A crewel encounter

Opening a drawer in the Great Hall at Crathes Castle revealed some hidden gems: three pieces of linen, beautifully embroidered in the Jacobean style. It’s likely that these pieces of cloth would once have been part of bed hangings. The embroidery technique used is crewel work. ‘Crewel’ is the old Welsh word for wool, with which the stitches are made. Ascribing a date to these panels required thinking about the history of crewel work embroidery.

Threading through time

The earliest and most well-known example of crewel work is the Bayeux Tapestry, although the technique would have had earlier, more humble beginnings. The technique became extremely popular in the period of Elizabeth I, and went on to gain even more popularity during the reign of James VI. His formal title of Jacobus Brittaniae Rex was adopted for the embroidery style of the time, and this is when crewel work and Jacobean work became synonymous.

Many grand houses were built and furnished in the 17th century. Fabric, imported by the (English) East India Company, was rich in colour and exotic in design. These imported fabrics provided inspiration for needlework, as embroideries incorporated images of elaborate flowers, birds and animals, flowing branches and foliage.

Early Jacobean embroideries were monochromatic and used a limited number of stitches. As the availability of dyes grew, the embroideries included more colour in an attempt to emulate the imported fabrics. As the designs and use of colour became more complex, so did the content of stitches. Opulent embroidered cloths were used for bed hangings, curtains, cushions and upholstery.

Towards the end of the 17th century crewel work designs moved away from all-over patterns and instead featured a collection of motifs. The stitching became less varied and more delicate. The flowers depicted within the designs tended to be inspired by native plants, rather than the exotic.

With the dawn of the 18th century the popularity of crewel work diminished and silk became the favoured thread. Embroideries became more naturalistic, and shading with yarns became popular. Sophisticated aspirations, often inspired by paintings, challenged the skills of most needlewomen. The 19th century saw a revival in more simplistic crewel work techniques, fuelled by the work of designers such as William Morris.

The clues are in the content

The pieces of embroidery discovered at Crathes Castle include, in a number of places, three holly leaves. This provides a clear link to the Burnett family, who have these three leaves in their crest.