Merrow, John P. Bolton 1300 Riverside Ave, Ste 206, Fort Collins, CO 80524; phone EDITOR Kate Larson PUBLISHER John P. Bolton (888) 480-5464. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Collins, CO, ASSOCIATE EDITOR Debbie Blair and additional mailing offices. All contents of this issue of MANAGING EDITOR Laura Rintala DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Haydn Strauss PieceWork are copyrighted by Long Thread Media LLC, 2022. PROJECT EDITOR Angela K. Schneider DIRECTOR OF MEDIA SALES & BRAND PARTNERSHIPS Julie Macdonald All rights reserved. Projects and information are for inspiration EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Katrina King and personal use only. PieceWork does not recommend, TECHNICAL EDITORS Lori Gayle, Trish Faubion DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT & STRATEGY Tiffany Warble approve, or endorse any of the advertisers, products, services, COPY EDITOR Katie Bright, Deirdre Carter DIRECTOR OF EVENTS AND CUSTOMER SUCCESS Rachel Martin or views advertised in PieceWork. Nor does PieceWork evaluate the advertisers’ claims in any way. You should, PROOFREADER Lavon Peters CONTACT US therefore, use your own judgment in evaluating the CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Karen Brock, Nancy Bush, advertisers, products, services, and views advertised in Postmaster: Please send address changes to 1300 Riverside Ave, PieceWork. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited, Susan Strawn Ste 206, Fort Collins, CO 80524. except by permission of the publisher. Subscription rate is CREATIVE Subscribers: For subscription information, call (888) 480-5464, $29.99/one year in the U.S., $39.99/one year in Canada, and email [email protected], or visit pieceworkmagazine $49.99/one year in international countries (surface delivery). ART DIRECTOR Charlene Tiedemann .com. Please allow six weeks for processing address changes. U.S. funds only. PRODUCTION DESIGNER Mark Dobroth Shops: If you are interested in carrying this magazine in your store, email Michaela Kimbrough at [email protected]. Postmaster: Please send address changes to 1300 Riverside PHOTOGRAPHY Matt Graves Contact us: For questions about purchases made on the website, Ave., Ste 206, Fort Collins, CO 80524. ILLUSTRATIONS Ann Sabin Swanson call (888) 480-5464 or email [email protected]. For advertising information, call Julie Macdonald at (888) 480- 5464 ext. 705, or email [email protected]. For editorial inquiries, email [email protected]. VISIT US ON THE WEB longthreadmedia.com pieceworkmagazine.com 2 PIECEWORK PIECEWORKMAGAZINE.COM

Contents PIECEWORK | VOLUME XXX, NUMBER 2 | SUMMER 2022 48 34 From left: wavy braid in Karin J. Bohleke’s collection; and bodkin holders and bodkins in Dawn Cook Ronningen’s collection, silk ribbon by Treenway Silks. Photos by Matt Graves Embellished Needlework 6 Organic Embroidery: 34 The Indispensable Bodkin Departments Blanket Stitch and More Dawn Cook Ronningen 2 Notions Mirjam Gielen 40 A Sweet Bodkin Holder Letter from the Editor 10 Clever Cocoon Tassels: Dawn Cook Ronningen 4 By Post Silk from Laos Linda Ligon 44 Margaret Macdonald: Letters from Readers 14 The Humbly Magnificent The Other Mackintosh 39 Necessities Couching Stitch: of Glasgow Style Isabella Rossi Products of Interest Italian Shading Natalie Dupuis 48 Wavy-Braid Trim: 72 Bookmarks 18 Leaves and More Leaves Pretty and Practical Recommended Books Beaded Shawl Karin J. Bohleke On the cover: Carolyn Wyborny’s Leaves and Carolyn Wyborny 52 Crochet Edgings More Leaves Beaded Shawl page 18. with Wavy Braid Cover photo by Matt Graves 24 Staff Picks: Katrina King Don’t miss out! Yarn and Bead Pairings 56 Embroidery on Paper: Visit pieceworkmagazine.com for 25 Beaded and Bead Knitting: even more needlework content! From Ming to Modern Untangling a Knitted Embellishment Sydney Matrisciano Kate Larson 62 Torans: Auspicious Adornment 28 Colorful Porcupine Quills in Mi’kmaw Designs: Chitra Balasubramaniam Red, Yellow, and Blue from Nature 66 Lappet Weaving: Dr. Annamarie Hatcher A Brief History of a Complicated Fabric Susan J. Jerome SUMMER 2022 PIECEWORK 3

By Post Life in Miniature Please continue to include articles featuring miniature stitchery. I particularly enjoyed the one on Franklin Habit’s dollhouse and knitted bedspread (“Enid’s Miniature Counterpane,” PieceWork, Summer 2021). I make dollhouses and kits and tweak older dollhouses as a hobby. I maintain a large dollhouse in the Children’s Room of our public library, and another house will be loaned to a local memory-care facility. I often create the soft furnishings for my houses. A dear friend passed away, but I cherish the beautiful items she made and gave me to use in my houses: tiny needlepoint bargello pil- lows created on silk gauze and handmade sewing baskets full of amazing handcrafted items (think tiny splinter-size “needles” among the basket contents). Another friend in Holland creates amazing items in crochet. It makes me happy to occasionally see an article about miniature needlework in PieceWork. The skill (and eyesight) it takes to work real stitches is challenging. It is a quirky corner in needlework. Thank you for a magazine I read cover to cover. Gayle Cox Sneed Via email From Our Readers’ Hands An Heirloom Knit I followed the pattern for the Mehndi-Inspired Wedding Mitts to Knit that I found in the lace issue from May/June 2017. My daughter got married on October 13, 2021. She was married under the redwoods in Sonoma County and wore the mitts for everything but the ceremony. It’s not the first (or probably the last) pattern I will make from PieceWork, but it is probably the most sentimental. Looking back, I should have made them a little tighter, but I still have two more single daughters, so maybe wedding mitts will become a tradition. Lana McNamara Via email 4 PIECEWORK PIECEWORKMAGAZINE.COM

heers to a New Reader! veral months ago, a friend in the Embroiderers’ ild of America gave me some of her back issues of eceWork. I liked what I saw so much that I found e website and subscribed to the magazine right ay. Then the fall issue arrived, and I knew I was oked. I bought some pillow ticking, but our store ly had colored ticking at the time. It mattered t—I just couldn’t wait to get started! It seemed to to be a good way to practice various embroidery tches while using up leftover threads from kits and st projects. I promised myself that I would not buy anything e, just the ticking, so I used materials that were f cotton; that is what I used for the lining instead of the silk referenced in the pattern. I made the smaller of the two bags according to instructions in the article, but I made the larger of the two bags without encasing the entire bag with braid or piping. I just sewed the bag right sides together and then turned it right side out. Velcro instead of a button was my closure of choice. Victoria Jicha Via email Cover Inspiration I am a crochet and tatting teacher in South Orange, New Jersey, and I also run a vintage fabric and notions shop on Etsy (WhimsyStitchStudio), so it’s no surprise that I absolutely love the historical needle- work articles in PieceWork! Linda Perry’s bargello needle case project that was fea- tured on the cover of the Spring issue gave me an opportunity to visit a local needle- point shop and meet the nicest ladies who helped me pick out the appropriate threads (Silk & Ivory). So far, I think I’ve made ever possible mistake, but I’ve learned so much. I’ve definitely fallen in love with bargello, and I’m looking forward to making more! Meryl Hajek Via Instagram SUMMER 2022 PIECEWORK 5

Organic Embroidery Blanket Stitch and More MIRJAM GIELEN Images courtesy of Mirjam Gielen 6 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

We are delighted to share this excerpt from Mirjam About the Artist Textiles with the permission of the author. This book includes detailed information to get started My name is Mirjam Gielen and I live in the Neth- doing organic embroidery and how to incorpo- erlands. As a textile artist I want to tell the rate a variety of basic stitches. Here, we share a story of nature in stitch, translating its tex- small taste of Mirjam’s unique and delightful work. —Editor tures, patterns and colours into textile art, re- sulting in what I call organic embroidery. What is Organic EmbrOidEry? Organic embroidery is telling the story of nature in In the past years I found that my work inspired stitch, translating its textures, patterns and colours many people to create this kind of art them- into textile art. Organic embroidery is a free and selves. I got many questions about how I did intuitive style of stitching and very suitable if you are things and why. A storyteller by nature, I was new to embroidery. But this might also make it diffi- happy to oblige. This lead to a series of digital cult to get started. How to go about it? Which stitches tutorials and to 12 episodes of Textile Stories, can you use? Will a certain stitch help you to create a digital course in organic embroidery, eco- the image that you have in mind? dyeing, eco-printing and creativity in general. Sources of Inspiration taking pictures can also help to gather images you would like to translate to stitch. The same goes for Materials you gather from nature, like feathers, seed- pictures you find on the Internet. I collect inspira- pods, shells, lichen covered branches or leaves can tional images mostly on Pinterest. be an excellent source of inspiration. Sketching, or You do not always need to copy nature exactly. You can also lift one aspect, a colour scheme, a shape or a structure, from its natural environment and build a new image with it. You can use your imagination to translate the things you see and combine them to create something new. Between a realistic rendering and an imaginative interpreta- tion the possibilities are endless. basic stitchEs: blankEt stitch Blanket stitch (left) is a versatile stitch that can be used in a traditional and in a very contemporary way. I love to use the blanket stitch since it gives me the opportunity for creating organic structures. This is the basis from where you can start. You can make edges, rows and circles with this stitch. The honeycomb-like hexagons that I often use to sug- gest cell structures start to form in the next rows. In these rows points B and D are a little bit outside the line of the previous row. With your needle you push this part of the stitch a little to the outside before you go down in point D. You can find a video about how I use the blanket stitch to create a cell-like structure through this link: youtu.be/hAc-c0geSSc. SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 7

