What technique was used to make this?

Discussion in 'Textiles, Needle Arts, Clothing' started by J Dagger, Feb 3, 2025.

  1. J Dagger

    J Dagger Well-Known Member

    Solely interested to know what technique is employed here? Framed so I can’t see the back. FB95B24F-ECF8-42C5-A49D-07464377C240.jpeg 14040824-7CBC-46EE-8FE8-C0A2CBE85E0B.jpeg
     
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  2. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

  3. J Dagger

    J Dagger Well-Known Member

    Thanks Debora. I’m horrible at ID’ing textile techniques. With any luck it will sink in one day.
     
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  4. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    These are more commonly than not made on pre-printed canvases. The reverse would tell you the expertise of woman who made the piece. (Doubt very high in this case.) The frame appears to be later.

    Debora
     
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  5. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    That's not needlepoint;it's cross-stitch. Each little box looks like an X. It may well be stamped or pre-printed.
     
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  6. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    I also see cross-stitch. Agree with likely pre-printed and not very well made, maybe by an older lady with bad eyesight and less control over her hands.
    It will be near impossible to clean and remove the stain.
     
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  7. Northern Lights Lodge

    Northern Lights Lodge Well-Known Member

    Hi everyone,
    What an incredibly fascinating piece!
    Yes, it is needlepoint and yes, there is cross stitch. Although, not as common as the traditionally used, single cross corner stitch; it was done. Usually done to create texture.

    It would be nice to see the entire piece, rather than just a bit... even if we can't see the back.

    My guess is that it is older than a pre-stamped piece; AND, I have a feeling that it was worked as cross stitch because the yarn fiber was too fine to fill the space with just one trip across.

    I also think that it was done by someone who did it in many sittings, rather than worked on it regularly... as there is such a lack of uniform stitches, and I get the feeling that the yarn wasn't uniform size from color to color.

    With needlepoint, the "beauty" of the work (for lack of another term) since the stitches are "suppose" to be worked all one direction... the light catches the stitches in such a way that it looks smooth and uniform. You strive for all the stitches to be worked the same, no matter if they are worked from lower left corner to upper right, or from upper left to lower right and if working cross stitch, the second layer of fiber would also be worked consistently. The same theory applies to cross stitch.

    I did exactly ONE large piece of needlework. It was very large, and pre stamped. The thing was, that if you aren't absolutely consistent with your stitch direction, it "REALLY" shows! I'm afraid that the above piece is a good example of that.

    What also seems clear, is that the fiber isn't all the same color or even the same size - which would be consistent if it was a "kit" situation. Granted, it is old and stained and dirty; but there are clearly places where it was worked vertically (like the cream lines to the left of the cottage) and other places where it was worked horizontally (like the large double row of lighter cream color above the cottage).

    There are also places where the top fiber hops over the proper corresponding hole and jumps into the next square.

    I pick up vibes that it was worked by two people. Without seeing the entire piece it is hard to say for sure; but if you look closely at the two photos - it seems that the bottom 1/3rd (the mostly color area) "SEEMS" to be worked a little bit more consistently than the rest, being, mostly the cream area - which seems pretty haphazard. Perhaps as @Any Jewelry suggested it was done by an older lady. Perhaps she started it much earlier, and finished it many years later. I also feel it was worked by someone with poorer vision...

    What ever the true story, I expect we shall never know...but I found the piece very interesting!

    You didn't say what you planned to do with the piece. It's appearance "might" be improved with careful washing, blocking and more improved framing; with mat boards placed so that the textile isn't resting against the glass. Then again, that is a daunting task!

    Just my 2 cents...
    Good luck with your very interesting piece!
    Cheerio,
    Leslie
     
  8. DragonflyWink

    DragonflyWink Well-Known Member

    I started doing needlework as a kid, by my teens was proficient enough at needlepoint to do samples for the packaging photos on very complicated kits that entailed multiple stitches and varied yarns. Was going to express pretty much the same as Northern Lights Lodge has written so eloquently, will only say now that it was clearly done by unskilled hands, and believe it's optimistic to believe anything could make it look better...

