History Of Cross Stitch

Needlework has a long and glorious worldwide history, spanning centuries and taking many different forms.

The oldest pieces of work, dated from around 850 after CB came from Central Asia. But the real cross-stitch history starts in the Middle Age. It was proven that between the 10th and 13th centuries, the castellan, when waiting for long times, were copying charts from rugs that their husbands were bringing back from Orient between two crusades.

Stitched patterns were ornaments, geometric by nature, on the edges of feminine and masculine clothing. During the historical period called "renaissance" in Europe, cross stitch was spread all over Europe, and became one of the basis of feminine education, favored by the catholic church that used all kind of stitch works for its own ornaments.

The sampler is born during this period of time, and is originally a piece of cloth where the young ladies trained themselves while stitching Greek letters, flowers and religious symbols.

The samplers stayed in the families from generations to generation, pile up, and became some real encyclopedias that can be consulted to find a pattern for an on-going work.

Most often in linen, the clothes were stitched with strands of silk or wool in the same color tones, because the cotton was still rare in Europe at this time and colors not yet available in commerce.

Patterns were placed on the cloth by chance, and the samplers didn't have yet the beautiful final aspect they will have latter on.

In 1500, the first printed patterns appeared. They came mostly from Germany and Italy, and, in 1586 was published in France "La Clef des Champs", a leaflet containing patterns of various simplified flowers and animals inspired from Oriental designs and symbols.

The " Red revolution " started during the 17th century with the arrival in Europe of new natural, cheap and easy to use dyes coming from America and allowing the dying of strands in red.

All the cross-stitch works became red on a white cloth. Women started to learn how to write, and the samplers were a way to exercise themselves with 1, 2, 3 or even 6 different alphabets stitched on the same cloth. Around the letters were added flowers and religious symbols: the samplers started out being a real peace of art.

The patterns became more complicated during the 18th century, less simplified and more realistic, and during the second half of the century, cross stitched landscapes appeared.

During the 19th century, in conjunction with the development of the textile industry and the diffusion of women magazines, and of hand-colored schemes, cross-stitch became the passion of this century, learned at school and practiced by women from all social classes.

For the first time ever, the canvas Penelope were sell, and favored with their small count, half stitches and small stitches.

In 1886, Therese de Dillmont, upper class woman from Vienna, already a member of the Academy of stitching of Marie-Therese, and creator of a school for stitching with applied classes and publications, associated with Jean Dollfus, successful man in the field of textile industry starts the DMC firm. Translated in 17 languages, 2 millions copies of the cross-stitch encyclopedia written by Therese de Dillmont were selled. But the end of the century was also the end of cross-stitch. It disappeared and subsisted only in schools for a few more years.

Women preferred different needlework that allowed more freedom, and copy the movements of the patterns named Liberty. They loved the white embroidery and this will last until the end of the Second World War.

Then women were engaged in the quest of the century, that will bring them to be equal to men, They did not want to stitch any more and are certainly a little bit ashamed of this very feminine occupation.

In 1980, cross-stitch came back in a very strong way with new and fresh designs, either funny or realistic. Women fell in love again!