Description:
Square linen doily embroidered in linen thread in four shades of blue, plus white. The embroidered design consists of a butterfly in each of the four corners, and the letter "D" within a flax wheel in the center. Embroidery stitches include New England laid, satin, outline, and herringbone. Made by members of the Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework. The Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework, founded by Margaret Whiting (1860–1946) and Ellen Miller (1854–1929), reproduced 18th-century embroideries in the collection of Memorial Hall Museum, the first historical society for the town of Deerfield. While the early examples they studied were mostly woolen (crewel) yarns in various shades of blue embroidered on white linen grounds, Society members chose linen embroidery after witnessing the insect damage that befell many of the originals. The group figured prominently in the town’s Arts and Crafts movement, selling their work and holding annual juried exhibitions. Only those works deemed worthy were given the final honor, an embroidered “D” within a flax wheel. Although mostly known for its colonial-inspired blue and white embroidery, members branched out into other colors. Decorative doilies also served the practical purpose of protecting the surface on which they were placed.
Subjects:
Textile fabrics; Embroidery; Linen Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+94.023.09 |
