Description:
Square white linen doily embroidered in linen in two shades of blue, two shades of reddish-pink, white and light brown. The embroidered design consists of four butterflies (one in each of the four corners). The four sides are solidly worked. In the center, there is the letter "D" within a flax wheel, the sign that a piece made by a member of the Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework was approved for sale. Stitches include New England laid, satin, outline and herringbone. 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 would on occasion branch out into other colors, including green and red. Decorative doilies served the practical purpose of protecting the surface on which they were placed.
Subjects:
Textile fabrics; Embroidery; Linen; polychrome Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+94.023.10 |