Making a Sample with Blanket Stitch You can use it as a finishing stitch for (one or two of) the edges of your fabric. You can try differ- ent lengths of the stitches and/or vary the space between the stitches. You can let the fabric outside of the blanket stitch fray, or use the blanket stitch to stop a fabric from fraying further, like I did on this side of my sampler. Or you can fold the fabric to make a neat looking The blanket stitch can be applied in rows, straight hem, like I did on this side with a variegated thread. or curved. By varying both the size of the stitches and their direction you can form any shape you like. You can superimpose rows of blanket stitches on top of each other like the motifs above; one of my personal favourites. You can let the rows of blanket stitch ‘face each other’ with the spokes interweaving, creating an interesting effect. And then there is the honeycomb variation that has a very organic look. By making several stitches very 8 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

close to each other you can ‘fill in’ certain cells of Basic Stitches: the honeycomb. You can also work with multiple An e-book on Organic Embroidery colours within one row or place circles or semicir- cles within the structure. Mirjam Gielen 2021, self-published, etsy.com/shop/MirjamTextiles Mixing the StitcheS After you have gotten comfortable with the basic stitches you can start to mix them. A fun way to prac- tice this is taking a plain fabric and drawing multiple shapes on it. This could be leaf shapes, shell shapes or just ‘blobs’. I used a piece of ivory coloured calico for this example (above). Fill each shape with stitches, and each time in a different way. Take your favourite samples as a start- ing point and run with them. The new element here is that you combine at least two different stitches in one sample. You can draw lines with the backstitch and fill up the areas between the lines with French knots. Or you can make an edge with the long and short stitch and fill the middle with running stitch. You can mix areas of seed stitch with areas of blanket stitch, you can use the stem stitch combined with French knots. Anything goes. If you find it difficult to get started you could try sketching out ideas first on a piece of paper with pencils and/or markers. SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 9

Clever Cocoon Tassels Silk from Laos LINDA LIGON A handwoven silk stole woven in Laos. The tassels on each end are created using silk cocoons. Photo by Matt Graves Imagine you’re in Houaphan Province, Laos. North Vietnam is to the east; Thailand is far to the west. You’re in a small steamy village in the mountains, walking down an unpaved walkway past wooden homes high on stilts, women busy at their looms in the shade below. They’re weaving intricate textiles using glistening silk they have raised, reeled, and dyed with local plants. Now let’s zoom in on one critical step of this process and see where it takes us. 10 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

We’ll start with a basket of fully formed silk cocoons. You’ll see these on the verandas of many homes—cocoons spun by Bombyx mori caterpillars that the women have nurtured with great care and many mulberry leaves. A pupa has developed in each one, and they will soon metamorphose into moths, ready to hatch. If they are allowed to hatch, the moths will emerge from tiny holes that render the cocoons unsuitable for reeling into that precious continuous thread. Instead, they will come out to mate, lay eggs, and produce a new generation of caterpillars. On the other hand, if they are not allowed to hatch, that is, they are killed with heat while still in the cocoon (the fate of the vast majority), there will be no moths to reproduce and make new caterpillars. The pragmatic solution—and these Moths hatching from silk cocoons at a weaver’s home in Xam Tai, are pragmatic people—is to allow Houaphan Province. The variation in cocoon color doesn’t affect the some moths to emerge and mate. color of the final silk thread. But what of their damaged cocoons? Photo by Joe Coca, from Silk Weavers of Hill Tribe Laos When Maren Beck began visiting the village of Sukkhavit wearing her handwoven man/woman shawl, shown on page 12. Xam Tai in Houaphan Province with her family Photo by Josh Hirschstein some 15 years ago, she saw a splendid man/woman healing cloth with a border of closely spaced tas- sels, each incorporating a cocoon that had been cut in such a way as to resemble a four-petaled flower. It had been woven by Sukkhavit, a prominent and respected weaver in the village. The subsequent two or three years (Maren and her husband, Josh Hirschstein, have visited the area at least annually) didn’t reveal more cocoon tassel borders, although they sometimes saw the tassels used sparingly on older ceremonial pieces, such as shaman cloths and funeral textiles. At some point, they mentioned in passing to their translator and friend, Malaithong Bounyaxay, that their customers in the United States were quite charmed by the embellishment. “We had always had a policy of not asking for or ordering any specific textiles,” Maren says, “because we didn’t want to influence the traditions.” But on their next trip, after that remark, “Everyone had added cocoons to their textiles!” A pragmatic response to market preferences. SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 11

This “man/woman” healing cloth with tassel border was woven by Sukkhavit. The patterning on the left and right sides of the fabric is identical, but the “woman” side is rendered in vivid colors, while the “man” side is monochromatic. Photo by Joe Coca, from Silk Weavers of Hill Tribe Laos 12 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

The Lao Loum and Tai Daeng people, among others, have long used the cocoon tassels for decoration, though now they are used mainly for funerary textiles. Each cocoon is cut, turned inside out, Carol Cassidy, who has been collecting and and stitched to the fabric edge along promoting traditional textiles at Lao Textiles in with a small tassel of silk threads. Vientiane, Laos, for more than 30 years, confirms that Illustration by Ann Sabin Swanson cocoon tassels are occasionally seen on historical textiles. She has several such old pieces in her collection created by Lao Tai weavers. According to Souksakone Khakhampanh, a leading weaver in Xam Tai, the Lao Loum and Tai Daeng people, among others, have long used the cocoon tassels for decoration, though now they are used mainly for funerary textiles (as well as pieces for sale). If there’s more meaning in the use of these decorative details, it’s not for us to know. So how are these cheerful embellishments created? Simple. Make two deep crosswise cuts in the narrow end of a cocoon where the moth has damaged it by hatching out, and spread the resulting “petals.” Turn the cocoon inside out so the smooth inside is now the outside of the “flower.” Take four or five strands of twisted silk, knot them together in the middle, place the knotted end inside the cocoon “flower,” and stitch the tassel and cocoon to the hem of the textile. Repeat until the entire hem is decorated. This use of cast-off cocoons is both inventive and aligned with tradition, as well as appealing to a larger market. It’s a testament to the resilience and creativity of the Lao people of the hill tribes. ❖ Handwoven textile from Laos with an embellished edge created with ResouRces silk worm cocoons. Photo by Matt Graves Above the Fray, purveyor of traditional hill tribe art located in Eugene, OR, hilltribeart.com. Carol Cassidy Lao Textiles, Vientiane, Laos. laotextiles.com. Hirschstein, Joshua, and Maren Beck. Silk Weavers of Hill Tribe Laos: Textiles, Tradition, and Well-Being. Atglen, PA: Thrums Books/Schiffer Publishing, 2017. LINDA LIGON is a cofounder of Long Thread Media. SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 13

The Humbly Magnificent Couching Stitch Italian Shading NATALIE DUPUIS Good Shepherd, catalogue number RSN 1791. Couching with shading in a nonlinear motif from the Royal School of Needlework collection. Photo credit: Natalie Dupuis, 2018 This is the second installment in Natalie’s series of hues and values of silk or cotton are couched articles about goldwork couching techniques. Learn over metal threads that are placed in per- about the stitching tradition of or nué in PieceWork fectly straight horizontal or vertical lines. The Spring 2022. —Editor threads create an image or motif that benefits from the underlying metal. Italian shading, W hile couching metal thread is a term coined by English embroiderer Beryl common to both or nué and Ital- Dean in the 1960s, uses the gold thread to cre- ate the underlying shape and uses the silk ian shading, the two techniques threads to add visual depth and dimension. are very different. Or nué is a figural (usually ecclesiastical) technique in which multiple 14 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

Italian shading uses the gold thread to create the underlying shape and uses the silk threads to add visual depth and dimension. Both couching techniques make use of the Prism, couching with shading in a nonlinear design recalling the light-reflecting characteristic of metal threads, but colorful halos of previous centuries. Designed and stitched by Natalie because of the differing position of the threads— Dupuis, 2018. straight versus curved—the two techniques deliver Photo credit: Inspirations Studios, 2019 a very different visual effect. With or nué, there is one surface plane that may or may not reflect light, italian shading’s long history depending on the angle of view or light direction. In Although quite popular in the past century, it is not other words, reflection is on or off. With Italian shad- common to see Italian shading on extant European ing, reflection is always present because there are embroideries from the Medieval and Renaissance multiple reflective surfaces created by the nonlinear periods. Looking through significant publications, metal threads. The effect is almost one of constant such as the Victoria and Albert Museum’s English motion as light and perspective change. Medieval Embroidery: Opus Anglicanum, you can find examples of Italian shading in halos and What is italian shading? on vines. The V&A holds The Crucified Christ and Picture a leaf that has been embroidered by couch- St. John the Evangelist (T.82-1969), which shows ing metal threads in a leaf outline. The leaf is then the fabrics, crown, and halos of Christ and St. John filled in with additional rows of couched metal magnificently couched with thread that follows the thread, going around and around concentrically in drapery lines. Many needleworkers associate the a leaf shape. The metal is held in place by colored Golden Fleece vestments from the 1400s with or nué, threads that are spaced in such a way as to allow but in fact, closer inspection reveals that there are more or less light reflection, depending on the inten- many sections of these designs that creatively employ tion of the embroiderer. The skill is to creatively plan the color placement so that the embroidered With Italian shading, reflection is leaf appears to have depth and always has some always present because there are parts reflecting light. Exactly where the light will multiple reflective surfaces created reflect depends on the direction of the couched by the nonlinear metal threads. The curved lines and how densely the gold has been effect is almost one of constant motion couched over with threads. This style of couch- as light and perspective change. ing can be used to great effect for flora-and-fauna motifs, draperies, and more modern shapes. Italian shading provides the embroiderer with constant opportunities to maximize visual impact. The skill of precisely placing couching stitches at a right angle to the metal thread is the same as in or nué, but in Italian shading, the metal thread is going up, down, around, and into tight corners so the embroiderer must constantly change the angle at which they are couching. Additionally, some parts of the design will be shining, depending on perspective, so this needs to be considered when choosing which parts of the metal to obscure with couching stitches. SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 15

