AN INITIATIVE OF CRAFT REVIVAL TRUST.  Since 1999
Crewelwork

Embroidery

Crewelwork

Crewelwork

Crewel, Crewelwork, Embroidery

A rich and elaborate form of embroidery that is at least 1,000 years old. Its name comes from crewl, the fine, two-ply wool yarn that is used to make it. A wide range of stitches is used to outline and then fill in the colourful motifs that make striking use of both shading and texture. In England in the late 17th- and early-18th centuries, crewelwork was fashionable for decorating furnishings such as bed hangings and curtains. Designs originating in this period were heavily influenced by Indian textiles imported by the East India Company, which were characterised by bright and exotic patterns of highly stylised flora and fauna.