The making of medieval embroidery

Medieval embroidery was a painstaking and precise art form, performed by skilled embroiderers - both men and women - mostly based in the city of London. This film shows contemporary embroiderer Rosie Taylor-Davies recreating a detail from a 700-year-old fragment of English embroidery. Working entirely by hand, she demonstrates the intricate process and skill of 14th-century embroiderers, who created some of England’s most beautiful and elaborate textile art.
First the design is drawn out on paper and transferred to the fabric with charcoal in a technique known as 'pouncing'. The design is then embroidered using two techniques which were characteristic of English medieval embroidery: split stitch (shown here with white and coloured silk thread), and underside couching (usually silver or gold, as here).
Opus Anglicanum: Masterpieces of English Medieval Embroidery
1 October 2016 - 5 February 2017
vam.ac.uk/opus

[@susanarecio1407]

100% recommend this video to everyone that loves embroidery. It is beautiful

[@KittenStitcher]

Absolutely beautiful -- would love to see you do videos about your fantastic antique sampler collection, including the Jane Bostocke piece. I was able to visit almost 20 years ago, and was brought to tears by the needlework. :) - T

[@lekitts526]

Beautiful! So lovely and precise.

[@jameslawrence8073]

wonderful, I've always been a fan of the opus anglicanum style

[@elsakristina2689]

Beautiful ^^ Reminds me of the family tapestry from "Brave".

[@fabricofdreams.]

This is stunning

[@Caradepato]

So, you use a split stitch for filling in?

[@debaiona]

Where did you get the embroidery frame?

[@catherineskis]

Dear Ms. Victoria, I have embroidered the effigies of Richard II and his wife...I have done an embarrassing job of the hands of both figures. Can you please give a very detailed tutorial on embroidering the sleeves of cotehardies and crossed hands. I would very much appreciate it. Thank You. Catherine Flynn

[@ccddle]

I'm not Victoria but I've found it helpful to examine and mimic/emulate what was done in embroidery relics.

[@summermarsh1545]

what type and count of linen would have been used?

[@katgillang]

What did you use to paint the lines on before stitching?

[@linneawestberg6435]

what? why? how?