Badge of the Order of the Dragon, southern Germany, circa 1430. Inv.-Nr. T 3792. Couching with shading in a nonlinear design. Photo courtesy of Bayerisches National Museum, Munich, Germany Italian shading alongside or nué (see page 50 of Though the terms or nué and PieceWork Spring 2022). Italian shading are often used Another example of Italian shading from the 1400s comes from southern Germany. An embroi- interchangeably, there are distinct dered Badge of the Order of the Dragon in the Bavarian National Museum’s collection is quite differences in the couching techniques interesting with its use of high-relief padding and polychrome silks over couched metal thread. The and the resulting visual impact. silks are now faded, but once upon a time showed a range of reds, blues, and greens, with gold sparkling vines and the leaves, moving from dark to light to through. The color-value placement and density of help give a sense of depth. The elements of line, the stitches, along with the under padding, adds combined with selective color values, capture the to the three-dimensional aspect of this magnifi- viewer’s attention and beckon the eye for further cent piece. The large emblem was probably once investigation. worn on a coat or herald’s skirt of a member from a Chivalric order. Despite this piece being nearly six An example of the modern use of Italian shad- centuries old, the incredible design is still pleasing ing is a golden lily embroidered on the back of and playful. We could easily imagine this on a box a Danish chasuble from the 1990s. Admire the cover from the board game Dungeons and Dragons play of light as the lines of couched metal thread or on a cape carefully re-created by a member of the change direction, and bits of color enhance how we Society for Creative Anachronism. read the piece. This design, by Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II, was part of a set of four chasubles, Fast forward 500 years and we see another each with a different central motif on the back. lovely example held in the collection of the Royal The set was worked by the embroiderers at the School of Needlework (RSN). This large piece, Society of Ecclesiastical Art (Selskabet for Kirkelig Good Shepherd, was embroidered in the early Kunst). This golden lily motif was taken home to 1900s at the RSN. The grapes, leaves, and vines be worked on intensively in quiet solitude by then that form a twisting border around a central figure head embroiderer Lillian D. Christiansen. One can perfectly show flowing lines couched with color- imagine the hours spent deciding where to turn ful silks. Notice how the purple values lighten as the metal threads and place the colored couching the couching moves toward the highpoint of the stitches. All four chasubles are still in use at the rounded grapes. The same thing happens on the Aarhus Cathedral in Denmark. 16 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

Though the terms or nué and Italian shading Elvin, Elizabeth. Personal interview, August 2, 2018. are often used interchangeably, there are distinct Kay-Williams, Susan, and Elizabeth Elvin. For Worship and differences in the couching techniques and the resulting visual impact. It is these differences Glory: Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Embroidery. Surrey, that provide creative tools for today’s needle- UK: Royal School of Needlework, 2016. work artists. As new variations are created, let Wilson, Erica. Erica Wilson’s Embroidery Book. New York: us continue to honor the historic originals and Scribner, 1973. marvel at the ingenuity of late medieval and early Zimmerman, Jane. “Traditional Technique of Or Nué,” Nee- Renaissance embroiderers. ❖ dlework Techniques, chapter 1 (August 2008). janezimmer man.com/Site/Techniques.html. ResouRces NATALIE DUPUIS teaches color theory and metal thread Barry, Judy. “Beryl Dean MBE ARCA 1911–2001: An Appreci- embroidery to students around the world through her school ation.” The World of Embroidery 52, 5 (September 2001), SewByHand.com, and on invitation from the Embroiderers’ 265–267. Guild of America, the Embroiderers’ Association of Canada, the Crewel Work Company, and the San Francisco School of Browne, Clare, Glyn Davies, M. A. Michael, and Michaela Needlework & Design. Her goldwork designs can be found in Zöschg, eds. English Medieval Embroidery: Opus multiple issues of Inspirations magazine and on her webpage. Anglicanum. London: Yale University Press with the She is currently working on her needlework-judge certification Victoria and Albert Museum, 2016. and continues to research and develop new projects and courses to share with her students. She would like to thank Dupuis, Natalie. “The Humbly Magnificent Couching Stitch: Gary Parr for his edits to this article. Or Nué.” PieceWork, Spring 2022, 48–52. Part 1 of a series on goldwork couching. Golden Lily chasuble from Aarhus Domkirke (the Cathedral of Aarhus) Detail of the Golden Lily chasuble from Aarhus Domkirke (the Cathedral of in Denmark. Designed by H.M. Queen Margrethe II, embroidered by Aarhus) in Denmark. Designed by H.M. Queen Margrethe II, embroidered Lillian D. Christiansen in 1992 with the Selskabet for Kirkelig Kunst by Lillian D. Christiansen in 1992 with the Selskabet for Kirkelig Kunst (The Society of Ecclesiastical Art). (The Society of Ecclesiastical Art). Photographed by Per Rasmussen, 2014 Photo: Danish embroidery house of Selskabet for Kirkelig Kunst, 2008 SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 17

Carolyn Wyborny’s newest lacy wrap has a Shetland-style construction and Weldon’s motifs. Photos by Matt Graves 18 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

Leaves and More Leaves Beaded Shawl CAROLYN WYBORNY This shawl is part of my continued love for and stitches as indicated on the chart. This method also obsession with Weldon’s Practical Needlework orients the beads upright on the stitch, rather than patterns. The Shetland-style construction has three allowing them to tilt to the side as they tend to do sections, each knitted in a different direction. I find when strung on the yarn. There are other tools that this keeps me engaged throughout the entire project. can be used instead of a crochet hook to add beads as you go to avoid stringing them before knitting. My current preference when working Shetland- style shawl designs involves a change in needle size. ResouRces This design includes instructions for dropping down two needle sizes for the center garter triangle section Weldon’s Practical Needlework, Volume 2. Loveland, CO: so that the fabric aligns better with the border and Interweave, 2000. edging sections. The resulting shawl can be wrapped around the neck or displayed beautifully over the Weldon’s Practical Knitter, Fifth Series. Loveland, CO: shoulders—your choice. Interweave, 2011. While developing various shawls in this style, I Weldon’s Practical Knitter, Sixth Series. Loveland, CO: Inter- have a strong tendency to pick nature-themed motifs weave, 2011. rather than geometrics. For this edging section, I chose the Double Rose Leaf Border, which was pub- These issues of Weldon’s Practical Knitter are avail- lished in volume 2 of Weldon’s Practical Needlework able as ebooks at shop.longthreadmedia.com for in 1887. The pattern was reprinted in Weldon’s purchase and in the PieceWork Library as part of Practical Knitter, Sixth Series. This pattern drew my an All Access subscription. eye because the leaves have a purl column down the Editor’s Note: The yarn used in the sample shown middle that allows for shaping with eyelets, making has been discontinued. See page 24 for alternative the leaves look more lifelike. yarn and bead suggestions. An early prototype for this shawl used the Small Beaded stitches enhance the knitted leaves. Diamond Trellis pattern for the border. This was another great pattern originally published in vol- ume 2 of Weldon’s. It can also be found in the reprint, Weldon’s Practical Knitter, Sixth Series. After seeing the two patterns together, I felt the shawl would look much better with the same leaves echoed from the edging instead of the original diamond shapes, so I modified the Small Diamond Trellis pattern to repeat the same leaf shapes. Because I have a history of creating beadwork, I like to occasionally embellish knit designs with beads. For this design, I added beads to the purl- stitch leaf ribs to give the shawl some additional weight. This is a particularly good way to avoid the “cobweb” effect when using very fine laceweight yarn. You’ll also have some lovely sparkle if you choose to use silver-lined beads as I did. Adding beads to this design stays true to the Victorian era, as beads were commonly added to knitted work at the time. However, in many of the Weldon’s patterns, the beads were strung on the yarn before knitting. I find that to be a very tedious beading method, so I use the cro- chet-hook method of adding the beads to individual SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 19

