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Crewelwork

Also known as Jacobean work, Jacobean crewelwork, Crewel work

Crewelwork is a style of surface embroidery using wool thread.

A wide variety of different embroidery stitches are used to follow a design outline applied to the fabric. Crewelwork was particularly popular in early seventeenth century Britain and it is often referred to as Jacobean work or Jacobean crewelwork. Designs from this period often featured stylised floral and animal designs with flowing vines and leaves.

Traditionally, crewelwork is embroidered on tightly woven linen twill stretched on a frame or hoop.

Related Techniques

Further Reading

RSN Essential Stitch Guides: Crewelwork - Large Format Edition by Jacqui McDonald
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Online RSN Courses

Introduction to Jacobean Crewelwork
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Crewelwork Stitches

Arrowhead stitch Back stitch Back stitch trellis Basket filling stitch Battlement couching Block shading Brick stitch Bullion knot Burden stitch Buttonhole stitch Chain stitch Chequered chain stitch Chevron stitch Closed herringbone stitch Cloud filling stitch Coral stitch Couching Cretan open filling stitch Cretan stitch (closed) Cretan stitch (open) Cross bar filling trellis Cross bar with link trellis Detached chain stitch Detached wheatear stitch Double herringbone stitch Ermine stitch Feather stitch Fern stitch Finishing stitch Fishbone stitch Fly stitch Four-legged knot stitch French knot Heavy chain stitch Herringbone stitch Holding stitch Interlaced cross bar Knotted pearl stitch Laid work Leaf stitch (surface) Long and short stitch Long-tailed daisy stitch Open chain stitch Open fishbone stitch Outline stitch Padded satin stitch (laid work padding) Padded satin stitch (split stitch padding) Pearl stitch (variation) Pekinese stitch Pistil stitch Portuguese knotted stem stitch Quaker stitch Raised chain band stitch Raised stem band stitch Reverse chain stitch Running stitch Satin stitch Seeding stitch Slanted satin stitch Spaced buttonhole filling Split stitch Stem stitch Straight stitch Tete-de-boeuf stitch Trellis Turkey rug stitch Turned satin stitch Up and down blanket stitch Van Dyke stitch Wave stitch Whipped back stitch Whipped running stitch Whipped wheel Woven wheel