Federal era America

Believe it or not this is on topic!!!
Does anyone know what needlework is appropriate from this era--1790-1820 or
so-- ?
I am doing the living room in my new home in Federal.Sheraton/Hepplewhite
furniture --already ordered from Southwood who does reproduction work-- and
want to add needlework now.
I was told needlepoint rugs were used durign the era but alas, all I have done
are William Morris style and wrong..figures!

"BDS2pds" wrote ...
And a second question; would work such as blackwork be done during that
era? I already have all of the Elizabethan series by Leon Conrad in my
stash.

While waiting for the real experts here to advise you, I suggest that since
blackwork was popular well before that era, pieces would have been around
as heirlooms.
Dawne

Best references I have:

Mildred Davis "Early American Embroidery Designs" Crown Publishing 1969
Mildred Davis (Ed) "Embroidery Designs 1780-1820" Crown Publishing 1971

Think Crewel wools, whitework in heavy threads on coverlets (Mountmellick
sorts of work), flame stitch (bargello) and of course some nice period
samplers.

Linn
"BDS2pds" wrote in message
...
Believe it or not this is on topic!!!
Does anyone know what needlework is appropriate from this era--1790-1820
or
so-- ?
I am doing the living room in my new home in Federal.Sheraton/Hepplewhite
furniture --already ordered from Southwood who does reproduction work--
and
want to add needlework now.
I was told needlepoint rugs were used durign the era but alas, all I have
done
are William Morris style and wrong..figures!

Although Catherine of Aragon was given the credit for introducing Blackwork
or "Spanish Stitche" during that time, it had, in fact, been used in England
for many years prior to her arrival.

Pat P.

"BDS2pds" wrote in message
...
And a second question; would work such as blackwork be done during that
era? I
already have all of the Elizabethan series by Leon Conrad in my stash.

Does anyone know what needlework is appropriate from this era--1790-1820 or
so-- ?


Samplers, so try these two sites and on each you will check the century you
want. The date the sampler was stitched, or if the date is not on the sampler
the general date, will be given in the information about the sampler. Also, if
you have not worked a sampler, most of the time the degree of difficulty will
be noted. I like to get the charts and kit them myself because I do not like
the fabric from either of these places. If you have any questions, just e-mail
me. I love samplers and have worked a bunch. Boo

www.scarlet-letter.com
www.theessamplaire.com

I know samplers were the mainstay of the period (just did a quick google
search and came up pretty empty handed). But wasn't crewel (thinking
Deerfield and the European tradition at that time) popular as well?

I have a book on textiles of the period, but it's not just "American".
Dianne

Linn Skinner wrote:
Best references I have:

Mildred Davis "Early American Embroidery Designs" Crown Publishing 1969
Mildred Davis (Ed) "Embroidery Designs 1780-1820" Crown Publishing 1971

Think Crewel wools, whitework in heavy threads on coverlets (Mountmellick
sorts of work), flame stitch (bargello) and of course some nice period
samplers.

Linn
"BDS2pds" wrote in message
...

Believe it or not this is on topic!!!
Does anyone know what needlework is appropriate from this era--1790-1820

or

so-- ?
I am doing the living room in my new home in Federal.Sheraton/Hepplewhite
furniture --already ordered from Southwood who does reproduction work--

and

want to add needlework now.
I was told needlepoint rugs were used durign the era but alas, all I have

done

are William Morris style and wrong..figures!

Does anyone know what needlework is appropriate from this era--1790-1820
or
so-- ?



Alas, the Federal period was not a good one for the display of needlework in
the formal living room. Furniture Colonialists or Victorians would have
covered in needlepoint or crewel -- arm chairs, foot stools, fire screens --
the Federalists upholstered in woven fabrics, usually damask solids or two
color stripes from France. You don’t find a lot of pattern in Federalist
rooms, and what there is is pretty subdued, tone-on-tone or sprigged motifs,
except on the floor. They liked Persian and Aubusson rugs (also from France,
whose textile makers were richly rewarded for their country’s support of the
Americans during the Revolution). But, the preference was for room sized rugs;
in fact fitted carpets, also invariably boldly patterned, began to appear in
private homes for the first time toward the end of this period, made affordable
by mechanized looming.

Samplers were certainly done in quantity by Federalist ladies, but not for
display in public rooms. Rather, they were used as stitch and pattern sources
and kept rolled up in the workbasket for reference, not framed and hung in a
place of honor. Huge quantities of other embroidery was also produced, but
mainly for embellishing household linen and clothing. (Have you considered a
Federalist bedroom or dining room?)

However, though embroidery wasn’t done *for* the parlor, it was often done
*in* the parlor. Contemporary drawings of interiors often include needlework
floor and table stands, high quality pieces of furniture as well made as any
other in the room. With this in mind, I think you could display almost
anything you liked in your Federalist living room, as long as you put it on
stretcher bars attached to a good stand. Leon Conrad’s blackwork would be
just fine. A lady of the time would certainly have been familiar with the
double running stitch and would know something of most counted and free style
embroidery techniques.

Another possibility: The Federalists liked contemporary art, especially
portraits. Jefferson’s Monticello is filled with portraits of his friends.
So, you might see if there’s a chart available of one of Gilbert Stuart’s
portraits of George Washington or another Founding Father and replicate it in
cross stitch for your living room.

Annie

Thanks Annie! You are a wealth of info and a blessing! bdiane

Thanks kindred spirits for your help. I do believe crewel might have been
proper lynne-- Erica Wilson did a great deal with it during the 70's-- at least
I think that was her name-- and Williamsburg has a lot of it. I researched
again this afternoon and it appears the needlework was indeed not displayed in
the parlor--boohoo-- so perhaps I will forgo that room for needlework. I
ordered 3 Sheraton large lolling chairs in federal colors geometric pattern to
go in front of each thin tall window, one inlaid Hepplewhite settee with a
butter yellow brocade and a variant of the Sheraton fabric to go on an inlaid
Hepplewhite small oval back chair for the finish. The rest will have to come
later. I was hoping that if I included all three from the period-
Sheraton,Hepplewhite, and federal Phyfe then I would have better luck with
finding antique small things to stick in due to the three different leg types,
The
Sheraton has curvy legs, the hepplewhite quite straight etc.
You have all been great. The Morris things are going in the bedroom Sheena.
Since it is my last house I have gone a bit nuts.
I did the dining room in Georgian, the keeping room in Colonial with windsors,
the Living room in Federal and the bedroom in European. They are all from the
same period historically.
The crazy living room started because I collected a lot and I mean a LOT of
jasperware from Wedgwood and that was historically started during this period
called neoclassical.
It has been quite a year. We gave up on building after blueprint torture,
bought a house on contingency after giving up on finding a usable Georgian
home ,that was really an interesting French style without seeing it from the
islands, got back and there was water in the basement so cancelled. Started
late to find something and ended up in a new transitional. It is not my cup of
tea architecturally outside but the inside is Federal in nature with lots of
fluting and trim work. The thing we did give up was a yard. This one is .16
acre and we have never lived on so little a lot before ever ! What we had to
do to buy in the historic city........