M at e r I a l s onto the stitch, then return the stitch to the right w Abstract Fiber Vines, 80% merino, 10% cashmere, needle. There are several videos and instructions available for this technique on the internet. 10% nylon, laceweight, 660 yd (604 m)/3½ oz (100 g) skein, 2 skeins of Gold, or other heavy laceweight Notes yarn of a similar put-up (see Notes) The yardage required for this shawl is a hard mini- w Needles: size 4 (3.5 mm) and size 6 (4.0 mm) or size mum of 700 yards (640 meters), and depending on your needed to obtain gauge. Interchangeable circulars gauge, even that might not be enough. Make sure to are strongly recommended for the large number of have enough yarn on hand to avoid disappointment. stitches and to allow different-size needle tips dur- ing transition. I recommend interchangeable circular knitting w Stitch markers needles for this project because the center garter w Steel crochet hook, size 10 (1.3 mm) or smaller section can be left on the cable until the final bind- w Seed beads, size 6º, topaz silver-lined, approxi- off. When working the final bind-off, I recommend mately 500 attaching a smaller needle tip for the left-hand nee- Finished measurements: 65\" (165.1 cm) wide and dle and using a larger needle tip on the right-hand 29\" (73.7 cm) high at center, after blocking. needle. This makes it easier than stretching the Gauge: 22½ sts and 48 rows = 4\" (10.2 cm) in garter smaller stiches over the larger needle tip used to stitch using smaller needles, after blocking. Gauge is work the edging. not critical for this project, but a different gauge will likely affect finished size and yardage needed. It is important to knit the beaded stitches, even when they are in a purl column. Purling these stitches Visit pieceworkmagazine.com/abbreviations/ tends to push the bead to the back of the work. for terms you don’t know. Yarn Selection Note: When purling an edg- ing stitch worked on a larger needle together with specIal stItches a stitch from the center garter section originally Place bead: Slide a bead onto the shaft of the crochet worked on a smaller needle, the garter stitches can hook. Knit the stitch to receive the bead, catch the top become stretched. Depending on your usual knit- of the stitch just knitted with the crochet hook and ting tension, this can put some strain on the yarn. remove it from the right needle, slide the bead down A strong worsted or yarn with multiple plies usu- ally makes this transition with a little patience, even on the part of the tight knitter. However, if you are using yarn with less firmly spun composition, such as a soft woolen-spun yarn, you may want to knit that last transition garter row using the larger nee- dle to help with the stretch and avoid breakage. The back of the shawl comes to point that is gently rounded off by INstructIoNs final lace edging. Garter Triangle Using the smaller needle, make a slipknot and place it on the needle. Next row: Yo, k1tbl—2 sts. Next row: Yo, knit to last st, k1tbl—1 st inc’d. Rep the last row 157 more times—160 sts. If you are using a larger needle for the last garter row (see Notes), change the right-hand needle tip to the larger size now. Next row: Yo, knit to last st, k1tbl—161 sts. 20 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

The shawl is worked in three sections, each in a different direction. Do not break yarn. Leave sts on the cable portion needle tip from front to back into each edge loop of the needle and remove the tips. along one side of the triangle until there are 80 sts on the needle, pm, pick up 1 st from the loop of the Transition first triangle row, pm, then pick up 80 more loops on the other side of the triangle—161 sts. You can use the larger needle now or wait until the Next row (RS): Turn work, and slipping m as you edging cast-on. If your yarn is not tightly spun and very strong, you may wish to change to the larger come to them, knit back across all sts, inserting needle on the final row of this section. Using the the needle as if to knit so as to cross the picked- smaller needles now will require less yarn. up loops. Set-Up Row (WS): K1f&b, knit to m, sl m, k1, sl m, Beginning where the working yarn is attached, k1f&b, knit to last 2 sts, k1f&b, k1—164 sts. pick up sts (do not pick up and knit) along the sel- vedges of the garter triangle as follows: insert SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 21

Key Right Leaf 37 35 k on RS; p on WS 36 33 p on RS; k on WS 34 k2tog 32 31 ssk 30 29 p2tog on RS; k2tog on WS 28 27 p2tog 1 edging st and 1 border st 26 25 sl 1 knitwise, k2tog, psso 24 23 k3tog 22 21 yo 20 19 place bead 18 17 sl 1 purlwise wyb 16 center st 14 15 no stitch 12 13 BO 1 st 10 11 st on needle after last BO 8 9 k1f&b 6 7 repeat 4 5 2 3 1 center stitch repeat according to instructions repeat according to instructions 37 Left Leaf 35 33 36 31 34 29 27 32 25 30 23 28 21 26 19 24 17 22 15 20 13 18 11 9 16 7 14 5 12 3 10 1 8 6 4 2 Double Rose Leaf 9 7 10 5 8 3 1 6 4 2 22 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

Turn work. With RS facing, there will be 81 sts The edging pattern includes beaded points for a final finish. before the marked center st and 82 sts after. pick up as many sts as you can. Place a smaller nee- Border dle tip on the cable holding the 161 garter triangle sts (see Notes), and using the larger needle as the work- Next row (RS): For Row 1 of Right Leaf chart, work ing needle, k across the held sts. Pick up and knit the k1f&b in first st, work red-outlined 16-st pattern same number of sts along the second border selvedge rep 5 times (placing m between reps if desired), as for the first border, then pick up and knit 28 sts yo, sl m, k1 gold-shaded center st, sl m; for Row along the edging CO—approximately 347 sts; again, 1 of Left Leaf chart, yo, work red-outlined 16-st the exact number is not critical. pattern rep 4 times (placing m between reps if desired), then work sts after pattern rep once— BO using the Icelandic method as follows: *Wyb, 168 sts; 83 sts and 1 center st for Right Leaf chart, insert right needle pwise into first st on left nee- and 84 sts for Left Leaf chart. dle and then kwise into the front loop of the second Work Rows 2–16 of charts as established, tak- st on left needle, and leave both sts on the needle. Wrap yarn around right needle as if to knit, draw a ing care that m on each side of the center st do loop through both sts, and drop sts from left needle, not migrate under the adjacent yo and out of posi- allowing the first st to pass over the second st—1 st tion—212 sts; 105 sts and 1 center st for Right Leaf on right needle. Return st on right needle to left nee- chart, and 106 sts for Left Leaf chart. dle. Rep from * until 1 st rem. Break yarn and fasten off last st. Work rows 17–32 of charts, working the pattern rep of the Right Leaf chart 6 times, and the pattern Finishing rep of the Left Leaf chart 5 times, placing m for new Wet-block firmly into a wide triangle shape, using reps if desired—261 sts; 130 sts and 1 center st for wires or pins to pull out the points of the edging. The Right Leaf chart, and 130 sts for Left Leaf chart. tips of the “wings” along the upper edge may curl up a bit, which is typical for this kind of shawl construction. Work Rows 33–37 of chart, working the pattern rep of the Right Leaf chart 8 times, and the pattern CAROLYN WYBORNY’S family was traditional, in that all the rep of the Left Leaf chart 7 times, placing m for new women did needlework. She’s been crocheting, knitting, and reps if desired, and ending with a RS row—277 sts; tatting since she was very young. Carolyn works as a software 138 sts and 1 center st for Right Leaf chart, and 138 engineer for a large high-tech company but entertains herself sts for Left Leaf chart. in her free time by knitting as well as coding up knitwear and crochet designs. She lives west of Portland, Oregon, with her Do not break yarn. husband and children of several species. Edging Turn work so WS is facing. Using the cable cast-on method, CO 28 sts. If you are not already using the larger needle, change to the larger needle now. Next row (WS): Work across new CO sts as k6, p21, then p2tog last new st with next border st—304 sts total; 28 edging sts and 276 border sts. Work Rows 1–10 of Double Rose Leaf chart 55 times, working 1 edging st tog with 1 border st at the end of every WS row as shown on chart, and end- ing Row 10 of the final rep by working p3tog to join 1 edging st tog with the last 2 border sts—28 edging sts rem; all border sts have been joined. Do not break yarn. Bind-Off With WS facing and 28 edging sts on right-hand nee- dle, pick up and knit about 65 sts evenly along the border selvedge. The exact number is not critical because these sts are just to even out the top edge; SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 23

Staff Picks The PieceWork editorial team had a great time dreaming up yarn and bead pairings for Carolyn Wyborny’s fabulous Leaves and More Leaves Beaded Shawl on page 18. We tried these yarns with different seed-bead sizes to find the perfect fit. The beads included here are available from Caravan Beads. caravanbeads.com Abstract Fiber Good Ole Sock in Aqua Seed beads, size 6º, Sea foam-lined crystal AB Brown Sheep Company Nature Spun Fingering in Heather Gray Seed beads, size 6º, Silver-lined dark smoky amethyst AB Lisa Souza Dyeworks Cashmere/Silk Fingering in Terra Cotta Seed beads, size 8º, Matte metallic khaki iris 24 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

Beaded and Bead Knitting Untangling a Knitted Embellishment KATE LARSON Unfinished bag, nineteenth century, American (1955-63-3). Silk thread and cut steel beads. Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Beaded knitting, bead knitting, and purse knitting are all terms used to describe a wide range of knitted textiles, and—as usual—the terms don’t always appear consistently. Much like knitted lace or lace knitting, beaded knitting and bead knitting are often used interchangeably. However, Mary Thomas differentiates the two in Mary Thomas’s Knitting Book, first published in 1938. SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 25

“Beaded and Bead Knitting—There are two Baby’s cap, eighteenth century, Germany (1941-34-5). Cotton and methods of work. The first, beaded knitting, where glass beads. the beads are knitted in on certain rows at regular Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum or irregular intervals to enrich the appearance of the knitted fabric. This is the simpler form, and often found on little beaded cuffs. . . . “The second, bead knitting, is sometimes known as purse knitting, a name descriptive of its use, since it immediately conjures up a vision of bead fabric, whereon the beads are packed so closely together that the knitting stitches are obliterated. . . . Bead knitting is more complicated than beaded knitting, and needs practice to aquire the knack of settling the beads with precision and regularity.” Gloves, nineteenth century (1947-47-1-a,b). Cotton and glass beads. Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum 26 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

