 1 : 3 different attempts at blackwork collars based on documented patterns used in Norway up to modern day. Similar or the same patterns were charted in the 16thC and were used at least as early as the 13thC. As can be seen on extant textiles from Germany (bottom of the page for links to a selection).
2 patterns, 3 linens, black chinese silk. Weave seam/pattern darning/smaug/smyg - lots of names, same stitch. It's the most common stitch used for norwegian blackwork. |
 2 : One of the collars from above in combination with what will eventually be a 17thC shirt for my son. I am still struggling with the problems of finding suitable linen, linen-cotton or cotton fabric to at least partly reproduce the surface of extant linen shirts from the 16th and 17thC. Machineharvested linen is too slubby compared to handharvested linen and is horrible when doing counted embroidery or surface embroidery of this kind. I have found some promising linen-viscose that hopefully will solve my problems though.
2 different types of linen, black chinese silk. Weave seam/pattern darning/smaug/smyg - lots of names, same stitch. It's the most common stitch used for norwegian blackwork. |
 3 : Trial and error while looking for a collar pattern for my own 1660's shirt. These patterns can be found on a german sampler dated 1500-50, and on a norwegian 19thC shirt in the V&A , Museum number 797-1884.The two attempts on the right looks too much like pillow embroideries popular 20-40 years ago to feel comfortable.
Carol Hansson has charted a lot of the patterns found on this sampler here : Designs, Period.
Chinese silk on linen. Crosstitch. |
 4 : More patterns from the german 1500-50 sampler.
Carol Hansson has charted a lot of the patterns found on this sampler here : Designs, Period.
Chinese silk on linen. Crosstitch. |
 5 : The left one is from a sampler, but which one ? The pattern on the right is an attenpt to work out the necessary thickness of the silk thread and how many linen threads pr. cm fabric to make the collar pattern from an extant norwegian 17thC silk embroidered linen shirt in the V&A.
I have charted 2 alternative collar patterns and part of the chest pattern for the shirt. And might even get around to recreating the shirt if I find the right linen fabric.
Chinese silk on linen. Crosstitch. |
 6 : I finally settled on a collar pattern from the above mentioned german sampler. The original has yellow flowers instead of red. As the norwegians kept a marked preference for medieval color combinations and patterns far past the renaissance, I chose this color combination instead.
I chose the pattern because it was a distinctive renaissance use of an old medieval flower pattern, while not being used for collars today in Norway. |
 7 : A better close up photo to see the stitches and the pattern.
Crosstitch , 2 strands of green and red Zwicky silk with a cream colored chinese silk to fill in the background.
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