Historical Voided Work Patterns

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In my research into Voided Work I saw many patterns in historic model books that were set out as white on black, versus black on white. Some patterns are set out to be both and some are only shown voided. Of course most any charted pattern can be made to be voided, but those set forth in these pages are ONLY those that were shown in the original model book or textile as voided.

It is known that printers of model books copied from one another. Thus, a pattern may appear in more than one model book. Sometimes the printer merely reversed the printed pattern when they made their master and so some voided patterns may have originally been not designed as voided. Also, the printing was not always on register or particularly clean, so some patterns when repeated are each a little "off". I have adjusted for this in some patterns, but otherwise these are charted directly from the source identified.

I have learned much doing the charting and hope to continue to add patterns. Voided work is fun and easy. Since it can be done in a variety of stitches and was historically seen in many colors (primarily green and red), it has lots of possible versions to try. Enjoy!

 

Spot Motifs

Bands and Filling Patterns

Interlace Patterns

Understanding Interlace Patterns

 

Sources:

Flowers of the Needle by Mistress Elspeth of Morven & Mistress Kathryn Goodwyn. Self published 1985. [contains 7 Italian model books]

German Renaissance Patterns for Embroidery: A Facsimile Copy of Nicolas Basses New Modelbuch of 1568. Kathleen Epstein. Curious Works Press1994 ISBN 0-9633331-4-3.

Bibliographie Der Modelbucher. Arthur Lotz. Anton Hiersemann & The Holland Press Limited. 1963

Patterns Embroidery: Early 16th Century. By Claude Nourry & Pierre de Saincte Louie. Lacis. 1999. ISBN 1-891656-16-3. [contains 4 French model books from 1532/3]

New Little Pattern Book by Peter Quentel Koln - 1527/1529: A Facsimile of Hiersemann's 1882 Reprinting. By Linn Skinner. 2001.

 

For additional period patterns see:

Needlework Patterns from Renaissance Germany: Designs Recharted by Kathryn Newell from Schon Neues Modelbuch 1597. By Kathryn Newell. Costume & Dressmaker Press. 1999.

Baroque Charted Designs for Needlework Engraved by Johan Sibmacher (1604). Dover Press. 1975. ISBN 0-486-23186-0.

The New Carolingian Modelbook: Counted Thread Embroidery Patterns from Before 1600. By Ianthe d'Averoigne/Kim Brody Salazar. Outlaw Press. 1995. ISBN 0-9642082-2-9.

Renaissance Patterns for Lace Embroidery and Needlepoint: An unabridged facsimile of the "Singulars et nouveaux pourtraicts" of 1587. Frederico Vinciolo. Dover Press 1971. ISBN 0-486-22438-4. [portions also available on-line]

 

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All Rights to Pictures and Text Reserved by Robin L. Berry, unless noted otherwise - 2007.