Redwork Embroidery for Quilters

Redwork

Not long ago, I began hearing alot about Redwork. It was the first I had heard of it, or at least the first time I had ever paid attention to it. I was intrigued. I began to search for information on the internet and found some very interesting and informative sites. Some even offered free patterns!

What is redwork? Redwork is simply outline stitch embroidery worked on muslin using red embroidery floss. What does that have to do with quilting? The blocks can be sewn into pillows, quilts, and wallhangings!

A reader from Alabama sent this information:

History of redwork comes from the 14th century or before, and was more popular as blackwork, same idea, but black stitches. This stitching was believed to be popular first in Spain, then came to England with Catherine of Argon. It probably was KNOWN in England before her coming, but she made it popular by her wearing of it. Both redwork and blackwork at that time was done in the blackwork or double running stitch. this stitch leaves the same design on both sides of the fabric. Another name for the stitch is the Holbin Stitch, because he was the 14th century painter who recorded some of the stitching on clothing of the gentles of the time.

The advantage of the double running stitch is two fold, it is a neater not an overlapped stitch like the outline, can give a finer line on the face, and the back of the fabric is not messy with stray stitches that can show through the white or natural fabric.

Most surviving examples of the Spanish work were geometric shapes, and thought to be done as counted stitch work, so there is a mistaken belief that all Spanish work was counted. Spanish work in the 14th century had come to be counted stitch work, but the examples in Gostelow's book (Isbn 0-486-40178-2), especially in panels and coifs, are not of 'counted work'. A good percentage is very much so free-form embroidery. One piece has the design "Penciled on" and stitched over. Linthicum says that black work
(freeform black on white embroidery) and Spanish black work (counted stitch work) are differentiated in written accounts. She also says that the secular use of embroidery on clothing began to be extrememly popular in the 14th C. "Embroidery was used on the costume of all who could afford it--kings or squires alike--...."p145. Catherine of Aragon did indeed make blackwork popular, but Chaucer describes it in the Canterbury Tales, and he
is 14th C.

Black work was also done in red and blue, but black was the one most often recorded. This early, embroidery thread was either silk or wool.

Here are some of my favorite Redwork sites:

Free Patterns:

Connecting Threads - Two free redwork projects.

LYLMster's Dozen - Free block of the month patterns. Primitive country designs.

Patches Etc. - Several free redwork patterns.

The Moses House - Free pattern.

Three Stitches at a Time - Free pattern.

Patterns for Sale:

Betty Alderman Designs - Redwork and Bluework patterns.

Redwork.Info - A popular line of redwork patterns for sale.

The Calico Cat - Redwork patterns for sale.