Crewel
Contents
Jung Byun @onestitchmatters
Crewel work, crewel embroidery, or canvas work, is a very popular embroidery style among the members of my local needlecraft guild. There is at least one workshop offered on the subject every 2 years or so. Considering how open the style is to creative interpretation, it’s not surprising that’s the case.
About
Crewel work is typically done with two-ply worsted wool yarn, on tightly woven linen or linen twill. The thicker fabric holds the heavier threads and dense, firm stitches better than softer fabric can. Other types of fabric can be used, such as denim or light canvas materials, but the stitcher should test them on sample projects to see how they behave before embarking on a larger design.
Worsted yarn gets its name from Worsted, England, where it has been manufactured since the 12th century C.E. and continues to be to this day.
History
The Bayeux Tapestry is the oldest intact example of crewel embroidery. Recording the 1066 C.E. invasion of the Normans into England, this piece of historic textile was stitched on a 70 cm x 50 cm piece of linen. The threads have faded over the years, but when observed from the back, the original vibrancy of the original yarns can still be seen.
Wool yarns and linen cloth were the most locally available materials for stitching in England at the time as sheep and flax were in high production. Natural dyes were also local in nature, coming from plants and barks that produced oranges, yellows, browns and blues for the yarns used.
After the Tutor period, when more attention was given to creating more decorative items for domestic use, such as draperies and upholstery, more sturdy materials like wood yarns and stiff linens were sought after by local stitchers.
Due to Elizabeth the First’s establishment of trade routes to the east, designs started to be influenced by textiles and rugs that were coming back from voyages that had originally been meant to spice and tea trade. Silks, cottons and other foreign fabrics had painted and woven motifs with fantastic flowers that had leaves from different species of plants growing off the same stem. Exotic animals like lions, peacocks and giraffes were taken from these finer textiles and incorporated into the courser work of crewel embroidery designs.
A popular design coming from the non-Christian east was the tree of life. Often depicted as a tree growing out of several rounded mounds of green hills, this tree would have mismatched types of fruits and flowers coming off the trunk, with large leaves from different species of tree filling in the spaces between them.
Crewel embroidery came into its prime during the reign of King James VI. Due to its popularity, at this time it came to be known as Jacobodian embroidery, though that term fell out of favour decades later. Jacobean embroidery has its own distinct style, and is now considered a subset of crewel work.
With the flow of people coming out of England and into the Americas, crewel work travelled with them. There, the climate and economic isolation was harsher for colonists across the Atlantic. Fabric had to be woven and yarns needed to be spun by the stitcher before a design could even be considered. Simpler designs and better thread economy, as well as monochrome colour schemes, blue and white, were developed by these colonial women.
Today the designs for crewel work have evolved, but the sources of inspiration have remained the same. Elements of nature, flowers, plants, trees, and animals all continue to be worked into the motifs that stitchers use today.
As well as being handed down from parent to child, the skill of crewel work lives on through needle guilds around the globe, through workshops and project courses.
Spread to Other Countries
Techniques
Transferring the design onto the fabric happens before it is stretched for stitching. Several methods can be used to put the pattern on the material. More traditionally, the pounce method is used. This involves pricking a paper pattern of the design and then rubbing it onto the fabric through the paper with a powdered chalk or charcoal. Painting the lines with a fine watercolour brush makes the design more durable for a lengthy period of stitching. More modern methods also work, like wax hot iron transfers, washable fabric pens, trailer’s carbon, and even watercolour pencils, which would require a second go over with a wet paint brush, just like the pounce method.
Crewel work is usually executed on a taut piece of fabric, either in a round hoop for smaller pieces or in a square embroidery frame. When stretched in a frame, the edges of the backing material are bound to the wood with webbing and lacing. The tension is needed to make the firm stitches that are involved in crewel work.
With the fabric in a frame or hoop, the stitcher needs to have one hand working the needle from above, and the other from below the stretched fabric.
The designs that are used in crewel work are always open, meaning that just the outline of the shapes to be stitched are transferred to the fabric. This is done to allow the stitcher to fill in the design with whatever stitches and colours that their creativity leads them to choose.
The order of which areas of a pattern are stitched first goes from the elements that are in the furthest background to the ones closest in the foreground being completed last. This is to ensure that any elements that overlap over each other will stay in perspective.
Shading is used by changing the tone of a colour as it is being used to fill areas of the design. For this reason, it is important to decide from what direction the light is coming from within the design, so that the stitcher can know where to apply shading and highlights.
Type of Stitches
There are many varied stitches used in crewel embroidery. This probably is part of its lasting appeal. Room to grow an embroiderer's repertoire is very broad. Here are a few.
Split Stitch
This looks similar to a classic chain stitch but is actually a straight back stitch variant. With each forward stitch made along a row, the stitch is ended by bringing the needle down and through the last stitch made, splitting the thread of the previous stitch, half way up its length. This creates a chain-like effect.
