Berlinwork Card-Case, 1861

Here's my final contribution to the Fort Nisqually Foundation's fundraiser auction: 

Berlinwork Card Case, 1861 Style

It's a Berlinwork card case, from instructions in Peterson's Magazine in November 1861. A decorative card case, usually carried in the hand, holds a lady's cards when she goes out visiting (see Virginia Mescher's article for more details). For the reenactor, the case will also conveniently hold business cards, a driver's license, bank card, etc.

The embroidery schematic in Peterson's.

Per the magazine instructions, the embroidery is worked in red, black, and two shades of blue wool, with yellow silk floss, and the beading in alternating white and clear glass seed beads. The total design is 4,602 cross stitches, with 348 beads (excluding the edging).

Modern business cards fit neatly inside.

Back of the case, showing the motifs.

I originally made one of these cases back in 2013, using cotton DMC on regular needlepoint canvas. It turned out just fine (and I've been using it ever since), but I think I prefer the warmer look of the wool embroidery. The bead edging went much more smoothly the second time around, too. However, I think the contrast between the two blues is clearer on the cotton case (a benefit of being able to choose the floss in person).

The wool/silk case (left) and my cotton floss prototype (right).

Flag Needlebook in Berlin Work, part II

Step 1: Berlin Work.  Based on the originals discussed in part I, I made the flag 42 stitches long x 28 stitches tall.  Each stripe is 2 rows of cross stitch, the blue field is 17 x 14.  I opted to do the stars as single cross-stitches, and went with a simple grid of 32 stars.  I actually meant to do a 33-star flag, on the presumption that my 1860s unionist persona was on a patriotic kick during the spring of 1861, but realized too late that I did the rows as 6/7/6/7/6 instead of 7/6/7/6/7.  So, I now have an 1858-59 style flag.  Go Minnesota! (Sorry, Oregon.)

Step 2: Making the cover.  I used a scrap of my 'candy-cane' silk to back the berlin-work, sewing around the flag motif on three sides (fabric right-sides-together) and turning the seams to the inside.  The double thickness of canvas and silk is fairly sturdy, but I decided to stiffen it further by adding a piece of pasteboard between the fabric layers.

To make the back, I covered another piece of pasteboard with blue (tropical weight) wool.  I experimented with using an unsupported back--either flannel or the suiting weight, but decided I didn't like the floppy back with the solid front cover.

Step 3: Pages. The two "pages" are each made from red wool flannel, cut smaller than the cover and edged in white or blue berlin wool (blanket-stitching edge).

Step 4: Assembly.  Both covers were finished (raw edges folded in and closed with a running stitch), and then joined with whip-stitches along the formerly-raw edges.    The "pages were laid inside the open cover, and fastened with small stitches.  Silk ribbon was added to the opening edge to make a closure; additional ribbon was laid over the spine to hide the assembly sewing.  More ribbons on the spine for decoration.

Needle-Book Front Cover

Inside View

Back Cover

Excepting the star miscount, I'm largely satisfied with this project.  Next time, I think I'll stick with one flannel page, as this material was fairly bulky, and two pieces folded in half is a bit fluffier than I would like.  Alternatively, I could effect a sleeker appearance by using silk for the back cover.  

New Berlin Work Project-- A Flag Needlebook (Research Post)

First, from the New Hampshire Historical Society [1963.062.02] (c. 1861-1863)

Observations:

Worked in tent stitch (the Lady's Self-Instructor in Millinery and Mantua-making... (1853), states that Berlin patterns are always given in tent stitch, but may be worked in cross stitch).

Stitching dimensions: 39 sts tall, approximately 46 sts wide, blue square is 21 x 23 sts.  According to the LS-I, Berlinwork should be done on either 18-count or 10-count canvas--which would give the total dimensions 3.9" x 4.6" when done in the latter, or about 2.2" x  2.6" in the former. The museum gives the case dimensions as 3" x 3.9", which indicates a canvas size of 12-13 stitches per inch.  Apparently, the LS-I isn't definitive for 19th century canvas sizes...

13 "stars" in a grid pattern 3/2/3/2/3, with solid blue border of 2 sts on the sides and 3 rows top & bottom; stars made up of 5 sts in a + shape.

Inside cover appears to be a white silk with woven design.  Red, white and blue 'pages' have a matte finish, and are likely (wool) flannel--the recommended material for needlebook pages in both The American Girl's Book and The Girl's Own Book.  The pages are different sizes and have pinked edges.  The museum gives the material as "textile, wool, silk".

Ribbons in red white and blue adorn the spine.  These will be silk; the upper white loops appear to be the same width as 6 stitched rows, making the ribbon about 1/2" wide (varies with canvas size); the red ribbon at the lower bow looks even narrower.  

