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point de Cordova icon
point de Cordova

  • Cordova stitch
  • veined points
  • veined pyramids
point de Cordova main image

Point de Cordova weaves thread around the intersection of a net ground to form a raised woven triangle.  Historically, it is worked as part of the guipure d’art tradition, but it could be worked on a cutwork grid or even a trellis.  Thérèse de Dillmont indicates that it can be worked between gridlines by wrapping the thread vertically to create a central line - see the image at the end of the entry for a diagram.

The stitch first appears in print in 1870 when it features in Beeton’s Book of Needlework.  The origin of the name is unclear, but presumably references the city of Cordoba in southern Spain.

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Woven Reversible Embellishment Guipure d’art

Point de Cordova is generously sponsored by Diana Stephenson

Method

Although the stitch is traditionally worked on a net ground, this version has been worked on a trellis in order to show the working method more clearly.  Whichever is chosen, it is easier to work on a taut ground so the stitch can be pulled tight.

The stitch is worked by wrapping the thread diagonally around a central intersection, working alternately from right to left and vice versa.  To do this the needle is taken under it in the opposite direction from the direction of travel.

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1
point de Cordova method stage 1 illustration
point de Cordova method stage 1 photograph
1

Bring your thread up in the bottom right hole and then slide it under the top central gridline from left to right.

2
point de Cordova method stage 2 illustration
point de Cordova method stage 2 photograph
2

Wrap it around the central gridline and then slide it under the left horizontal gridline from top to bottom.

3
point de Cordova method stage 3 illustration
point de Cordova method stage 3 photograph
3

Bring your thread up in the bottom left hole and then slide it under the top central gridline from right to left.

4
point de Cordova method stage 4 illustration
point de Cordova method stage 4 photograph
4

Wrap it around the central gridline and slide it under the right horizontal gridline from top to bottom.

5
point de Cordova method stage 5 illustration
point de Cordova method stage 5 photograph
5

Continue wrapping the thread in this way, alternating the left and right sides around the central gridline to build up a triangle.

6
point de Cordova method stage 6 illustration
point de Cordova method stage 6 photograph
6

Finish by sliding the needle through the base of the point de Cordova and cutting the thread.

7
point de Cordova method stage 7 photograph
7

The reverse of point de Cordoba.

point de Cordova

Structure of stitch

Woven Reversible

Common uses

Embellishment

Embroidery Techniques

Guipure d’art

Identifying point de Cordova

This stitch can be identified by the woven triangle which it forms.  The front shows the threads alternately overlapping in the centre to form a solid area; the reverse shows the threads being whipped around the centre which resemble one of the spokes from a whipped wheel.

References

Examples of point de Cordova

Thérèse de Dillmont’s veined points

Thérèse de Dillmont's Complete encyclopedia of needlework shows the stitch worked between gridlines.