Embroidery Thread thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Embroidery Thread


Morris & Co. embroidery kits were sold with the design painted onto soft cotton cloth, known as ‘Manchester cloth’.This has a suitably open weave, allowing embroiderers to define the design with stem stitch and cover areas of ground quickly with darning stitch using the silk threads or ‘twist’ supplied by Morris & Co from their Merton Abbey workshops. Sufficient thread to complete the design was supplied wrapped in tissue paper bundles. According to a Morris & Co. catalogue 'Embroidery Work', of about 1912, when bought separately, thick twist and floss silk cost 6d per skein, thin twist 4d. Thread was also sold by the ounce (20 skeins) or by pound weight. Occasionally, filoselle, a type of stranded silk, was also used.


Object details

Category
Object type
Brief description
Silk embroidery thread, light green
Credit line
Given by Jill Ford
Summary
Morris & Co. embroidery kits were sold with the design painted onto soft cotton cloth, known as ‘Manchester cloth’.This has a suitably open weave, allowing embroiderers to define the design with stem stitch and cover areas of ground quickly with darning stitch using the silk threads or ‘twist’ supplied by Morris & Co from their Merton Abbey workshops. Sufficient thread to complete the design was supplied wrapped in tissue paper bundles. According to a Morris & Co. catalogue 'Embroidery Work', of about 1912, when bought separately, thick twist and floss silk cost 6d per skein, thin twist 4d. Thread was also sold by the ounce (20 skeins) or by pound weight. Occasionally, filoselle, a type of stranded silk, was also used.
Collection
Accession number
T.162-2016

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Record createdJanuary 17, 2017
Record URL
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