historische Stücke

The tulip is one of the main elements in Schwalm whitework designs. Tulip shapes can be modified indefinitely. They have also undergone changes in Schwalm over the centuries.
This blog post aims to trace this in broad outline.

While the tulip figures in early Schwalm whitework were were multi-

Detail from a parade cushion border – 18th century

and often small-part,

Detail from a door hanging border – 18th century

the filling patterns that were now in fashion required more space.

Detail from a bed covering, dated 1793 – Museum of the Schwalm in Ziegenhain

With the rise of Schwalm whitework toward the end of the 18th century, tulips were usually depicted in a single piece and in medium sizes. Smaller tulips were also available to fill the spaces. The bases of the tulips were usually only slightly rounded, often straight. The upper edges were slightly curved, rarely showing deeper incisions. The shapes varied – from long and narrow to wide-opening at the top to short and wide.

Detail from a bed covering, dated 1793 – Museum of the Schwalm in Ziegenhain

There have also been occasional split tulip shapes.

Detail from a bed covering, dated 1793 – Museum of the Schwalm in Ziegenhain

Initially they had a drop shape in the calyx,

Detail from a bed covering, dated 1823

but soon heart and

Detail from a parade cushion border, dated 1821

tulip outlines were added as calyx designs.

Detail from a parade cushion border, dated 1821

While the tulips were initially mostly medium-sized, very large motifs were added in the following decades.

Detail from a parade cushion border, dated 1804

Detail from a parade cushion border, dated 1842

Often their proportions were not adapted to the other motifs.

Detail from a parade cushion border – 19th century

Detail from a parade cushion border – 19th century

All of these representations remained constant throughout the 19th century.
It wasn’t until the 1920s that they changed significantly. Examples can be seen in the next blog post.

Many of the elements used in the parade cushion border (B) originate from early Schwalm whitework. So also some surface filling patterns, which were here often combined with withdrawn-thread patterns.

Separate articles are provided for two of these withdrawn-thread patterns.

Filling Pattern No. 563
Filling Pattern No. 564

One of the cushion designs shown in the previous post has met with great interest among my blog readers. Therefore, I now show this embroidery in detail. It is about a very special and rarely found Schwalm border pattern. It was embroidered on a parade cushion. The pillowcase is about 200 years old. It measures 45 cm X 82 cm. At 24 cm x 80 cm, the border occupies more than half of the cushion plate.

It is essentially early Schwalm whitework.
Coral Knot stitches are hard to find. But in addition to surface filling patterns, there is also a couple of withdrawn-thread patterns.

In addition to heart, tulips and sunflower, there are many other flowers, pomegranates and leaves in various forms. Some stems are kept wide and elaborately decorated. Blanket stitch eyelets are arranged in the shape of grapes. Instead of spirals, there are often intricate tendrils.
Not only the tree of life structure emanating from the basic vessel is interesting, but also the cross formations surrounded by the branches.

The embroidery also includes some very interesting filling patterns, which will be discussed in a separate article.

Schwalm Parade Cushion Border(A)
Transition from Early to Later Schwalm Whitework (1)
Transition from Early to Later Schwalm Whitework (2)
Transition from Early to Later Schwalm Whitework (3)

Long ago, it was common to work samplers containing manifold Schwalm techniques and to use them as door hangings. Today, people also like to use hangings – mostly wall hangings – to show off Schwalm techniques they think most important and most interesting. There are a wide variety of such samplers.

Here are some examples (three traditional and two contemporary pieces); I will describe them in detail step by step and from left to right.

The traditional pieces are characteristically longer than the contemporary samplers. The old pieces measure about 30–40 cm in the width and 1.90–2.00 m in the height. Because people back then were not as tall as people today, I doubt these were actually used as door hangings. Regardless of whether they were hung in the door way or on the wall, they were hangings.

Also distinctive are the lace edgings found at the bottoms of the hangings.

The oldest piece of my collection – at the far left – dates back to 1801 (or possibly 1810). Its full length is not pictured – the top part is unembroidered linen.

It has a needle-weaving band below the year and a Sprang lace on the bottom edge.

In the middle a small whitework border was stitched bordered by needle-weaving bands having the same patterns as the bottom band.

The whitework border includes only circle shapes that are outlined with 2 short-2 long, Blanket stitch scallops, and knife points. Small flowers worked with half-eyelet scallops, rounded leaves, and tendrils can also be seen. All motif fillings are openwork patterns; the far right motif includes the letter “G” (and possibly there is the incomplete letter “A” in the far left motif).

A Cross stitch crown, initials, and small rectangular ornaments complete the embroidery.

The second from the left is a small door hanging from 1845. It includes openwork bands with endless patterns. These types of openwork bands were rare in the Schwalm – openwork bands were usually decorated with figured patterns. The door hanging also includes a whitework border, initials, the year, and a Cross stitch crown stitched with two colours – again, a rarity. Detailed pictures can be seen in the article Historical Schwalm Whitework and Machine-Made Lace.

All filling patterns are openwork. Pointed Blanket stitches, rounded and pointed leaves, tendrils, curved lines, Blanket stitch eyelets (partly outlined with Eyelash stitches), and cross motifs can all be seen. The hem was secured with Four-Sided stitches.

The hanging third from the left does not include a year. It shows two small borders designed with circles and a few Coral Knot lines and tendrils. All filling patterns are openwork and the outlines are Blanket and Satin stitch scallops. Between the borders a needle-weaving band was placed. The needle-weaving section is an extra piece that was inserted between the two embroidered linen pieces.

Peaholes were worked twice – bordering the needle-weaving band and bordering the inserted section.

The hanging includes a Satin stitch crown, initials, and small Cross stitch ornaments.

At the top a small border was worked along the Peahole hem. Small circles – outlined with Satin and Blanket stitch knife points – were further embellished with openwork fillings, pointed leaves, and wide stems worked with slanting Blanket stitches. Pairs of mirrored tendrils and triple scallops alternate along a Stem stitch line.

At the bottom a Sprang lace was attached.

It is interesting to see the manifold Schwalm whitework techniques of the particular era in these old pieces

I will present in detail the contemporary hangings in a future article.