Elizabethan Embroidery Resources

Below is a list of books on Elizabethan and Blackwork Embroidery. Several of them are out of print and therefore available only through interlibrary loan, a book search service, or other used book retailers. The copyright and publication information for some of the resources are incomplete; if you can add to the information below, please email Email me.

The resources below are divided into three sections: General Embroidery Resources, which contains books about all aspects of historical/elizabethan embroidery, Blackwork Embroidery Resources, books specifically about the blackwork embroidery technique so popular during the 16th century, and Online Resources, a listing of websites about 16th century embroidery. Note that many of the books in the General Embroidery Resources section also have pictures of and information on Blackwork Embroidery.

Almost all of the books below have listings at Amazon.com, where you can find out more information about them and order them if you wish.


General Embroidery Resources

Arthur, Liz, Embroidery 1600-1700: At the Burrell Collection, Pub. 1995

Ashelford, Jane Dress in the Age of Elizabeth Holmes and Meyer Publishers, Inc. 1988

Beck, Thomasina, Gardening with Silk & Gold: A History of Gardens in Embroidery, Sterling Press, 1998

Beck, Thomasina, The Embroiderer's Story: Needlework from the Renaissance to the Present Day, David & Charles UK, 1993.

Benn, Elizabeth ed., Treasures from the Embroiderer's Guild Collection. Pub. Embroiderer's Guild, 1993

Bunt, Cyril, Tudor and Stuart Fabrics (pub. & date unknown)

Campbell, Etta Linen Embroidery London: B.T. Batsford, 1957.

Cunnington, C.Willet. & Phyllis, Handbook of English Costume in the 16th Century. London: Faber and Faber Limited, MCMLIV (1954)

Digby, George Wingfield, Elizabethan Embroidery (pub & date unknown)

Drysdale, Rosemary, Pulled Work on Canvas & Linen. 1978.

Gostelow, Mary, The Complete International Book of Embroidery. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1977.

Guild, Vera P., Good Housekeeping New Complete Book of Needlecraft. New York: Good Housekeeping Books,

Kendrick, A.F., English Needlework. 2nd Edition. London: Adam and Charles Black, 1933, 1967.

King, Donald and Levy, Santina, The Victoria and Albert Museum's Textile Collection: Embroidery in Britain 1200-1750, Abbeville Press, inc. (1993)

Nicholas, Jane, Stumpwork Embroidery: A Collection of fruit, flowers & insects for contemporary raised embroidery, Sally Milner Pub., 1996

Petersen, Grete, Stitches and Decorative Seams. trans. by Carol Schroeder. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1956.

Snook, Barbara, The Creative Art of Embroidery. New York: Hamlyn, 1969.

Swain, Margaret, The Needlework of Mary Queen of Scots. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1973.


Blackwork Embroidery Resources

d'Averoigne, Ianthe, The New Carolingian Modelbook, Outlaw Press (date unknown).

Drysdale, Rosemary, The Art of Blackwork Embroidery. 1975.

Dye, Daniel Sheets, Chinese Lattice Designs, New York: Dover, 1974. (originally published as A Grammar of Chinese Lattice by Harvard University Press, 1937) this book per se has absolutely nothing to do with needlework, but the lattice patterns can be used to create blackwork diaper patterns, borders, and motifs

Geddes, Elisabeth, and Moyra McNeill, Blackwork Embroidery. New York: Dover Publications, 1985

Gostelow, Mary, Blackwork. London: B.T. Batsford, 1976

Pascoe, Margaret, Blackwork Embroidery, Design and Technique. London: B.T. Batsford, (date unknown)


Online Resources

Leed, Drea & Harris, Karen, 16th and 17th Century Coifs

Marmor, Paula Katherine, The Blackwork Embroidery Archives

Victoriana.com, Elizabethan Applique: Late 16th Century "Slips"

Leed, Drea. An Annotated List of Sources for Elizabethan Costuming


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