Mountmellick

Mountmellick embroidery is a form of whitework surface embroidery originating from the town of Mountmellick in County Laois, Ireland in the early nineteenth century. It is traditionally worked on a heavy cotton jean which has a slight sheen, using a thick, matt cotton yarn.

The technique uses naturalist floral designs, frequently featuring blackberries and other hedgerow flora local to the area. Stylistically, it is very different from most other whitework techniques: it does not feature openwork or eyelets, relying purely on textured, surface stitches which quickly cover the ground fabric. The stitches are employed for their three-dimensional effect, they are often raised, sometimes through padding, and for all of them majority of the thread remains on the surface of the fabric.

The technique is traditionally used on household items rather than garments.