Phillipa Turnbull’s crewelwork designs are based on the original needlework she finds in the British castles and country houses that she has spent her career exploring.
In the United Kingdom during the Victorian era, it’s commonly called a pilch; in the United States, it’s called a diaper soaker. Either term is applicable for the small wool handknitted, or hand-crocheted, cloth diaper cover.
Spin Off Winter 2019 included an article chronicling Sarah Wroot’s adventures in weaving handspun singles, fulling cloth with a wooden mallet, and more as she re-created an eighteenth-century textile.
Preserved among the records of The Foundling Museum, site of the former London Foundling Hospital, is what is now recognized as the largest collection in Britain of everyday textiles from the eighteenth century.
One of the most fascinating things about the Weldon’s Practical Needlework collection is the contrast between outdated oddities and classic fashions that have endured through time.
Recently Archaeologists have unearthed what is now the world’s oldest trousers.
The tool that enabled people to knit quickly and to knit while standing and walking was the knitting sheath. Knitting sheaths varied in quality, workmanship, shape, and decoration.
Donna Druchunas’ Gobi Desert Socks were based them on the pair of knitted socks purchased on a trip to Mongolia by Long Thread Media’s founder Linda Ligon.
The Winter 2018 issue of PieceWork dives into the rich history of needlework and includes projects inspired by literature, vintage craft magazines, and more.
Inspiration for a pair of knitted socks can be found just about anywhere, including in the pages of a popular historical fiction novel!