white on white

Hardanger embroidery. 

Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorelei66eyecandy/5495843250/in/pool-1092017@N22

Whitework. 

Image from http://chattycathy-clipyourstring.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/embroideryold-school-whitework.html

Whitework with seeding and matting. 

Image from http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/needlework/A-Book-About-Embroidery/Seeding-Matting.html#.UlNS6VMkKSo

I am very keen on Whitework at the moment. Put simply, whitework is embroidery sewn in white thread onto white material. There are various stitching styles within the genre - drawn thread work, Hardanger embroidery (so named because it originated in Hardanger in Norway), Mountmellick embroidery (originally from Ireland), broderie anglaise and reticella.

I love the gentle beauty of it.

So I've ordered a a vintage design ready-printed onto a lace-trimmed piece of linen from Etsy and I am going to give it a go. I'll show you the results.

What are you stitching or creating at the moment?