The large leaf of blue flannel forms the the back cover, which would explain why it's larger than the other two leaves (same size as the front cover), and why there's a strip of blue along the left-hand edge in the top picture.  A red decoration (embroidery? applied trim?) follows the top and bottom edges of the back.

It is not clear whether the canvas in the front cover has a solid support underneath it.  Looking at the worn places, it seems like the white silk backing is visible through the canvas, though it could be a white paper/paste board in between the two.  From my reading, it seems more typical to make the covers of needlebooks out of pasteboard, with a decorative fabric covering rather than just using the fabric alone.  That being said, my berlinwork cardcase does very well with only silk-backed canvas.     

Second: 35-star needle book (c.1863-1865)

Total size: 26 sts x 50 sts; blue section 14 sts x 20 sts.  Possibly worked in tent or cross stitch (hard to tell).  Stars worked as single cross-stitches in five rows of seven (one-stitch blue boundary between stars; two rows/columns solid blue border).  Each stripe is two rows of stitching.  Dark blue ribbon on binding.  No view of pages or back cover (if present).

Work Basket in Silk and Berlin-work, part 2

"The bottom, which is circular, should be twelve inches in diameter, and covered with light-blue silk.  The side should be five-inches high...This side should be sewed to pasteboard, and lined with silk.  The bag is to be made of light-blue silk; the handles to be cord.  Where the bag is sewed on to the side, there should be a quilling of blue ribbon."

Though good with color, material, and dimension, the instructions are somewhat lacking in method.  I suppose it's time to 'make in the usual fashion'.  What follows is my best attempt to make the pieces look like the picture.

First off, I cut out a lining piece to back the embroidery.  Dividing workbaskets seems to be a common practice (based on Miss Leslie's & Miss Beecher's opinions, along with others I don't recall by name), so I attached pockets to the right side of the lining.  Being short of silk, I decided to do the interior in white linen.  The scissor pockets are in leather, with a loop of silk ribbon to hold a thimble.

(The angle of the largest scissor pocket was altered after this picture was taken; when arranged vertically, the angled pocket didn't suit).

I measured the worked side and divided by pi to get a bottom diameter of 11 1/8", which I then cut out of pasteboard.  The instructions didn't specify a pasteboard bottom, just sides, but I thought the added structure and stability would be useful.  Using this a as template, but adding seam allowances, I cut the silk and linen lining.  I also cut a rectangular piece of pasteboard for the sides, using the worked area of the canvas as a guide.

With those six pieces to hand, I started actually constructing the basket.

First, the bottom was assembled; right sides out, I attached the bottom silk and lining to the pasteboard circle, using a small amount of bookbinding glue* to keep them in place.

Next, I pinned the linen side lining to the bottom circle (right sides of the two lining pieces together):

 

The worked canvas went on next, with the right side of it to the right side of the silk.  I then proceeded to back stitch along the edge of the Berlin-work, catching all four layers of fabric (canvas, silk, bottom linen, side linen), while stitching as close to the pasteboard as possible. 

I started at the center and worked towards the side-seam (not yet made), so that any sizing discrepancies could be adjusted at the seam.  Happily, this only involved the linen lining being a hair too large, and was easily fixed by taking a larger seam allowance on the side seam.

Once the side pieces were closed and fully attached to the bottom, I turned the canvas sides up, forming the basket:

Next, I checked the size of the pasteboard side, and trimmed it for a better fit.  I then glued it into a circular shape (using strips of paper with more bookbinding glue), and allowed it to dry overnight.  The pasteboard was then placed between the side and lining, and the fabric pinned tight over it.

Now the top needs to be added.  From the magazine picture, the silk "bag" portion doubles the height of the 'sides', indicating that it should extend some 5" above the bag.  With seam allowances and a channel for the ribbon-drawstring, I decided to cut the silk 7" wide (length= bag circumference, 35" around + seam allowances).  I cut it in two piece, to fit on the fabric available, and to make the drawstring opening easier, and finished one long side of each piece with a 1/2" channel.

These were then joined (run & fell) at the sides, into a tube; the piece was then back-stitched to the canvas side. The cord handles  were basted to the canvas before the silk was joined, concealing the ends in the seam.  I meant to finish the inside edge by folding over the linen lining, but discovered after attaching it that I neglected to add a turning allowance.  Cotton twill tape was applied over the inside join instead (as this necessitated an additional 36" of concealed hand sewing on a 3D object, I would definitely use the 'turn-over' method if I ever repeat this project).

The cord handle was made using 3/2 perl cotton, following the instructions in Tassel Making for Beginners by Enid Taylor.  From the illustration, I figured on a cord 12" long for each handle.  After some experimentation, I ended up cutting 6 1-yard lengths of cotton to make each cord, which ended up closer to 14" each.

