Redwork Stitching

Image courtesy of:  Gumbo-Lily Blogspot

Redwork is thankfully enjoying a revival! Redwork originated in the late 1870s at England's Royal School of Art Needlework in Kensington. Redwork took it's name from  an embroidery thread known as Turkey Red. The cotton thread that Redwork was worked with was popular among the common people because the cotton thread was colorfast, and it less costly than the silk threads commonly used at the time. The designs were easy to embroider, many students used a simple outline stitch for their designs which became known as the Kensington Stitch named after the school. Today that stitch is referred to as backstitiching or outline stitching. Redwork requires a knowledge of simple stitches like the stem stitch, French knots, and the back stitch.

Many girls practiced their embroidery stitches on "penny squares," a square of white cotton that had a design stamped on it and cost a penny, as did the red floss. As this fabric and floss was inexpensive it was given to girls to practice doing their stitch work. Red stitches most commonly covered quilts, coverlets, dish towels, bureau scarves, pillow covers, mantel covers and other household items. 

In the United States Redwork can be traced back to the late 1800s. Common designs were children, animals. Nursery rhymes, fruits, and vegetables. The stamped images had different meanings. Horse shoes were a sign of good luck and angels ensured the safekeeping of children, and each flower had a secret meaning. Girls in the United States would buy the penny squares in small muslin sheets sold in catalogs or at local dry good stores.

After WWI Redwork began to lose popularity. Most likely because women had access to colorfast embroidery threads that  were available in many other colors and machine sewn clothing and household linens were cheap enough to be purchased.


Books you can find in the Central Library's Art Collection. Click on the covers to see more information about each title.