XIV - XV Westphalian Counted Thread Bag.pdf - Saczki - dalilah

Documentation – Apprentice Piece for WCOB

14 th /15 th Century Westphalian Counted Thread Bag

Category: German Counted Thread

Background on Extant Example

This work is a replica of an extant piece held by the

Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Dress and

Textiles Department, Frame I-9, Cat. # 8699-1863

The main source of information for both the

documentation and pattern for this bag comes from

research done by Timothy J. Mitchell, published in

the article, “A Stitch Out of Time” -

http://www.flash.net/~wymarc/asoot/west.htm

Figure 1 - Extant 14th/15th Century

German Bag

The bag measures approximately 3 3/8 inches by 3

3/8 inches. The bag is made from a single piece of

fabric (not identified, but probably linen), with a

seam at the bottom and up one side, embroidered

with satin stitch using polychrome silks. No

drawstring survives, but there are holes in the band

at the top, which indicate that there was a

drawstring (which was common to similar pieces of

the time) 1 . At the top of the bag is a tape; this may

be a binding or the top of a lining (the piece could

not be examined closely enough to determine the

nature of the tape/lining).

There are several examples of this style of work still existent today. Most have several features

in common 2 :

• Materials are usually an even-weave linen ground fabric worked with polychrome silks

and linen thread.

• Patterns are usually repetitive, geometric designs, irrespective of use (i.e. religious or

secular).

• A limited palette of colours was used, usually no more than 5 per piece, often in strong

but muted colours that resulted from the use of natural dyeing techniques.

Due to the nature of the piece (a bag decorated with a repeating, geometric design), there is

little indication of its specific use. It could easily have been used in either a religious or secular

setting. The only indications that the materials give to the nature of the piece is that the maker

(or ultimate owner) of the piece to have some wealth.

1 Mitchell – “A Stitch Out of Time – 14 th and 15 th Century German Counted Thread Embroidery” -

http://www.flash.net/~wymarc/asoot/stitch/pata.htm

2 Mitchell - http://www.flash.net/~wymarc/asoot/stitch/sect2.htm

Jane Stockton – Barony of Mordenvale, Kingdom of Lochac – jane_stockton@webcon.net.au

Materials and Techniques

I have tried where possible to use as original materials as possible, in this case using 28ct even-

weave linen for the ground fabric and Madeira stranded silk for the pattern stitching. I have

changed the colours slightly, to add a bit more interest. However, after seeing the finished

piece, I would probably use less strong colours next time especially for the yellow (I would use

a more mustard colour for the yellow). I did make one substitution. I was unable to access

suitable linen thread for the white portion of the pattern. I have therefore substituted white silk

thread for this section of stitching.

The stitch generally used for this type of work is referred to as German brick

stitch, the unique feature of this stitch is that the stitch goes through the same

threads twice as in Fig2 – B 3 . However, in the original piece that this

submission is based on, the stitch is worked only once per thread as in Fig2 –

A. Therefore the piece is worked in what would more accurately called a

satin stitch. This is how I have worked the stitch in the submission piece.

After experimenting with various numbers of threads, I found that using 4

strands of silk thread gave the most even and pleasing coverage per stitch.

The bag was worked on a small, rectangular roller frame using a pattern that

I drafted myself. Although Mitchell 4 does supply what he calls a pattern

sheet, it does not include enough detail to work the piece. Mitchell provides

a large panel of stitching, but this is not on a grid, so makes it very difficult to use as a stitch

guide, he does provide one motif on a grid but this doesn’t include surrounding and joining

patterns. As such, I used this pattern sheet as the basis for the more detailed one that I drafted

(which included a colour chart and complete stitch diagram not found in Mitchell).

Figure 2 -

Stitch Guide

Notes

While the original piece

has no drawstrings or

strap, holes in the tape

binding at the top

would indicate that

there were drawstrings

at some stage. Mitchell

hypothesises that the

number of holes

suggests a double

drawstring. Using this

as a starting point, I

made two 4-strand braid

drawstring. However,

after constructing the bag, I found that a double drawstring just didn’t work. The amount of

stitching makes the bag very stiff. Adding either a lining 5 or tape edging adds to this stiffness. I

would suggest that a single drawstring, when pulled, gives a concertina closure, which holds

closed very well. I suggest that Mitchell’s comment about the bag skewing to the left 6 would

support this idea, as the bag would, whenever closed, always be pulled slightly to one side.

Figure 3 - Completed Embroidery Panel Before Construction

3 Mitchell, http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ewymarc/asoot/stitch/sect3.htm

4 Mitchell, http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ewymarc2/Y001A.jpg

5 While there is no indication of whether or not these types of bags were lined, logic would dictate that a lining be

used to prevent any contents of the bags being caught on the back of the embroidery.

6 Mitchell, http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ewymarc/asoot/stitch/images/gemb01b.gif

Jane Stockton – Barony of Mordenvale, Kingdom of Lochac – jane_stockton@webcon.net.au

Bibliography

Bridgeman, Harriet; and Drury, Elizabeth, (eds). – “Needlework, an Illustrated History”,

(London: Paddington Press, 1978)

Gostelow, Mary, - “A World of Embroidery”, (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1975)

Mitchell, T – “A Stitch Out of Time – 14 th and 15 th Century German Counted Thread

Embroidery” - http://www.flash.net/~wymarc/asoot/stitch/pata.htm

Stanisland, Kay. – “Medieval Craftsmen: Embroiderers”. (London: British Museum Press,

1991).

Figure 4 - Completed Bag

Jane Stockton – Barony of Mordenvale, Kingdom of Lochac – jane_stockton@webcon.net.au

XIV - XV Westphalian Counted Thread Bag.pdf

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