    ~Cheryl
     
  9. Northern Lights Lodge

    Northern Lights Lodge Well-Known Member

    Thanks Cheryl! I'm afraid you are probably right about thinking anything could make it look better. It might be "cleaner"... but it won't change the stitches.
    Cheerio,
    Leslie
     
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  10. J Dagger

    J Dagger Well-Known Member

    Onterestong! Needlepoint and cross stitch. I was actually going to ask about the inconsistency in the stitching (vertical/horizontal). Something looked odd to me I just didn’t know why. Since you were interested below is the entire image. I purchased a lot of framed textiles at auction and this was included. Some of the other work was nicer. Someone liked this enough to frame it though. It’s charming I guess but it didn’t look very refined to me either. 7CC6D7F4-93F6-4E92-97E0-3BD1EFBC2550.jpeg
    Thanks for all the great replies everyone.
     
  11. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    That's very sweet. And old. 1860s-ish. Could be the work of a child. A girl, of course. Her brothers would have been out riding horses or some other less sedentary activity. Could/would you post a photograph of the piece including frame from front and back?

    Debora
     
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  12. J Dagger

    J Dagger Well-Known Member

    B05C435A-2FEE-44C2-B53E-15F9079BED07.jpeg 51CB2C70-6112-4720-BD33-5C2D1C6A5806.jpeg
     
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  13. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Thank you. Very sweet. Bet there was an original to that image.

    Debora
     
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  14. Northern Lights Lodge

    Northern Lights Lodge Well-Known Member

    Oh!!! This just adds so much CHARM to the piece! Now I "would" go to the bother of trying to clean and frame it properly! It IS older! I agree @Debora probably sometime, mid-1800's? At this point, I'm guessing that a child worked it.. and it was framed because Mother was pleased! I wonder if you will find initials or a date under the frame... LOVE IT! When it was just the cottage... it didn't do much for me... but NOW... with the whole scene... mistakes and all...it is just CHARMING!!!

    Did anyone notice that the blue "sea" is lower on the right than the left (and I don't think that is due to framing it wrong). It looks like the sea on the right was actually worked a couple rows lower than on the left... easy to miss if you are a youngster! Is she holding a puppy?

    If you do go to the bother of unframing, cleaning and reframing... please let us know how it turns out and new pics of course. This just keeps getting better and better!

    I wonder if the "original color" will be more vivid under the frame or on the back side. I suspect it is the original frame. Unless it is at least initialed and dated; it would probably never be worth a lot... but, I see the value in...believe it or not...the mistakes!!!

    I think you have a real treasure there! :)
    Cheerio,
    Leslie
     
  15. Northern Lights Lodge

    Northern Lights Lodge Well-Known Member

    Some thoughts on the backside photo: If you compare how the canvas is "pulled" on the front side; to the small nails that appear to be poking out on the backside.. strikes me that it is actually nailed into the frame. I also don't see what "looks" like it could be extra fabric on the back - which would have been either turned under or left extending past the nails. Unfortunately, as IF there is some sort of hem... it would have been a place for initials or color comparison. Still, I think the frame is original and that the paper has been replaced. And it just occurred to me... there appears to be no glass! Another reason why it may be the original frame and why it is muted...not only light...but dust and dirt.

    Truly a fun piece, with a great story to tell!
    Cheerio, Leslie
     
  16. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Very likely.
     
  17. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

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  18. DragonflyWink

    DragonflyWink Well-Known Member

    Nice to see the entire image, it does have appeal when not focusing on the workmanship. Would agree with mid-19th century Berlin-work, needlepoint often worked in cross stitch, done using printed, colored graphs, numerous patterns offered for sale...

    berlin-work-pattern-1977-Swedish-Handcraft.jpg

    berlin-work-stitches-1980-Book-of-Samplers.jpg


    ~Cheryl
     
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