deerfield embroidery

Wracking my brain here . . . I think it was "Piecework" (Taunton Press) that had an extensive article on Deerfield embroidery. Two sisters (I think) were known for the style because of their own dying process. Boy, it's been so long, I'm really sketchy on the details.

I'll see if I can dig out that article. Since I want to find one on knitting, it's a good reason to get off my duff and hunt.

Dianne

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote:

Lots of books from Deerfield village. DEERFIELD EMBROIDERY Author: HOWE. Published by POCUMTUCK VALLEY. Deerfield Embroidery, Margery Burnham Howe, '83 reprint, 232 pages, traditional patterns from Colonial Massachusetts, paper.

Price: US$22.95

I think this is the most famous one if I am not mistaken.

My favorite was Deerfield Blue and White by Gillian Moss however. barbie

Deerfield was a surface embroidery technique known mostly in the Massachusetts area. Usually done in blue (most available colour) the object was to produce stitching that resembled crewel but rarely wasted thread on the wrong side.

Most stitches are common to crewel but worked slightly differently.

Here's a site that can explain it better than I

The book named below is the book that I have - ISBN#: 684-14377-1 Seems to me that I saw it recently on a used book dealer's site.

The book is very thourough - starts with the history & traditons of this embroidery. The first projects were on linen, with linen thread - I got waylaid by the rest of the book, and haven't read enough to learn what those choices eventually translated to.

There are lots of designs to use in the book - very curvilinear (reminds me of rosemaling or jacobean crewel.) Crewel stitches are shown, but the stitching isn't limited to just those. The back of the book has a discussion of vegetable dyes and how to dye threads to achieve an authentic color.

Good book - you can really learn a lot from it, as well as admire the artistry of earlier embroiderers.

Thank you to all for your very helpful responses. Barbie, you mentioned other books other than the one by Margery Burham Howe. I haven't found many references to others! Are any of them recent?

I will keep hunting... Thanks!

Yvette

The Blue and White is really a nice book so don't forget that one by Moss.

Deerfield is a city in Massachusetts wherein two young women, Ellen Miller and Margaret Whiting, discovered some examples of colonial needlework in the 1890s, and took it upon themselves to reproduce the badly moth-eaten wool pieces found in the local museum, as a record of the work done before them.

They intently studied the stitches and learned to reproduce them with the intent to make one copy of each. To insure a longer life for these pieces than those they had found, flax was used for both the threads and fabrics.

Old pieces were traced and labeled if the maker was known. There were seven women whose work could be identified, so various designs were given names, such as Polly's parrot and Sarah's leaf.

This turned into quite an enterprise. The ladies searched the surrounding area for more information on patterns and designs of the colonial area, taking notes and photographs, and as word spread, their work came into demand. A small business was established, with many women offering to work and wait for their pay until the piece was bought. Meticulous records were kept as to who got paid for what work and how much.

Much study and experimentation went into the making of dyes for the threads, and at first, only indigo was used. Ellen became the expert, seeming to fully enjoy the experiments, taking lots of notes, and keeping up correspondence with various suppliers on the matter of available mordants, etc. By 1899, Mrs. Emmerine Henry had learned to dye threads, and became a noted expert in the field.

Over time, many different weights of linen were used, depending on the article being worked. Linen threads were purchased in several different sizes.

Stitches used were outline and stem stitches, honeycomb, cross stitches, herringbones, lattice, chain, satin, feather, blanket stitch, fly, seed, darning, coral stitch, and Rumanian stitch, a couching stitch which was always called New England stitch in Deerfield. To me, the designs resemble the Jacobean work that had been done in England in the late 18th century.

Within one year of the founding of the Blue and White Society, as the ladies named their enterprise, surrounding neighbors looked for arts and crafts to revive. The whole town, (almost), became caught up in reproducing items that had been made during colonial times, with skills all but forgotten by then, like work in precious metals and stones, basket weaving and braiding, and photography.

The "Deerfield Society of Arts and Crafts" was formed by 1899, composed of members representing each craft, and plans were underway for a yearly exhibit. This drew large numbers of interested tourists, businesses grew, and the ladies grew weary, though happy with the praise bestowed upon them for their excellent work.

Margaret kept a manuscript, describing the patterns, designs, and stitches found on the old pieces of work, and gathered all the information she could about the ladies who had done all the work. Embroideries were photographed and she kept these, too, with notations made on the backs.

During the First World War, orders for embroidery slowed, but the work continued for a while. In 1926 the Blue and White Society closed its doors.

Author: Snook, Barbara

Title: FLORENTINE CANVAS EMBROIDERY

Binding: Hardcover Book Condition: Very Good+ in Good dust jacket; Hardcover book & dust jacket in new protective cover. Owner name. Library markings. Historical examples from Deerfield Mass. 33 variations of stitch for 21 projects. Publisher: Scribners 1967 ISBN: 0684125021

That will get you started. Barbie

Well, now I don't have to go look up that article! You've covered it well right here. :-)

Dianne

P_B snipped-for-privacy@cox.net wrote:

Thanks Barbie! That is fantastic. There are obviously several resources out there that I should try to track down. I might start with my guild library.

Many thanks to everyone!

Yvette

You are more than welcome Yvette and if I see more I will post. barbie

Deerfield Blue Collection crewel wools Deerfield Embroidery has long been considered to be some of the most beautiful crewel work in New England. The Blue & White Society has promoted Deerfield Embroidery and continues to keep it alive, and you can, too! This collection of Blue hues from the Appleton crewel palette has been identified as the closest palette to the authentic colors originally used by the women in Deerfield. Price: $40.00

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