Contour embroidery played an important role in the history of quilting. It was used in blocks, most commonly penny squares, which were printed pieces of muslin that sold for a hundred each. Contour embroidery designs spanned many styles and themes, and many of these ancient patterns are still available to quilters today. In recent years, vintage doilies have been a main source of contour embroidery for patchwork projects.
While contour embroidery itself is centuries old, it first came to prominence as quilt decoration in the 1870s and 1880s, when it was used to decorate Crazy Quilts. Done in one color with a stem or outline stitch, it was quicker and easier than another Victorian technique called Kensington embroidery, which was realistically filled in and shaded.
Although patterns of flowers, birds and animals were popular in the 19th century, designs featuring children’s drawings by English artist Kate Greenaway predominated. Dressed in the costumes of the early 19th century, Greenaway’s figures began to appear in the 1860s and adorned all manner of objects, even after the publication of his last book in 1900. There were many similar children’s embroidery patterns, like those appearing in Butterick’s manual of 1889 Needlecraft, recently republished by RL Shep. By the 1890s, contour embroidery had spread from bedspreads and quilts to pillowcases. So ubiquitous were the Good Night/Good Morning sleeping boy motifs that a massive dealer, like Montgomery Ward, sold pairs of pre-sealed cases with these designs in his 1894-1895 catalogue. Ward also offered patterned suits with up to 75 patterns, including an entire alphabet. The kit had white powder for dark fabrics and blue powder for light ones. The pattern was pierced with a serrated tracing wheel, or the perforations could be made on a sewing machine with a threadless needle. Powder was then rubbed through the holes onto the cloth. Montgomery Ward also sold embroidery thread in many colors, although by 1900, peacock red was the most popular shade for embroidering outlines on pillowcases and quilts.
Some women marked or printed their own cloth. They used commercially available patterns or outline drawings found in coloring books. A quilt from 1902, in the collection of the Museum of American Popular Art, has coal shuttles depicting the United Mine Workers strike of that year. Happy events also found their way into the red embroidered quilts; for example, the 1901 Pan-American Exposition and the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Redwork persisted beyond the 1900s. An early quilt, made from 16 large blocks, included some embroidered with the words “War Declared in 1914 ” and “Armistice signed in 1918”. The date “1922” was embroidered on a monogrammed crown.
Children, however, continued to be the most favored subjects for contour embroidery. Whether sewn in red or other colors, children’s patterns were usually drawn from illustrations in books and magazines. In the early 1900s, for example, Bertha Corbett’s Sunbonnet Babies and Bernhardt Wall’s Overall Boys took up where Kate Greenaway’s patterns left off and went on to adorn countless embroidered and appliquéd quilts.
Dutch children’s patterns, embroidered in blue or red thread, reached their peak of popularity just before World War I. Dolly Dingle and Billy Bumps, drawn by Grace Drayton, rose to fame as the Campbell Soup Kids and as embroidery subjects. Rose O’Neill’s Kewpies provided strong competition, particularly in the 1920s.
Other important themes from the interwar decades included country houses, flower baskets, and Western themes, especially cowboys. President Roosevelt’s Scottish pet Fala practically had a souvenir industry to himself. The puppy was used in many needlework projects. World War II produced embroidery motifs of cartoon-like sailors and soldiers and their girlfriends. In the postwar period, cute overweight French puppies, kittens, charcoal burners, and chefs appeared in contour embroidery, mostly on tablecloths, pillowcases, and ruffles, tea towels rather than duvets, though today’s quilters can make adorable creations based on these designs.
Occasionally very old pillowcases turn up at antique stores and shows, but they are often expensive. Separate redwork blocks, usually sold in a set, are more affordable. Kitchen rugs and dish towels from the 1920s-1950s will rarely cost more than $10 each and can cost as little as a dollar. Some quilt guilds may have collections of old designs that members can track down. Flea markets and garage sales are good sources for old, unused decals, items that are patterned but never embroidered, and even dental floss in colors that are no longer available. Chinese painting patterns from old magazines and books were similar to embroidery designs from that decade, so they can be substituted.
For those who enjoy reliving the past with tradition-rich quilts, making reproductions of penny squares and other contour embroidery work can be quite satisfying. And what girl wouldn’t want a quilt stitched with kittens, puppies, Kewpies or nursery rhyme figures for her bed?