Turkish Stitch From Encyclopedia of Needlework (1890) Row 1: Slip 1, knit 1, over, knit 2 together, Kate’s swatch in Turkish Stitch with two beads per yarn over. over, knit 2 together, and so on to the last 2 Learn more at pieceworkmagazine.com. stitches, which you knit plain. Photo by Matt Graves Row 2: Slip the 1st, knit the 2nd and the 3rd plain, the latter having been formed by the last over on the 1st needle; 1 over, 1 intake with the stitch and the over, 1 over, 1 intake and so on. Turkish stitch with beads: String the beads on the thread before you begin to knit. When you only use one kind of bead, thread a needle with your knitting cotton and run it through the thread on which the beads are strung. When you use several kinds, you must count and thread them on in the required order. Beaded knitting is little in request now, excepting for tobacco pouches and purses for which you should use Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C. Nos. 35, in any colour, and small beads. For close beaded knitting, plain stitch is the best. Run the beads down singly at each stitch. The beads will fall on the reverse side of the work so that in knitting with beads, remember that the reverse side will be the right side. Run down 2 or sometimes 3 beads before knitting each stitch. With Thomas’s definition, we would describe Combining the instructions from an 1890 edition Carolyn Wyborny’s gorgeous Shetland-style shawl on with later editions, I worked a quick swatch (above). page 18 as beaded knitting. I find prestringing beads to be fussy but well Bead knitting or purse knitting, on the other hand, worth the time when adding weight and interest to Thomas says “differs considerably from beaded scarf and shawl edgings. How would you put this knitting, both in appearance and preparation.” Her stitch to use? ❖ detailed discussion of prestringing a patterned design is followed by recommendations for tension ResouRces and bead management. de Dillmont, Thérèse. Encyclopedia of Needlework. Mulhouse, Dillmont’s BeaDeD Knitting France: Bibliothèque DMC, 1890. Thérèse de Dillmont included some information and illustrations on beaded Turkish stitch in the Thomas, Mary. Mary Thomas’s Knitting Book. London: early editions of her Encyclopedia of Needlework. Hodder and Stoughton, Ltd., 1938. KATE LARSON is the editor of PieceWork and Spin Off, and she is the author of The Practical Spinner’s Guide: Wool (2015). SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 27

Colorful Porcupine Quills in Mi’kmaw Designs Red, Yellow, and Blue from Nature DR. ANNAMARIE HATCHER Lidded trunk, Micmac (Canada, New Brunswick or Nova Scotia), circa 1840–1850 (2011.154.8a, b). Birchbark, wood, spruce root, quill. Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 28 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

Mi’kmaq knowledge keepers Tuma Young and The women manifest much Tom Johnson generously contributed to this arti- ingenuity and taste in the work cle, aiding us with the meaning and usage of that they execute with porcupine Indigenous terms. Find a pronunciation guide quills. The color of these quills is on page 33. —Editor various, beautiful and durable, My home is on the island of Cape and the art of dyeing them is Breton (Unama’ki) in the province practiced only by the females.1 of Nova Scotia, one of the seven —D. W. Harmon, 1911 districts of Mi’kma’ki. Mi’kmaq (English: Mic- mac) are the Indigenous people of Mi’kma’ki, a territory that extends through much of the Canadian Atlantic provinces, the Gaspé Penin- sula of Quebec, eastern Maine, and St. Pierre and Miquelon.2 In precontact times, Mi’kmaw adornments often involved geometric patterns of embroidery using the quills from porcu- pines (matues), a traditional skill that is being embraced and revitalized today. Mi’kmaw designs featured red, yellow, and blue quills long before colonists began to bring aniline dyes to Turtle Island in the mid-nineteenth century.3 How did early Mi’kmaq dye the quills? Discovering the sources of the earlier dyestuffs came from my exploration of books, early manuscripts, long conversations with Mi’kmaw knowledge keepers, and strolls through local forests, wetlands, and nearshore waters. Female Dyers Quillwork techniques were used to embellish surfaces in a number of Few people had the skill to successfully dye, and the Indigenous cultures. This quillwork shoulder bag (2018.867.4) is secrets of the process were carefully guarded.5 It was identified as Anishinaabe, probably Ojibwa, and created in Minnesota, said that one had to avoid gazing into the dyepot or the Wisconsin, or Ontario circa 1780. dye would fade. The process was one of the jobs under Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York the exclusive control of women, which may explain the lack of specific information in the journals of early male settlers and missionaries, such as Nicolas Denys.6 Mekwe’k (Red) In Mi’kma’ki, the striking red quills were often tinted using the roots of a common weed, the stiff marsh bedstraw. In the Mi’kmaw language, this unassuming little plant is called essawiaqkek, meaning “the plant used for dyeing.” The scientific species name of stiff marsh bedstraw (Galium tinctorium) also alludes to its colorful uses. SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 29

Left: “Galium tinctòrium L. Stiff Marsh Bed-straw, Wild Madder.” From An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions by Nathaniel Lord Britton and Addison Brown, 1913. Courtesy of Smithsonian Libraries. Right: “Coptis trifolia (L.) Salisb. Gold-thread.” From An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions by Nathaniel Lord Britton and Addison Brown, 1913. Courtesy of Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution This little plant is a member of the bedstraw fam- ground, ji’j indicates small or tiny, and the -kl makes ily, which includes other notables such as coffee and it plural. Wisowtaqji’jkl are truly a multipurpose madder. Madder (Rubia tinctorum) produces the medicinal plant, and Tom Johnson of Eskasoni tells familiar reds that were used extensively in many me that he used to pick it for his grandmother, the parts of the globe, from the brightly dyed uniforms late Caroline Gould of Wekoqma’q. She made eye- of the English redcoat army to Persian carpets. How drops with it or combined it with bear fat (Muino’mi) this wiry little weed, which is sometimes called wild to make a salve for skin problems. madder, came to be called bedstraw intrigued me because it is the last thing that I would want in my The scientific name for goldthread describes its bed. I have been told that early colonists added the physical appearance. Coptis trifolia is derived from pleasantly scented plants to straw as a stuffing for the Greek word kopto meaning “to cut” and the Latin pillows and mattresses. It is a very versatile plant, trifolia meaning “having three leaves.” Tom tells and masses of bedstraw were spread around the me that in Unama’ki, they find goldthread on moss ground edges of Mi’kmaw wigwams to inhibit the under the shade of spruce or fir stands that haven’t entry of pis (fleas and ticks). been logged. According to the United States Forest Service, this little plant has widespread distribution Wataptek (Yellow) from the Carolinas to northern Labrador.7 The source of yellow dye for quills was often a In my research, I’ve found that goldthread was common local plant called goldthread. It has the used by many Indigenous people across Turtle charming common name of “canker root,” describ- Island to dye porcupine quills. In a large scientific ing its primary use for complaints of the mouth and study, Christina Cole and Susan Heald visited five throat. It contains berberine, which is one of a class museums in Canada and the United States analyz- of chemicals called alkaloids that come from several ing samples of dyed porcupine quills from their different plants. Berberine is present in the beautiful collections.3 They used some very sophisticated rhizomes (underground stems) of goldthread. equipment to determine what plants were origi- nally used to dye the quills adorning early garments The Mi’kmaw name for goldthread, wisowtaqji’jkl, in the eastern woodlands of North America. Using tells us a lot about the little plant. Wisow refers to tracers from native plants, they determined that the the yellow color, taq refers to its placement on the 30 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

Quillwork belt pouch, possibly Haudenosaunee/Iroquois and thought may be that the abundant blueberry is a made in New York or Ontario, circa 1800 (2019.456.28). Tanned source of blue pigment for dyeing porcupine quills. leather, porcupine quills, dye, metal cones, and deer hair. You are partially correct. Christina Cole and Susan Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Heald found a plant pigment that is common in wild berries (anthocyanidin) in nearly 75 percent of the blue or purple quillwork analyzed from the five museum collections. This result may be a surprise for natural dyers who know that berries produce vibrant but fleeting colors. It required a rather sophisticated chemistry to produce a lasting blue or purple dye from berries! Wilson and Ruth Wallis, an intrepid pair of anthro- pologists from the early twentieth century, put together a list of natural quill dyestuffs that were in use in the Mi’kmaw community of Burnt Church (Esgenoopetitj) in 1911.8 Purple was reportedly obtained by boiling the bark of malsenawei from one- half to one hour. Tom Johnson tells me that the term malsenawei means weak or inferior sugar maple. There have been other reports from journals of explor- ers such as Marc Lescarbot in the seventeenth century of tree bark pigment extraction.9 Blue pigments were sometimes obtained from a concoction of the bark of the wire birch (sepqoqiajk). The wire birch is not the familiar paper birch (maskwi), but it is easy to con- fuse the two species. The wire birch is also called the gray birch. It was not so useful in the building of early canoes, but it made a great source of dye. Dog Whelks Another identified source of the violet/blue tint may be quite a surprise to you. According to a manu- script published by Nicolas Denys in 1672, violet dye for quillwork was derived from a common dog whelk majority of yellow quillwork in their samples used Dog whelks. goldthread. They were also able to trace the pres- Photo by Jan Delsing ence of some other compounds on the dyed quills. Interestingly, they found that early quill artists used bark teas from native trees to augment the dye colors and to aid in the attachment of the dye parti- cles to the quills. In modern terms, the compounds in the bark teas were used as mordants, a term derived from the Latin meaning “to bite.” Musqunamu’k (Blue) and Nisqunamu’k (Purple) In the development of violet or blue color on por- cupine quills there was potential involvement of wild berries, tree bark, and marine snails. Your first SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 31

