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Gift of Hannah Whittlesey, 1840.7.2  Photograph by David Stansbury. © 2010 The Connecticut Hist…
Crewel Embroidered Fragment
Gift of Hannah Whittlesey, 1840.7.2 Photograph by David Stansbury. © 2010 The Connecticut Historical Society.
Photographs and all rights purchased by the Connecticut Historical Society.

Crewel Embroidered Fragment

Embroiderer (American, born 1701)
Date1742
MediumHand-stitched embroidery; crewel wool on plain-weave linen
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width): 26 3/4 x 3 3/4 in. (67.9 x 9.5 cm)
ClassificationsTextiles
Credit LineGift of Hannah Whittlesey
DescriptionLinen fragment, or band, hand-stitched with crewel, or two-ply worsted wool, on a plain-weave linen ground. The wool on the band is in many colors, including light medium and dark blue, red, light and medium pink, yellow, green and blue-green. The band is decorated with an undulating vine with large and small flowers and leaves on the vine. The band is constructed of a single strip of linen. The right edge is the selvedge. The top, left and bottom edge have a single-turned hem that is not stitched; portions of the hem are not folded. The design was outlined in black ink prior to embroidery.

Stitches: The pricipal stitch on the band is outline; it also includes satin, encroaching satin, long and short, and buttonhole.

Condition: Areas of the crewel wool are missing from almost every element of the design. The wool has faded on the front. The ground is missing or has holes in two major areas toward the left side of the band; these holes correspond to the location of crewel embroidery that is now missing. The ground is creased.
Object number1840.7.2
On View
Not on view
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