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Berlin woolwork

Embroidery

Berlin woolwork

Berlin woolwork

Berlin woolwork is a form of hard-wearing needlepoint embroidery in which a single type of stitch is worked on canvas fabric. Characteristic of this style is the use of patterns printed on ‘point’ paper, with squares corresponding to the squares on the canvas. Mostly available as affordable single sheets when they were first produced in Berlin in the 1800s (hence the name), these patterns sold in large numbers, creating something of a craze in Victorian Britain. By 1840, more than 14,000 had been imported into the country. Traditionally, many bold shades of wool were used to create three-dimensional effects that made striking furniture coverings and cushions for the Victorian home.