Full Record |
| Object Name |
paper herringbone stitch sampler |
| Date |
1970s |
| Brief Physical Description |
Two samplers of herringbone stitch in cartridge paper and tissue paper worked onto a rug canvas ground covered with tissue and painted. |
| Object Description Information |
Two samplers mounted on a larger sheet of parchment style paper that has a translucent quality. Both samplers feature herringbone stitch worked in cartridge and tissue paper into a large gauge rug canvas ground that has been covered with tissue paper coloured with watercolour or dye. The paper used in the stitching has also been coloured with paint or dye and is a mixture of white cartridge paper, tinged at the edges with blue and variably dyed blue tissue. |
| Accession Number |
4964 |
| Subject |
embroidery, textile education, sampler, experimantal stitch, creative embroidery, paper, british |
| Measurements |
900mm x 110mm [sampler one], 80mm x 130mm [sampler two] |
| Number Of Items |
1 |
| Materials Used (aat) |
paper, cotton, paint |
| Content And Subject Information |
Students taking the Embroidery course at Goldsmiths College under Constance Howard during the 1960s were encouraged to experiment with textile techniques at all times. Students begun by learning the basic traditional method of work and then applied their imagination. Constance Howard and other members of staff at the time would ask to use student samples for the books that they were writing. It is possible that this sample is illustrated in one of Constance Howard's books.
Towards the end of the time that Constance Howard was Head of Department at Goldsmiths College and during the period when Audrey Walker took over there was a tremendous explosion of exploration of the nature of textile. Constance Howard's Department had started out as a Department of Embroidery and in so doing had been revolutionary in its approach, not training its students for a specific job and a place in the commercial world but encouraging them to explore as far as they could within the realm of embroidery as art. Towards the end of her period as Head of Department, Constance's students began to realise that there was much more to textile than embroidery and they started to push stitch out as far as they could. Eventually, under Audrey Walker this changed to the broader umbrella of Textile and the department was renamed. In so doing permission was given to push the boundaries even further. This brave pioneering time provided a platform for the current embracing and spearheading of an international movement in Textile Art and produces some remarkable textile artists along the way. |
| Production Information |
Created as an experimental sample in an educational situation as part of a course in embroidered textiles at Goldsmiths College. |
| Rights |
Goldsmiths, University of London. Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles |
| Style Period |
modern style, student embroidery sample |
| Techniques Used (aat) |
herringbone stitch, applique |
