Stuff You Missed in History Class
"Embroidery History Sampler, Part 2"
Hosts: Holly Fry & Tracy V. Wilson
Date: January 21, 2026
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts
Overview
This episode is the second part of the embroidery history "sampler," in which Holly and Tracy explore the dynamic and multifaceted story of embroidery from the late medieval period into the modern era. Picking up after the Bayeux Tapestry, the hosts delve into embroidery's cultural transmission, evolving styles, its role as reference and communication, and its place in society — from ecclesiastical finery to aristocratic fashion to protest art. Special attention is given to embroidery samplers, their significance, techniques, and legacy.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Literary Blackwork and Its Origins
[01:43]
- Tracy highlights Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, referencing blackwork embroidery: "Was the dainty smock she wore embroidered at the collar all about with coal black silk alike within and out."
- Blackwork: traditionally black silk on white linen/cotton; creates strong contrast.
- Technique: Holbein stitch (double running stitch) ensures identical patterning front and back.
- Origins: North Africa (Morocco), spread by Moors into Spain (called "Spanish work"), then across Europe, becoming closely associated with English needlework.
Quote:
"The reference to the collar's embellishment being alike within and out has led to the belief that Chaucer was probably describing a style of embroidery known as Holbein stitch."
— Tracy V. Wilson [01:43]
Opus Anglicanum: English Ecclesiastical Embroidery
[03:54]
- "Opus Anglicanum" ("English work")—luxurious silk, gold, and silver embroidery, mainly for religious vestments (e.g., chasuble at The Met, Toledo Cope).
- London was the epicenter; such works were revered and widely exported for church use over Europe.
- Items frequently altered to fit evolving fashions (e.g., saints’ heads removed for garment adjustments).
Quote:
"There are clearly like bodies there that just kind of end at the clavical region."
— Holly Fry [05:34]
The Rise and Function of Embroidery Samplers
[06:30]
- Samplers: practical embroidered swatches to record stitches/designs, serving as reference and learning tools.
- Practices trace back to the 1300s; found in diverse cultures (14th-century Egyptian example in the V&A Museum).
- They charted a stitcher’s skill progression; some made by children, others by masters.
Quote:
"A stitcher might make a sampler to show the various stitches or designs that they had learned as they learned them, or as a way to record designs that they liked."
— Tracy V. Wilson [06:30]
Types of Samplers
[13:01]
- Band Samplers: horizontal stripes/bands of repeatable designs (edges of garments/linens).
- Spot Samplers: scattered, non-repeating motifs (animals, flowers, symbols); sometimes combine with bands.
- Samplers were essential before printed pattern books, enabling sharing and preservation of patterns.
Landmark Historical Samplers
[14:29, 16:20]
- Jane Bostock (UK, 1598): Oldest dated British sampler—marked transition from practice to display. Features text commemorating a birth, motifs tied to family, and evidence of removed designs.
- Laura Standish (USA, 1640s): Oldest North American sampler; includes a devotional verse, band-only design; kits available for modern recreation.
Quote:
"Laura Standish is my name. Lord, guide my heart, that I may do thy will..."
— Tracy V. Wilson (quoting sampler) [16:20]
The Shifting Social Role of Embroidery
[20:01]
- Under the Tudors, embroidery shifted from church use to courtly and noble fashion — a visible sign of wealth and status.
- By 1600s, embroidery becomes a common pastime and valuable skill across social classes.
The Professionalization and Organization of Embroidery
[25:44]
- Worshipful Company of Broderers: Granted arms in 1558, chartered in 1561 by Elizabeth I; roots possibly in the 13th century. Functioned in Broderers' Hall until WWII bombings; continues today, supporting the art and education of embroidery.
Quote:
"The Worshipful Company of Broderers, root and branch. May it continue and flourish forever."
— Official Broderers’ Toast [26:36]
Spread and Diversification: Styles and Patterns
[27:15 – 33:18]
- Hardanger (Norway): 1600s, “white work” with geometric cutwork, spread through Europe.