The last piece is the decorative ribbon at the basket/bag join.  I used a running stitch to gather ('quill') 2 yards of 1/2" wide silk satin ribbon (using a very fine needle, because satin snags easily).  This was then tacked down on the outside of the basket, following the join.  Unfortunately, I didn't like the effect, and so removed the gathered ribbon, ironed it flat, and attempted to knife pleat it instead.  At this point, I re-discovered that--unlike taffeta or lace--satin doesn't hold a fold nicely.  So, I took that off, and attempted a rouleau, following Miss Leslie's instructions in the Lady's House Book (1850).  The ribbon is wrapped around a piece of paper in a spiral shape, and then tacked down to the surface.  The paper is removed, leaving a roll of ribbon.

It's not the neatest job, but it's neater than the other attempts, and it eases the otherwise-abrupt transition between the Berlin-work and the dark silk.  To conceal the ends of the rouleau, I added a small constructed bow done in the same ribbon (for balance, a second bow was placed at the opposite end of the basket):

Voila:

Interior, with my 'period' sewing supplies for living history:

Supply notes: Green embroidery in DMC "medici" wool, colors 8567 and 8904; yellow silk is soie crystal brand; worked over 10-count Penelope cloth, all from Nordic Needle.

Green satin ribbon from Nancy's Sewing Basket, in two widths (1/4" for the drawstring, 1" for the decoration).  The green silk for the upper portion originally came from S.R. Harris, aka the Disneyland of Fabric stores.  White linen from Our Fabric Stash; leather recycled from a thrift store jacket.

Perl cotton for the cords came from The Weaving Works (left over from a weaving project, as it happens).

*Other types of glue would probably work; this is just what I had, and it convenient is meant for attaching fabric to cardboard without showing through.

Workbasket in Silk and Berlin-work, part 1.5

18,550 stitches later:

Gallery: Berlin Work and Cross Stitch

With several long-term projects either on-hold or progressing slowly, I decided to post some older, mercifully complete, novelties.

Pair of slippers, modeled by scrap fabric, and the front of the card case.

Close-up on the card case.

Slipper sole and back of card case.

Heel of slipper, showing the back seam.

I started the slippers in summer 2013.  They were inspired by an 1864 Godey's pattern (IIRC), for a 1-piece slipper in Berlin work.  The original motif was small musicians in black on a green background.  I opted for a repeated Greek key design (which, in retrospect, should have been spaced much farther apart so as to not get lost in the repeats)--it's hard to tell that one slipper is green on purple, the other purple on green.  I used leather for the soles (I traced the bottoms of my Robert Land walking shoes, so I'd have something that fits comfortably); the lining is cotton (with ugly visible stitching inside), and the binding purple silk.  For true Berlin-work, they should have been done in wool thread on canvas, but as it was my first attempt I used materials available to hand (cotton floss on Aida fabric).  In my opinion, the worst part was getting the leather needle out and stitching the upper to the sole.  I really wish I could have just "sent them out to made up"...   

The card-case (from Peterson's 1861), is done in it's original color scheme.  I used 10-count Aida and cotton floss (again, it called for canvas, and wool--except for the yellow, which was to be silk).  The case is decorated in white and clear glass beads, lined with scrap silk, and closes with a shell button and thread loop.  At first I made a mistake with the beads; the directions just said to alternate them, so the first square I stitched had alternating white and clear beads--the motif wasn't discernible, and it just looked sort of sloppy. Alternating the color blocks proved much more satisfying.

It was the success of the card-case that made me brave enough to attempt the in-progress workbasket, and more particularly to order the proper supplies for it (Penelope cloth, which I understand to be the closest modern equivalent to period cotton canvas, two shades of wool thread, and yellow silk thread for the accents).  I'm nearly half-way through the workbasket embroidery: I've finished about 16" of the 35" length, which leaves an estimated 114 square inches to go, or about 11,400 cross and 570 back stitches.

Work Basket in Silk and Berlin-work

Another design from Peterson's 1861 novelties.  I've been stitching away at the Berlin work since last summer, and am slowly making progress:

The original pattern calls for two shades of blue, with yellow silk accents, and finished with sky-blue silk and ribbons.  As my stash had some unclaimed green silk (no blue, alas), I decided to work it in two shades of green instead (keeping the yellow accents).

This is a decent-sized basket: the lower circumference is 35" (all hand stitched, 6" wide, in wool on cotton "penelope" canvas), with paste-board behind the Berlin-work to provide structure.  Silk-covered pasteboard makes the bottom, and the upper portion is unsupported silk, which closes with a ribbon drawstring.  Two cords form handles, which attach to the lower "structured" portion.

The embroidery frame is home-made, based on instructions from The Ladies' Self-Instructor in Millinery and Mantua-Making, Embroidery and Applique, Canvas-work, Knitting, Netting, and Crochet-work (1853).

There will be more pictures, as events warrant.