Split stitch can be used to outline a filled area in a design, or be used as the first step in preparing an area to be stitched. With padded stitches, it is often used as the first stitch applied to help raise the next layer of stitches off the fabric. In this way, it is often never seen after the work is done, as it is worked over with more elaborate fillers.
Long and Short Stitch
This is a multi purpose filling stitch that can be used for leaves, flower petals and more densely coloured areas. The name of this stitch comes from the use of alternating lengths of stitches in one row, with the length of the short stitch bening typically ⅔ the length of the preceding long stitch. The rows of stitches that follow are worked into the row before, piercing the threads of those first stitches about ⅓ of the length up.
Colour shading is achieved with this stitch by changing tones mid way through rows, going from dark to light, then dark again as an edge in the design is approached.
Trellis Stitch
This is a laid style of stitch. It can be a very open filling stitch, as in it lets a lot of the backing fabric show through, or it can be filled in later with other more dense stitches.
Trellis stitch uses long straight stitches that cover an area with first evenly spaced parallel stitches, then a series of stretches that run at 90 degrees to those first stitches, worked over top, creating a trellis of open squares. Each square corner is then stitched down with either a slanted stitch, or a full cross stitch that crosses over the intercession in both directions.
The trellis can be filled with other decorative stitches like detached chain, fish bone or fly stitch.
Satin Stitch
Another filing stitch, satin can either be done on a slant, for more curving areas, or with horizontal or vertical stitches.
This filling stitch is good for smaller areas because it uses straight stitches that can gap or sag if too long.
Usually stitched over a line of split stitch that outlines the shape to be covered, satin stitching is a series of straight parallel stitches that lay very close to each other, and covers as much fabric on the back of the work as the front.
Padded satin stitch is a raised form of the same filling stitch. In addition to the split stitch outline, a series of smaller layers of satin stitches are worked within the space of the design, each larger and overlaying the previous layers, until the final layer is stitched over all of them, also covering the line of split stitch. The succession of layers, usually no more than three, gives the final layer a 3D effect.
Block Shading
This is similar to satin stitch, but is used where a series of similar design elements are piled on top of each other, like hill mounds, and would benefit from shading, for the effect of perspective.
Densely straight stitches fill one area, and the succeeding areas will have either lighter or darker tones worked in the same way, with each new layer overlapping the stitches of the preceding one about ⅓ up the length of stitches.
Burden Stitch
This stitch gives a textured look to a filled area, and is useful for adding colour when two shades of the same colour are used.
A series of long evenly spaced, horizontal, parallel fountain stitches are worked over the area. Then a different shade of that colour is used to create small vertical stitches that cross over two rows of the foundation with each stitch. Each successive stitch alerates one row up or down on the foundation, creating a sawtooth effect. Each row after will interlock with the row before. This creates a basket-like texture that leaves some of the foundation threads exposed.
Brick Stitch
Similar to long and short stitch, brick stitch is usually used for smaller rounded shapes.
To make the rows of stitching more even, the shape can be divided with equally spaced horizontal lines. Each stitch alterations with a stitch that extends over the first line, while the next is a long stitch that extends to the second horizontal line creating a comb effect. The next rows, while interlocking, do not split the stitches of the preceding row, but meet up with the stitches where they came out of the fabric.
Brick stitch is good for adding shading, as each new row is an opportunity to use a new tone of colour.
Button Hole
Getting its name from its practical function as the stitch used to reinforce buttonholes, this stitch can also be very decorative. Its distinct raised edge can be a two for one stitch, where it fills and creates an edge at the same time.
Used as a lighter fill for spaces, the buttonhole leaves more backing material exposed.
A series of evenly spaced straight stitches that are tacked down before the next stitch is made, with the ability to change the angle of the stitch as the shape of the design changes, the button hole stitch can fill a space quickly.
Herringbone
The herringbone, commonly used in hemming knit fabrics, or to edge pieces that can fray easily, this stitch usually runs in a continuous line, and the Xs overlap each other as both slanting stitches are made as the stitcher moves through the line of stitching.
It can be used as a very open filling for small leaves, or, if the stitches are placed very close together it can be a more dense stitch called closed herringbone.
The looser version can also have more colour added to by weaving a second thread through the stitches, called threaded herringbone. There is also the tied herringbone where each crossed stitch is tied down with a small slanting stitch.
Fish Bone
This dense stitch is good for filling leaves as it creates a textured vein down the centre of it. Bisecting the shape with a line from the tip of the leaf down to its end, the stitch is started with a small straight stitch down this line. Each successive straight stitch will cover over the design’s outline, cross over the end of the last stitch and the centerline, as it is worked alternatively from the left and right sides.
Seeding Stitch
Used as a light shading stitch, seeding stitch uses small straight stitches that are scattered in random directions throughout a space.