- Pattern Books: Earliest printed collections in Germany (1523–1524), woodcut patterns, minimal instruction.
- Ribbon Embroidery: 1700s, Rococo era; uses silk ribbon for lush, dimensional floral effects.
- Sashiko (Japan): Mentioned late 18th century; white thread on indigo, reinforcing and decorating clothing.
- DMC Company: Founded late 1700s in France; popularized standard six-strand embroidery floss, globally recognized.
Innovations in Patterning and Technique
[31:33]
- Berlin Work (1804): Gridded patterns, thick yarn, often in reds; precursor to modern cross-stitch grids.
- Beetle Wing Embroidery (India): Use of jewel beetle elytra; especially fashionable in colonial Europe and among Indian aristocracy (1700s–1800s); industrialized for export, becoming a European fashion trend.
Quote:
"Beetle wing embroidery was hugely popular among Indian aristocracy in the 1700s and 1800s... Europeans appropriated this technique and made it a fad."
— Tracy V. Wilson [33:18]
- Modern Sourcing: Wings today often sourced from insects used as food protein.
19th & 20th Century Institutions and Education
[36:02 – 37:37]
- Royal School of Needlework (London, 1872): Aimed to revive and professionalize embroidery, especially for women; worked on royal/funerary regalia; outreach programs including therapy for WWI soldiers.
- Embroiderers’ Guild (London, 1906): Founded by RSN alumnae to maintain high standards and archival collections.
- US Development: American branch forms in 1958 → The Embroiderers Guild of America (EGA), now broad-based with 230 chapters.
Embroidery as Artistic Expression and Protest
[38:34]
- Modern embroidery sees a revival, often "subversive and unconventional," used in protest art and conceptual pieces.
- Surges in embroidery’s popularity in response to societal unrest (e.g., post-Civil War, 1960s Civil Rights era).
Quote:
"One of the really thrilling things about embroidery today is that it's going through a kind of revival, but one which... connects it to the centuries old tradition of communication as well as art."
— Tracy V. Wilson [38:34]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the hidden legacy of samplers:
"If you were to look at a person's first sampler and then their samplers throughout their lives, you would very clearly be able to see the linear progression of their skill."
— Holly Fry [07:53] -
On beetle wing fashion:
"Elytra and beetle wing embroidery is very closely tied to colonialism."
— Holly Fry [34:03] -
On modern embroidery’s political resonance:
"In times when everything is a little bit stressful and strained. People want to go back to these kind of old school crafts as a way to ground themselves."
— Holly Fry [39:30]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [01:43] — Blackwork and Holbein stitch from Chaucer’s England
- [03:54] — Opus Anglicanum and English ecclesiastical embroidery
- [06:30] — Samplers as reference and educational tools
- [13:01] — Structural evolution: band and spot samplers
- [14:29] — Jane Bostock’s historic British sampler
- [16:20] — Laura Standish’s North American sampler
- [20:01] — Embroidery’s spread to secular fashion in Tudor England
- [25:44] — Formation and influence of the Worshipful Company of Broderers
- [27:15] — Hardanger and Whitework in Norway
- [29:38] — Japanese Sashiko embroidery
- [31:33] — Berlin work and standardized gridded patterns
- [32:16] — Beetle wing embroidery from India to Europe
- [36:02] — Royal School of Needlework’s founding and modern outreach
- [37:37] — Embroiderers’ Guild of America and continuity into the present
- [38:34] — Embroidery as protest and revival in times of political unrest
Conclusion
Holly and Tracy conclude by reflecting on embroidery’s cyclical popularity and its enduring capacity for personal, social, and political expression. The story of embroidery is not only about decorative arts, but also the movement of ideas, social change, and resilience through craft.
For more engaging dives into the history you missed, listen to Stuff You Missed in History Class wherever you get your podcasts.