Chair seat, Micmac, circa mid-nineteenth century (2011.154.100). Birchbark, wood, quill. Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York or snail found in many sheltered marine and estua- Skilled quillwork artists are bringing back the art rine shores of eastern North America. This little snail across Turtle Island, but most rely on the availabil- with the scientific name Nucella lapillus is cone- ity of commercial dyes to produce vibrant geometric shaped with spiral ridges and a short, pointed spire, patterns. On the island of Unama’ki, quill artists still up to 1 inch in height by 0.8 inches in width. As she reminisced about her research for the 1982 book, Prickly Rodents Ruth Whitehead5 told me that it took many thousands of the small whelks to produce a decent color purple. Porcupines are large prickly rodents The shell color can be white, gray, brown, or yellow, native to the forest habitats of Canada, the sometimes with contrasting (usually brown) spiral northeastern and western regions of the United banding. This same species of dog whelk occurs in States, and northern Mexico. Not only were Europe and has been a source of dye there since the they a source of meat for Indigenous inhabitants first century BCE. of Turtle Island, but colorful porcupine quills were a common adornment for early garments The colorful glands of many species of marine across the continent.4 The colors were carefully snails were utilized extensively over broad geo- coaxed from the plants and animals of local graphic ranges to brighten the lives of many! A environments by skilled dyers. This was hard close relative, the murex snail, was the basis of a work, peppered with customs and beliefs purple dye industry producing what we know as Tyrian or royal purple, whose use was in full swing about the natural world. in the Mediterranean by 1700 BCE. Murex-dye pro- duction continued on a massive scale until the Why don’t porcupines live overthrow of the last remnant of the Roman Empire on Cape Breton? at Constantinople in 1453 CE.10 It turns out that blue/violet quillwork is a lot more interesting than I The story continues on pieceworkmagazine.com. once thought. 32 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

rely on supply from the nearby mainland for their raw 7. “Coptis Trifolia,” United States Forest Service material because porcupines are not found here—an Database, fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/coptri interesting story in itself. ❖ /all.html. Notes 8. W. D. Wallis and R. S. Wallis, The Micmac 1. D. W. Harmon, A Journal of Voyages and Indians of Eastern Canada (Minneapolis: University Travels in the Interior of North America (Toronto: of Minnesota Press, 1955). Courier Press, 1911). 2. “The Mi’kmac,” Cape Breton University, 9. Marc Lescarbot, The History of New France Mi’kmaq Resource Centre, cbu.ca/indigenous-affairs [Histoire de la Nouvelle-France], 3rd ed. (Paris: Jean /mikmaq-resource-centre/the-mikmaq. Millot, 1609), reprinted 1914 by the Champlain Society. 3. C. Cole and S. Heald, “The History and Analysis of Pre-Aniline Native American Quillwork Dyes,” in 10. Mark Woolmer, “Purple Reign: A Passion for Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings Purple Built the Phoenicians’ Vast Trading Empire,” (2010), digitalcommons.unl.edu/tsaconf/14. National Geographic, September 24, 2020. 4. W. C. Orchard, “The Technique of Porcupine- Quill Decoration Among the North American Author’s Note: Many thanks are due to my bilin- Indians,” in Contributions from the Museum of the gual Mi’kmaw friends (nitap) Tuma Young and Tom American Indian (New York: Heye Foundation 4, Johnson, who generously shared their knowledge. no. 1, 1916), 53. Thanks are due to Ruth Whitehead who gave me 5. R. Holmes Whitehead, Micmac Quillwork the backstory about the research for her 1982 book, (Halifax: Nova Scotia Museum, 1982). Micmac Quillwork. 6. Nicolas Denys and William F. Ganong, The Description and Natural History of the Coasts DR. ANNAMARIE HATCHER’s oceanography research career of North America (Acadia) (Toronto: Champlain took her from the North Atlantic to the Australian Great Barrier Society, 1908). Trans. and ed. William F. Ganong with Reef to the West Indies and then back to the North Atlantic. Her a memoir of the author, collateral documents, and a interest in porcupines and natural dyes stems from her late reprint of the original. career awakening into Integrative Science, the common ground between Native and Western science. She is spending her retirement as a freelance science writer and a Master Spinner student at Olds College, Alberta. Pronunciation Guide We asked Tom and Carol-Anne Johnson to help us properly pronounce some of the key words in this article. Here are some phonetic spellings to get you started. Term Meaning English Phonetic Unama’ki The place also known as Cape Breton, Canada Oon-a-mah-gi Mi’kmaw Indigenous person of Unama’ki (singular/adjective) MeegMaw Mi’kmaq Indigenous people of Unama’ki MeegMahq Mi’kma’ki Ancestral lands of the Mi’kmaq Mig-Muhg-ee Matues Porcupine Mud-ooes Kawi’k Quills Gah-weeg Mekwe’k Red Meg-waig Wataptek Yellow Wad-up-dek Musqunamu’k Blue Mus-qoon-um-oog Nisqunamu’k Purple Nis-qoon-um-oog Nitap Friend Ni-dup SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 33

The Indispensable Bodkin DAW N COOK RON NINGEN Antique bodkins and a variety of commercial and handmade bodkin holders from Dawn’s collection. Photos by Matt Graves unless otherwise noted 34 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

Bodkins are tools used to pull narrow Woman with a stiff patterned collar by Wenceslaus Hollar, engraving, goods through casings. These use- 1643 (P1923). Courtesy of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto ful tools would be used daily when with a stiff patterned collar illustrates how some lacing was an integral part of dress, or they women in German regions during the mid-seventeenth century wore bodkins in their hair. Women of wealth might be used to insert ribbons into dec- would sometimes attach jewels to dangle ornamen- tally off the end of the bodkin. In later decades, some orative lace edgings. Bodkins have been women used bodkins to bind up their hair. described as blunt-tipped thick needles, Women’s bodkins are sometimes found with engraved sets of initials. Some have been traced to but they are found in other forms, including family names through generations of women. One such bodkin is in the collection of the Victoria and wide, flat, and tong styles. Albert Museum, dated 1670 to 1680. This bodkin is from the embroidered casket (workbox) of Martha The popularity of bodkins has waxed and waned Edlin (1660–1725). It is silver, about 3½ inches over the centuries, and their sizes, styles, and uses (9 centimeters) long, and engraved with her initials: have followed the fashion of the day. In centu- ME. The box and contents were passed through ries past, the term bodkin had multiple meanings, the female line of the family for over three hun- sometimes referring to needles, stilettos, knife-like dred years.1 The museum also holds a collection of daggers, and hairpins. Even today, there are other Martha’s embroidery, jewelry, and toys. terms used for the bodkin, including ribbon threader, tape needle, yarn needle, and needle bodkin. In the eighteenth century, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu wrote of her experiences traveling in As a needlework tool collector, I encounter antique Constantinople and meeting a sultana. “Her head- and vintage bodkins in a multitude of materials, rang- dress was covered with bodkins of emeralds and ing from mass-produced utility tools to handcrafted diamonds.”2 It was one of many observations she luxury items. Gold is one of the most extravagant wrote about while traveling. materials, especially when set with jewels, and silver and mother-of-pearl bodkins are sometimes found While men also used bodkins, there are no known in etui sets. Other materials include wood, bone, tor- examples in art illustrating men using their bodkins. toiseshell, plastic, steel, and other mixed metals. Perhaps for men, bodkins were not as sentimental or Early DEsigns When looking at the extant bodkins in museum col- lections, some of the early silver bodkins of the seventeenth century were decorated with simple incised line patterns. Objects in this group are typi- cally about 6 inches (15 centimeters) long and end in a taper, more similar to a needle than a ball or square tip. Some have openings at each end for threading, while others have one end featuring an ear spoon for earwax collection. Earwax was sometimes used in sewing to treat thread if beeswax wasn’t available. Later bodkin examples are typically shorter, and tip styles began to vary. Keeping a bodkin close at hand—on the body— was often practical. Most clothing was laced, and the bodkin was an essential tool for dressing. A nursing mother whose bodice laced closed would, for exam- ple, have need of a handy bodkin. However, the bodkin was at times itself an object of personal decoration. Wenceslaus Hollar’s 1643 engraving known as Woman SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 35

A fine etui set with fitted tray for mother-of-pearl and silver tools. A mother-of-pearl bodkin is included at center. Photo by Dawn Cook Ronningen used as extensively as they were by women. Or per- corrosion. The black packages were dramatically haps we are seeing what we currently call a stiletto printed with gold-toned ink, making claims such referred to as a bodkin. as “Best Polished Gold Eyed” by Kirby Beard and Company of England. Some packages contained In the early nineteenth century, commemora- bodkins in multiple sizes, and most of the black- tive bodkins were sold in large numbers. Engraved wrapper bodkins were steel. The Montgomery Ward examples include “GEORGE 4 DIED JUNE 26 1830 1895 mail-order catalog offered needlebooks and AGED 68” and on the reverse side, “REIGNED 10 cases with a variety of sewing needles that included YEARS AND 5 MONTHS.” An American example, bodkins. The style of bodkin in these sets had blunt “ANDREW JACKSON,” has its reverse engraved tips and dual eyes. Today, bodkins are often found in with “ELECTED PRESIDENT 1829.” The popular- plastic bags and sold in notions departments. ity of commemorative bodkins continued into the twentieth century, including a bodkin that Singer Sterling silver bodkins were often marketed in produced for the Panama Pacific Exposition in 1915 sets and sold in department stores. The bodkins were (page 34, upper left, bodkin with leather sleeve). in graduated sizes, usually three or four in a set. They were in decorative folders, often lined in silk. EnhancEmEnt and Evolution One sterling example includes a stiletto and bodkin There are several US patents for bodkins, each packaged together. They were advertised as “Fine attempting to improve upon the design of the Sterling Silver Novelties.” Sterling bodkins in the previous version. In 1903, Alice Galleher Sessums shape of fish continue to be popular with collectors. received a patent for a needle-style bodkin that was Simons Brothers of Philadelphia offered sterling sil- bent on one end like a safety pin. Her patent included ver examples of these clever fish bodkins in the early a variety of options for the leading end of the bodkin: twentieth century. rounded tip, ball tip, and banded tip. In 1913, Albert C. Gault (Patent 1,081,604) invented a bodkin with By the twentieth century, a frequent substitute three openings spaced down the flat shaft to thread for a bodkin was a safety pin. Once the design of the and secure the narrow goods. safety pin was enhanced to include a rounded leading edge, it made a workable bodkin. A piece of narrow Needlebooks in the nineteenth century often goods could be pierced with the pin tip, secured by included bodkins along with a variety of sewing closing the pin, and then drawn through the cas- needles. Packages of bodkins were also sold in the ing by the rounded leading edge of the pin. There nineteenth century wrapped in black paper to prevent are advantages to using a bodkin: Wider and heavier goods such as elastic will thread more easily on a 36 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

