Documentation  Apprentice Piece for WCOB
14th/15th Century Westphalian Counted Thread Bag
Category: German Counted Thread
Background on Extant Example
This work is a replica of an extant piece held by the
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Dress and
Textiles Department, Frame I-9, Cat. # 8699-1863
The main source of information for both the
documentation and pattern for this bag comes from
research done by Timothy J. Mitchell, published in
the article,  A Stitch Out of Time -
http://www.flash.net/~wymarc/asoot/west.htm
The bag measures approximately 3 3/8 inches by 3
3/8 inches. The bag is made from a single piece of
fabric (not identified, but probably linen), with a
seam at the bottom and up one side, embroidered
with satin stitch using polychrome silks. No
drawstring survives, but there are holes in the band
at the top, which indicate that there was a
drawstring (which was common to similar pieces of
the time)1. At the top of the bag is a tape; this may
Figure 1 - Extant 14th/15th Century be a binding or the top of a lining (the piece could
German Bag
not be examined closely enough to determine the
nature of the tape/lining).
There are several examples of this style of work still existent today. Most have several features
in common2:
" Materials are usually an even-weave linen ground fabric worked with polychrome silks
and linen thread.
" Patterns are usually repetitive, geometric designs, irrespective of use (i.e. religious or
secular).
" A limited palette of colours was used, usually no more than 5 per piece, often in strong
but muted colours that resulted from the use of natural dyeing techniques.
Due to the nature of the piece (a bag decorated with a repeating, geometric design), there is
little indication of its specific use. It could easily have been used in either a religious or secular
setting. The only indications that the materials give to the nature of the piece is that the maker
(or ultimate owner) of the piece to have some wealth.
1
Mitchell   A Stitch Out of Time  14th and 15th Century German Counted Thread Embroidery -
http://www.flash.net/~wymarc/asoot/stitch/pata.htm
2
Mitchell - http://www.flash.net/~wymarc/asoot/stitch/sect2.htm
Jane Stockton  Barony of Mordenvale, Kingdom of Lochac  [e-mail] 1
Materials and Techniques
I have tried where possible to use as original materials as possible, in this case using 28ct even-
weave linen for the ground fabric and Madeira stranded silk for the pattern stitching. I have
changed the colours slightly, to add a bit more interest. However, after seeing the finished
piece, I would probably use less strong colours next time especially for the yellow (I would use
a more mustard colour for the yellow). I did make one substitution. I was unable to access
suitable linen thread for the white portion of the pattern. I have therefore substituted white silk
thread for this section of stitching.
The stitch generally used for this type of work is referred to as German brick
stitch, the unique feature of this stitch is that the stitch goes through the same
threads twice as in Fig2  B3. However, in the original piece that this
submission is based on, the stitch is worked only once per thread as in Fig2 
A. Therefore the piece is worked in what would more accurately called a
satin stitch. This is how I have worked the stitch in the submission piece.
After experimenting with various numbers of threads, I found that using 4
strands of silk thread gave the most even and pleasing coverage per stitch.
The bag was worked on a small, rectangular roller frame using a pattern that
Figure 2 -
I drafted myself. Although Mitchell4 does supply what he calls a pattern
Stitch Guide
sheet, it does not include enough detail to work the piece. Mitchell provides
a large panel of stitching, but this is not on a grid, so makes it very difficult to use as a stitch
guide, he does provide one motif on a grid but this doesn t include surrounding and joining
patterns. As such, I used this pattern sheet as the basis for the more detailed one that I drafted
(which included a colour chart and complete stitch diagram not found in Mitchell).
Notes
While the original piece
has no drawstrings or
strap, holes in the tape
binding at the top
would indicate that
there were drawstrings
at some stage. Mitchell
hypothesises that the
number of holes
suggests a double
drawstring. Using this
as a starting point, I
Figure 3 - Completed Embroidery Panel Before Construction
made two 4-strand braid
drawstring. However,
after constructing the bag, I found that a double drawstring just didn t work. The amount of
stitching makes the bag very stiff. Adding either a lining5 or tape edging adds to this stiffness. I
would suggest that a single drawstring, when pulled, gives a concertina closure, which holds
closed very well. I suggest that Mitchell s comment about the bag skewing to the left6 would
support this idea, as the bag would, whenever closed, always be pulled slightly to one side.
3
Mitchell, http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ewymarc/asoot/stitch/sect3.htm
4
Mitchell, http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ewymarc2/Y001A.jpg
5
While there is no indication of whether or not these types of bags were lined, logic would dictate that a lining be
used to prevent any contents of the bags being caught on the back of the embroidery.
6
Mitchell, http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ewymarc/asoot/stitch/images/gemb01b.gif
Jane Stockton  Barony of Mordenvale, Kingdom of Lochac  [e-mail] 2
Bibliography
Bridgeman, Harriet; and Drury, Elizabeth, (eds).   Needlework, an Illustrated History ,
(London: Paddington Press, 1978)
Gostelow, Mary, -  A World of Embroidery , (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1975)
Mitchell, T   A Stitch Out of Time  14th and 15th Century German Counted Thread
Embroidery - http://www.flash.net/~wymarc/asoot/stitch/pata.htm
Stanisland, Kay.   Medieval Craftsmen: Embroiderers . (London: British Museum Press,
1991).
Figure 4 - Completed Bag
Jane Stockton  Barony of Mordenvale, Kingdom of Lochac  [e-mail] 3