This is where I will put my embroidery patterns formerly resident on wiseNeedle, links to patterns hidden away in String-or-Nothing’s past posts, plus some other freebies from my notebooks. You’ll also find more stitching patterns under the “My Books” button above, including the free offering Ensamplario Atlantio: Being a Collection of Filling Patterns Suitable for Blackwork Embroidery.
As with the other incomplete pages on this site, please have patience. Reformatting and porting over 8+ years of material takes time!
Block Unit Graphs
Plain block unit graphs also appear in the embroidery pattern section. They work well for counted embroidery including cross stitch and its variants; lacis; darned net, drawn or pulled thread work; withdrawn thread work; filet crochet; knitting and double knitting; tiles and mosaics, marquetry, and other crafts.
The Old Castle, 16-17th Century
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My redaction of an late 16th/early 17th century graphed pattern, charted from an extant museum artifact. I explain source and dedication to SCA Clan Oldcastle in this post from February 2010. |
Heraldic Lion, 1597
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I included this Sibmacher 1597 pattern in The New Carolingian Modelbook. Shortly after the first Harry Potter book became available in the US (and long before the movies), I released it in case folk wanted to knit Gryffindor sweaters as they are described in the book. Needless to say, it earned me some unwelcome attention later on, so it’s been retitled with a more generic name. |
Da Sera 1546 Knot and Bud
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Another The New Carolingian Modelbook excerpt. This one was charted up from a pattern appearing in Domenico Da Sera’s 1546 Opera Nova… You can find that entire work at Kathryn Goodwyn’s Flowers of the Needle.The astute will notice that I’ve used this pattern here twice. Once embroidered and once knit, in the Knot a Hat earwarmer band appearing on my knitting patterns page. |
Checked All-Over Ground, 1546
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Also from the Da Sera 1546 work referenced above, this pattern is included in The New Carolingian Modelbook, too. |
Sibmacher’s Hare, 1597
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Like the lion above, this hare is from Johan Sibmacher’s Schon Neues Modelbuch of 1597. It appeared in The New Carolingian Modelbook. I’ve used it both in stitching and knitting, although those projects predated on-line documentation. |
Knots and Twisted Interlaces, 1532
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The basic interlace that started this rumination was published in Giovani Andrea Vavasore’s Ensamplio di Lavori, first printed in Venice in 1532. I regraphed that pattern and included it in The New Carolingian Modelbook. Since then I’ve played with it, abstracting bits and compounding the base concept. |
Dragonflies
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This one’s original, but it was inspired by patterns appearing in in Niccolo Zoppino d’Aristotle’s Ensamplio di Lavori from 1530. It’s anotherThe New Carolingian Modelbook excerpt. |
Alex’s Unicorn
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Another original pattern, but one by Elder Daughter Alex rather than me. Inspired by a yale (a heraldic splay-horned goat) appearing in various Sibmacher modelbooks of the late 1500s/early 1600s, she’s come up with a unicorn. She uses it for knitting, but it’s equally useful for stitching. |
Fleur de Lys
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Yet another of my own. I worked up this motif for a needlepoint bench cover my mom was going to make. But I’m a rotten kid, and I never finished out her design. |
Mystery Interlace
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 I’m not quite sure where I got this one. It’s in my 1980s notebook, next to sourced patterns that made it into The New Carolingian Modelbook, but with no annotations. There are lots of examples of this type of interlace in historical works, but none graphed up at exactly this unit count. I suspect I doodled it up, inspired by the historical examples. I’ve used it for double knitting, but (so far) not stitching. |
Line Unit Graphs
These patterns can be used for double running stitch embroidery (aka Holbein Stitch, Spanish Stitch, punto scritto), back stitch, or other linear techniques.
The Buttery
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An original inhabited fill pattern, inspired by Elizabethan era counted fills, but perhaps a bit more exuberant. This pattern page appeared in my book The New Carolingian Modelbook, and is dedicated to the residents of The Buttery. |
Phoenix Motif
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Another original pattern, done up for a sampler stitched for Elder Daughter. You can never have too many mythical beasts! |
Flying Spaghetti Monster
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A modern mythical beast. This time, challenged to render Noodly Glory, I came up with this rendering of The Flying Spaghetti Monster. |
Dancing Pirate Octopodes
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Just for fun – I present a pattern that did NOT make it into my formal publications. This one was done up as a silly present with several constituencies in mind – my eldest, who wanted more pirate skulls; a co-worker who cherishes the octopus as his totem beast; and my youngest, who has embarked on a world-wide quest for greater acceptance of “octopodes” as the proper plural when more than one cephalopod is sighted. |
Flower Spot Motif, 1600-1620
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This pattern is adapted from a photo of a coif and forehead cloth, dated 1600-1620 in the collections of the Manchester Art Gallery. You can find a photo at http://www.manchestergalleries.org/the-collections/search-the-collection/ by searching for item #2003.63/2. It is hard to discern on the original the exact nature of the little spot to the lower right of each flower. It may be the remains of a diamond shaped boxed cross, or four knot stitches. If I were to do a coif using this design, I’d probably sew a sequin in each of those spots instead. |
Bead Border with Corner
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Yet another New Carolingian Modelbook refugee. This border with corner is an elaboration on a design there, pairing it with a narrow edging. It’s an original, inspired by simple stepped design strips appearing in German modelbooks of the mid 1520s. |
Crowdsourced Blackwork Fill/ Ground Pattern
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Finally! Our group project from Summer 2011. 40 different motifs in a framework, contributed by String-or-Nothing’s readers. This pattern is suitable for use as an all-over design. Use all 40, or a subset. Groups include traditional motifs, flowers, nautical/piratical, science fiction/fantasy, astronomy, and beasts & bugs. Authors’ names have been included, where they so requested. |
Hello- some minutes ago I found in Mary Corbeth’s blog the link to these wonderful blackwork-patterns. It is really great, to see so much possibilities- as everybody knows who gets in contact with blackwork- one is addicted at once! I embroidered a renaissance-smock with blackwork and have in work two Tudor-sleeves (long lasting history…) thank you very much for giving these patterns for free!
best regards
Martina
I too found you via Mary Corbeth’s blog…. thank you for the blackwork book – it looks too delicious for words!
Thank you for putting these on the Web.
I am another one that found your wonderful site from a link on Mary Corbeth’s blog. Your patterns are just beautiful – I am inspired to start yet another project! LOL
Thank you so much,
Beverly Smith
Noilene Bowden SCA
I just couldnt beleave my eyes. I love blackwork, I want to thank you so much for your knowledge,and the willness to share. Found you through Mary Corbeth’s blog. I shall study and use your patterns for a dress I have been plaining.
I found you, interestingly enough, on Pinterest. Can’t tell you who posted, but I am thrilled to have found you. I would also like to that you for your generosity in sharing your considerable talent. These designs are stunning!