wide bodkin, the leading edge of the narrow goods won’t have holes from safety pins, and bodkins can be found in longer lengths than pins. As if that isn’t enough, bodkins can be beautiful! With all the bodkins in my collection, my go-to bodkin is a modern tweezer-style steel “threading tool” that grips the narrow goods. It is about 3 inches (8 centimeters) long and easily available in fabric shop notions departments. Today, ball-point needle styles are also readily available for nominal prices and can sometimes be found in sets. Bodkin Holders Christmas card complete with two bodkins. If the bodkin owner wasn’t wearing the bodkin, a case was helpful in keeping track of the bodkin and case are sometimes used interchangeably. Although protecting it from harm. Bodkins worn as jewelry some bodkins fit nicely in needle cases, others were were probably stored in jewelry cases. In the Victoria too large. Perhaps, if a bodkin fits, one can call it a and Albert Museum example from the seventeenth bodkin case. century, Martha Edlin kept her silver bodkin in her embroidered casket in one of the small drawers Ballou’s Monthly Magazine from 1882 describes among her other precious possessions. a pincushion/bodkin holder made in the form of a bellows. The maker used paper calling cards cut to Bodkin holders were made at home and were also shape and covered with silk. The outer edge was sold commercially. In many etui sets of gold and sil- stuck with pins, and the bodkin was inserted through ver, bodkins were included as an essential tool in the the center.3 fitted tool tray. Some of my favorite bodkin holders are home- Women and men carried bodkin cases in the sev- made and include embroidery. One such bodkin enteenth century. Hard-sided bodkin holders were holder is shown in the 1907 Moore’s Rural New- similar to needle cases and were often slightly Yorker column called Woman and Home.4 It is larger depending on the style of bodkin they were described as a cylinder roll made of flowered silk intended for. The terms needle case and bodkin ribbon, stuffed like a bolster pillow, and tied at the Sterling bodkin and holder set. Sterling incised with two sets of initials. “FR” appears in a heart, Mother-of-pearl bodkins. possibly a maker’s mark. On the side shown, “HB” appears in a Photos by Dawn Cook Ronningen more primitive hand-etched style. SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 37

ends. Bodkins are laid on the roll lengthwise and collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O11041/bodkin-unknown. decorative stitches hold the bodkins in place. Later 2. “Islamic Empire: Travel Narrative, Lady Mary examples of this style were made of skirt braid. They are sometimes found containing both sewing Wortley Montagu,” World History Commons, https:// needles and bodkins. Some colorful and artistically worldhistorycommons.org/islamic-empire-travel hand-embroidered bodkin holders were made and -narrative-lady-mary-wortley-montagu. sold at fairs and bazaars. 3. “The Ladies’ Own Page.” Ballou’s Monthly A circa 1920s full-page advertisement from antique Magazine, October, 1882, 394. dealers in London shows 21 bodkin cases made of fine porcelain, enamel, piqué, agate, or straw-work. 4. “Woman and Home.” Moore’s Rural New-Yorker, These holders were sold empty for the owners to add 66, no. 3010, October 5, 1907, 744. their own bodkins or to collect as-is. These examples are still sought by collectors today. ResouRces Next time you have a project that needs a narrow Beaudry, Mary C. Findings: The Material Culture of ribbon or tape pulled through a casing, I hope your Needlework and Sewing. New Haven, CT: Yale University bodkin is close at hand and helps your ribbon glide Press, 2007. through the opening with ease. ❖ DAWN COOK RONNINGEN is the author of Antique American Notes Needlework Tools (Schiffer, 2018). She is a collector, 1. Victoria and Albert Museum, Textiles and needleworker, teacher, and lecturer. She can be found on Fashion Collection, accession number T.453-1990, Instagram and Facebook sharing her collections and travels. Learn more at collectorwithaneedle.blogspot.com. Antique bodkin holders from Dawn’s collection. 38 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

Necessities A Rainbow of Possibility Protect Your Fingers Hand-dyed in numerous shades, Treenway Brooklyn Haberdashery’s uniquely shaped Silks ribbons are available in various widths thimble armors the tender parts of your finger while allowing room for longer nails to complement any project. The 65 Roses that would be limited by a standard thimble’s collection is extraspecial, as a portion of shape. brooklynhaberdashery.com the sales are donated to support cystic fibrosis research. treenwaysilks.com A Magnetic Personality Measured Consistency Available in various nature-inspired Tatted picots add a lacy effect, but shapes, Florals and Floss needle keeping them even can be quite the minders attach to your fabric challenge. Picot gauges help you stay without causing damage. These consistent with your motifs. This set from magnetic needle minders keep any TattingShuttles features nine sizes, giving small metallic tool close at hand, you tremendous versatility for any lacy from needles to stitch markers. floralsandfloss.etsy.com project. tattingshuttles.etsy.com A Delicate Touch of Nature Dried florals secured in resin decorate these ¾-inch shank buttons from Fern and Felt. The nature element in each piece makes them one- of-a-kind accents that add a unique touch to any handcrafted project. fernandfelt.etsy.com SUMMER 2022 P IECEWORK 39

Re-create an antique bodkin holder and keep your tools near at hand. Photos by Matt Graves 40 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

A Sweet Bodkin Holder DAW N COOK RON NINGEN My collection of needlework tools includes many project.3 It describes a small bolster-like cushion antique and vintage bodkin holders made from made of ribbon and stuffed to hold bodkins. “Every trim pieces. The bits of silk, cotton, and wool skirt woman who runs ribbon through her lingerie needs braid in a variety of sizes were likely leftovers later a bodkin holder that will keep that little necessity stitched into useful needlework companions. You handy.” The stitches are described as “herring bon- can use a variety of trims to make these bolster ing” and “cat-stitching.” The writer confirms that the pillow–like bodkin holders, which work best for bodkins are easy to slip under the stitching, yet the needle bodkins and narrow flat bodkins. The size of stitching holds them in place. the holder can be adjusted by varying the width of trim and the number of widths of trim repeated and Using modern floral trim and ribbon, I created by changing the trim length. a reproduction of an antique bodkin holder in my collection. Just like the makers of the nineteenth In the September 24, 1887, edition of Harper’s and twentieth centuries, I believe bodkin holders Bazar1 the House-Keeping Made Easy column make beautiful and practical gifts! Gather some includes a list of contents for a properly equipped decorative 3⁄8-inch (1-centimeter) ribbon or trim mending basket.2 On the list is skirt braid, sold in and have fun! rolls in a variety of colors. Skirt braid was a staple in many households from about 1870 onward. It was Notes used in long lengths around the bottom of a long skirt 1. The early spelling of Harper’s was Bazar, which to extend the wear of the skirt edge as it brushed the was later changed to Bazaar. ground. Scraps of braid as small as 4 inches (10.2 cen- 2. Christine Terhune Herrick, House-Keeping timeters) were used in this style of bodkin holder. Made Easy, “XVI: Shreds and Patches,” Harper’s Bazar, 20, no. 39, September 24, 1887, 663. In the 1907 edition of Moore’s Rural New-Yorker, a column titled Woman and Home includes a similar Skirt braid was a common workbasket necessity. Many of the antique bodkin holders Dawn has encountered were created with small pieces of similar braid. The original ribbon bodkin that inspired this project is shown at bottom. SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 41

3. Woman and Home, Moore’s Rural New-Yorker, Finished size: 2½\" (6.4 cm) in circumference and 5½\" 66, no. 3010, October 5, 1907, 744. (14 cm) long, including fringe. M at e r i a l s special stitches w 6\" (15.2 cm) of 2½\" (6.4 cm) double-sided cream- Buttonhole Bars: There are several ways of work- ing buttonhole bars. Here, a single “thrown” thread is colored satin ribbon worked where the bar is desired and tightened to the w 24\" (61 cm) of 3⁄8\" (1 cm) floral trim—four 6\" size needed for your bodkin. Secure with a half hitch. Then begin working buttonhole stitch over the thrown (15.2 cm) pieces thread. Secure when the thread is covered. w Cream-colored sewing thread w Embroidery floss to coordinate with the floral trim Visit pieceworkmagazine.com for a tutorial and further w Embroidery needle discussion of buttonhole bars and pieceworkmagazine.com w Straight pins w Fiberfill /abbreviation for terms you don’t know. w Two 10\" (25.4 cm) pieces of ½\" (1.3 cm) silk ribbon for end ties Pin the floral trim to the silk ribbon along the long Pin center trim pieces to ribbon 1/2\" (1.3 cm) from Embroider between the floral pieces. edge and secure with a running stitch. the ends. Secure with a running stitch. Close the long edge with an overcast stitch. Use a running stitch around the end to close Use embroidery floss to make buttonhole bars the bodkin holder. that hold a flat bodkin. 42 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