Leaf Stitch
Similar to fishbone, leaf stitch is a lighter stitch being worked with more broadly spaced stitches. Again working from the outline and centre lines as a guide, each overlapping stitch is spaced out, letting more backing fabric show though.
A variation of this is the Creten stitch, which is a hybrid of the leaf stitch and the buttonhole.
VanDyke Stitch
Usually used as an edging or border Van Dyke stitch is made up of a series of very flattened cross stitches that has an interweaving 3rd step that creates a spine like connection down the row.
Raised Stem Band Stitch
Useful for thicker stems or borders, this stitch uses a foundation of evenly spaced ladder stitches that have stem stitches woven into them. Shading can be used in this stitch by changing the tone of colour used in each successive row.
Functional or decorative stitches like running, back or stem stitches can be used for outlining or as foundation work before more complex stitches are worked over top.
Other decorative outline stitches that can involve knots and surface weaving are coral, couching, pekingese, chain, heavy chain, raised chain, pearl, and knotted pearl.
Quaker Stitch
Invented by the Quaker movement of the U.S. this stitch is great for letters within designs.
It is a modified stem stitch that pierces the preceding stitch. This produces a thicker cord like line of stitching.
There are many surface stitches to choose from. Surface stitches use more thread on the surface than on the back of a work.
Fly, feather, detached chain, french knot and its variant pistil knot, and bullion knot, are but a few that can be used to put finer details over existing filler stitching, or as stand alone stitches for plant tendrils.
Stitches in the round like woven wheel, and whipped wheel are nice for adding texture to small round areas. They are reminiscent of the Dorset and Yorkshire thread wrapped buttons.
Turkey Rug Stitch
Used as a bold filler, this stitch has a high pile that is much like a pom-pom. For a fuller effect, 2 or 3 threads can be used in one needle to cover the area more densely.
Style of Patterns
Traditional patterns from Elizabethian and Jacobodian times incorporate mixtures of fantastic flowers, fruits and leaves that sprout off the stems and trunks of plants that could not possibly host those mixtures of species. The tree of life is a typical example of this hodgepodge of plant life.
More modern patterns still take their inspiration from nature but may incorporate local plants and animals that may not have been considered important to stitchers centuries ago, such as snails, dandelions and carrots.
Materials
Fabrics:
Tightly woven linen or better, linen twill, which has a diagonal texture woven into it, are the traditional backing fabric of choice to crewel work.
Other closely woven fabric may be used such as denim or light canvas.
Threads:
Two-ply worsted wool yarn is traditional. Appleton is the top brand used, with the widest range of colours. Other brands that offer tapestry grade yarns also work well.
Modern stitchers have experimented with other fibres as well like silks and cottons. These can be inter-mixed with wool, as surface accents and embellishments.
Tools
Embroidery hoops of at least 12 inches circumference are good for smaller projects.
The inner hoop should be wrapped with an overlapping layer of bias tape. Once your fabric is mounted in the hoop, this helps to keep the fabric from being bruised or warped permanently from the strain of being taut for long periods of time.
Square embroidery frames are used to work larger pieces of fabric. Each parallel side of the fabric is attached to the frame with either webbing or cotton string lacing. Then the wooden frame is assembled and the material is tightened.
A mixture of chenille and tapestry needles are used. Chenille needles with their big eyes and sharp tips make threading the yarn easier, and poking the needle though the tight weave of the fabric easier. Tapestry needles, with their blunt ends are good for surface woven stitches as they slide under and over stitches without splitting them.
Thumels are never a bad thing to have on hand, as one hand will be working from the back and one from the front.
Good thread snips makes cleaning up loose yarn ends quick and easy.
Now a Days
Crewel work is still being done for household items like foot stools, decorative bell pulls and cushion covers and the long tradition as wall hangings is still alive and well.
Smaller projects may include book covers, bags and even clothing that may see more ware.
Conclusion
With the wide variety of stitches that can be learned in crewel work, this is a popular form of embroidery for the adventurous stitcher who likes variety and more manual control over how a design is worked.
While modern designs remain rooted in nature, innovative departures have evolved where large leaf and flower motifs have smaller leaves or flowers within them. Also whole landscapes are now being stitched in crewel, even using mixed media like painting and crewel techniques to add raised highlights to the scene.
Mixing and matching art media with historic textile arts is a sure way for crewel to stay an active part of the evolving world of embroidery.
References
Amor, Shelagh. “Crewel Embroidery : A Practical Guide.” Sally Milner Publishing,
2008.
Davis, Mildred J. “The Art of Crewel Embroidery.” Crown Publishers, 1962.
McDonald, Jacqui. “Essential Stitch Guide to Crewelwork.” Search Press, 2010.
Wilson, Erica. “The Craft Of Crewel Embroidery.” Faber, 1977.