EMBROIDERY SAMPLES

Yesterday I went and visited the Designmuseum in Copenhagen. It was the last day of
the exhibition Rococo Mania. I’m so glad I took the time to go, as it was a wonderful exhibition. It was put together by three women.
Old pieces from the collection of the Designmuseum and some of there own work.

I feel in love with some embroidered samples. Here in Denmark they are called a “Navneklud”.

Name of cloth, embroidered pattern collection, made ​​from 1500-t. in Europe. The motifs are alphabets and number sequences to use for marking linen and various kinds of borders and religious and secular symbols, which were copied from the printed pattern books. Name cloths were also learn cloths for young girls from the higher strata of society, they are often dated and bearing the girl's name or initials and her ancestors. The cloths are sewn with silk, wool or linen yarn in plain weave wool, linen or cotton.

The early examples show a variety of techniques; later cross stitch the most common stitches, and name cloths reflects current idiom.
In Denmark, they were especially made ​​from approx. 1700, from around 1800 as part of school needlework lessons. Letters and numbers were the predominant motives and about. 1850 took over mass-produced embroidery patterns navnekludens role as publisher. They performed a few more decades to learn rags and experience in the late 1900-s. a renaissance as genealogies for christening etc.

The pieces were stunning.

The photos I have taken is through glass and with not so good light, but I still hope it’s possible to get a feeling of the wonderful world
of the “Navneklud” here in Denmark, all these many years ago.