Tie a ribbon around the ends of the bodkin holder and ravel the ends of the trim Store a flat bodkin under the buttonhole bars. to create fringe. InstructIons Stitch 12–15 stitches per inch. Stop sewing within ½\" Using the 6\" (15.2 cm) piece of satin ribbon, pin a 6\" (1.3 cm) of the bottom. The side seam is now closed, (15.2 cm) piece of the floral trim 1⁄8\" (3.2 mm) from and the bodkin holder top can be closed. one long edge of the satin ribbon, aligning the short edges. Place the first pin ½\" (1.3 cm) from one of the Sew a running stitch around the top end of the short edges. The area ½\" (1.3 cm) from the short edge bodkin holder, ½\" (1.3 cm) from the top edge, to is the fringe top. gather the end closed. Pull the opening closed with the stitches and make a knot. Tightly wrap the extra Begin stitching at the ½\" (1.3 cm) pin mark. Use thread around the gathers to add strength. Knot and a running stitch to sew the trim to the satin ribbon cut the thread. along each side of the floral trim, stopping ½\" (1.3 cm) from the bottom short edge. The area ½\" (1.3 cm) from Fill the bodkin holder firmly with fiberfill to the bottom short edge is the fringe bottom. within ½\" (1.3 cm) of the bottom. Repeat with another piece of floral trim along the Stitch three evenly spaced buttonhole bars over opposite long edge of the satin ribbon. the side seam. Use 2 strands of the 6-ply floss in a color complementary to the floral trim. Hide the Center the last two floral-trim pieces between starting knot on the underside of the floral trim. the two along the edges. There will be more space Make the first bar 3⁄8\" (1 cm) wide at the halfway between floral-trim strips than at the sides. mark. Make the 3⁄8\" (1 cm) second and third bars 1\" (2.5 cm) above and below the center bar. These Again, beginning and ending ½\" (1.3 cm) from the bars will hold a ¼\" (0.6 cm) flat bodkin (wider than top and bottom edge, use a running stitch to sew the a needle bodkin). You can adjust the width of the long edges of the floral trim to the satin ribbon. bars as you stitch to accommodate the width of your bodkin. When all four pieces of the floral trim are sewn to the satin-ribbon ground piece, use two strands Close the bottom end of the bodkin holder as you of 6-ply embroidery floss to add herringbone stitch- did the top end. ing between the pieces of floral trim, starting and stopping ½\" (1.3 cm) from the short edges. The bod- Use the ½\" (1.3 cm) silk ribbon to tie a bow at kins slide under this stitching for storage. Vary the each end of the bodkin holder. Slip your assortment width in each row of stitching to accommodate vari- of bodkins under the rows of stitching and ous bodkin sizes. In this project, one row of stitching buttonhole bars. overlaps the floral trim, making a wider row of stitch- ing. Two others are stitched only in the satin ribbon, Fringe the ends of the bodkin holder by raveling forming a narrower band of stitches. the threads at each end. After the three rows of embroidery are com- DAWN COOK RONNINGEN is the author of Antique American pleted, you need to join the long selvedge edges of the Needlework Tools (Schiffer, 2018). To learn more about satin ribbon. Pin the wrong sides of the satin ribbon Dawn and her collections, visit collectorwithaneedle.blog together along the selvedge edges. With matching spot.com. Also find her on Facebook and Instagram cream thread, starting ½\" (1.3 cm) from one end of @collectorwithaneedle. the ribbon, use an overcast stitch to close the edge. SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 43

Margaret Macdonald The Other Mackintosh of Glasgow Style ISABELLA ROSSI Embroidered panel, linen embroidered with silk and metal threads in satin stitch and couching with silk braid, ribbon, silk appliqué, glass beads, and square linen buttons painted gold. The faces are painted in watercolor on white kid stretched over card. Photo courtesy of The Glasgow School of Art 44 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was an Textile design: circles, lines, checks, and dots for chiffon voile, architect and designer known as watercolor and gouache on brown tracing paper laid on cream paper. the father of Glasgow Style, a local This design was produced during the years the Mackintoshes were interpretation of art nouveau. When you living in London, 1915–1923. It is one of only a few known textile visit Glasgow, Scotland, today, you’ll be designs by Margaret Mackintosh, five of which, spanning the period struck by how much the city loves Charles, from the mid-1890s to the early 1920s, are in the Hunterian Collection. who was born there in 1868. Glasgow has © The Hunterian, University of Glasgow a huge mural of his face near the river, two tearooms dedicated to his work, and a re- celebrations of natural beauty, incorporated into creation of his home at the Hunterian Art everyday objects and pieces of art. Margaret Mac- Gallery. However, Charles was not the only donald was born in 1864 and attended the Glasgow local art nouveau artist, nor was he the only School of Art with her sister Frances. At the Glasgow Mackintosh who left a mark on Glasgow. School of Art, Jessie Newbery taught Margaret His wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, embroidery and the principles of the Arts and Crafts should also be remembered for her con- movement.2 Margaret and Frances then founded the tributions to textile and interior design. Macdonald Sisters Studio in the 1890s, where they created textiles, metalworks, and illustrations. Their Art NouveAu ANd art drew inspiration from Celtic imagery, nature, and GlAsGow style the art nouveau style. Art nouveau (also known as Modern Style in the Margaret and Frances Macdonald went on to United Kingdom) was a movement of art and design collaborate with Charles Rennie Mackintosh and popular from the 1890s until World War I. This style James Herbert MacNair, forming a group called the sought to reject the restrictions of traditional art “Glasgow Four.” The four artists met in the mid- and break down the barriers between art and craft. 1890s as students at the Glasgow School of Art. Their It can be identified by its frequent use of sinuous graphic and decorative arts designs went on to heav- lines, incorporation of natural motifs, and Japanese ily influence the development of the Glasgow Style. influence known as Japonisme. This movement began Unfortunately, the collaboration of the “Glasgow in Brussels, Belgium, but quickly spread around Four” was short lived. The group broke up in 1899 the world. Some notable people who contributed to when Frances married MacNair and the pair moved the art nouveau style are Alphonse Mucha, Louis to Liverpool. However, the artistic career of Marga- Comfort Tiffany, and Victor Horta. ret continued after the departure of her sister and brother-in-law. Glasgow Style was the Scottish interpretation of art nouveau. Popular around the turn of the last century, Glasgow Style centered on decorative arts and can be identified by its incorporation of natural and Celtic imagery. This movement centered around the Glasgow School of Art and is often associated with its most famous student, Charles Rennie Mackintosh.1 the life of MArGAret MAcdoNAld MAckiNtosh Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh is often remem- bered as the wife of Charles, but her own works in gesso, embroidery, and printed textile design were SUMMER 2022 P I ECEWOR K 45

In 1900, Margaret and Charles married. Unlike An antimacassar, designed in the shape of rose leaves with black her sister Frances, Margaret had no children, giving embroidery and decorative blue beads shaped like dewdrops, adorns her the freedom to continue her art. The Mack- a high-backed chair in the drawing room at Hill House. intoshes went on to travel and exhibit their work Photo courtesy of the National Trust for Scotland, The Hill House throughout Europe. Charles Rennie Mackintosh enjoyed a brief, but celebrated career as an architect Like other artists using the Glasgow Style, Margaret and interior designer. drew much of her inspiration from nature. Her works often contain geometric motifs of plants, especially Unfortunately, Margaret was overshadowed by roses, and animals such as peacocks. In addition to her husband for the rest of her life, and her work was creating textiles for interiors, Margaret also designed often attributed to her husband.3 There is little docu- printed textiles, including handkerchiefs. One of these mentation of their collaborations, so it is difficult to watercolor and pencil handkerchief designs shows determine who created what. However, Charles recog- how Margaret combined natural forms such as pea- nized her contributions, writing “You [Margaret] must cocks and flowers with geometric motifs.7 remember that in all my architectural efforts you have been half if not three-quarters of them.”4 It is known Many of her textiles are also focused on female that Margaret helped her husband with some of his figures. Like her depictions of nature, the women most famous designs such as the Hill House, House for that Margaret designed were abstracted and incor- an Art Lover, and the Willow Tea Rooms.5 porated geometric shapes. Although the individuals are not realistic, the elongated figures often have After her death in 1933, she was only remembered expressive faces.8 as a muse for her husband. Her own work was seen as inferior to her husband’s and was disregarded due Margaret was also inspired by her Scottish to her gender. Margaret’s art has only recently been surroundings and incorporated Celtic imagery. recognized for its merit and influence on other artists She was influenced by classic pieces of literature of the time. such as the Bible and The Odyssey, as well as more modern works by the poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti The Textiles of and one of the founders of the Arts and Crafts Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh Movement, William Morris.9 Although Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh’s art was overshadowed Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh worked in a by the career of her husband, we can continue to variety of media, including gesso, watercolor, appreciate and be inspired by her designs. graphic design, and metalwork. She also created embroidered panels and designed printed textiles Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh Today for the projects on which she collaborated with her husband. Today, we can see Margaret as an amazing artist whose achievements were not recognized due to her In keeping with the philosophy behind the larger art nouveau movement, Margaret did not separate fine art from decorative art as had others before her. The objects she created were designed to beautify homes and public spaces, rather than the walls of an art gallery. For example, Margaret and Charles collaborated on the interior design of Hill House. Antimacassars were pieces of cloth placed on the backs of furniture to protect upholstery from the Macassar oil men used in their hair. For Hill House, Margaret created antimacassars with boldly colored fabrics. She also used differently textured materials such as beads, ribbons, and cording to create three- dimensional, tactile objects.6 Rather than designing doilies that were typically used in Victorian homes, Margaret used her textile skills to create unique objects to adorn interiors. 46 P I ECEWOR K PI EC EWOR K M AGA Z I N E.C OM