At long last, and as promised. Ensamplario Atlantio: Being a Collection of Filling Patterns Suitable for Blackwork Embroidery is here in PDF format!
I have to admit that my ambition ran away with me. The entire thing is 40 pages long, with 35 plates of designs – over 220 or so individual all-over or filling patterns for double running stitch embroidery. Some are very large repeats and would be better suited for free-use, others are smaller in scale and would work well as fillings in traditional outline/infilled blackwork (like on the pix of the cover, below):
The book ended up being SO large that I was unable to upload it, and downloading would be problematic for most people. So I have cut it up into four parts:
- Ensamplario-1.pdf (2.03 MB)
- Ensamplario-2.pdf (2.92 MB)
- Ensamplario-3.pdf (3.19 MB)
- Ensamplario-4.pdf (3.21 MB)
I would dearly love to see any projects that use fillings from the collection. Since I’m making this available as a free download, seeing what my pattern “children” are up to in the real world is my biggest reward.
And also a reminder – just because this is being made available freely doesn’t mean that I have relinquished my author’s rights. This book may not be re-issued, re-posted, or sold by others without my specific permission. I ask that needlework instructors wishing to use the thing get in touch with me so I can keep a log of by whom/when the book has been circulated.
UPDATE:
Longing for more? There’s a sequel. 200 more plates of designs – more fills, plus borders and even some neckline yokes. Also a free download. Pop over to this link to download.
[…] Patterns. Les Singvliers Et Novveaux Povrtraicts: A 16th century Lace-making Pattern Book Blackwork Ensamplario Atlantio: 220+ fillwork patterns for blackwork embroidery by the generous Kim Salazar Schön Neues Modelbuch, counted-stitch patterns from 1597 by Johan […]
[…] people who pointed out that I did not include exact citations for every fill in my free-to-download Ensamplario Atlantio collection, here is a set of 10 plates with fills sourced specifically to this […]
[…] boring to only use one pattern, so I mixed it up. I used patterns from these free PDF downloads of Ensamplario Atlantio at String-Or-Nothing. I really enjoyed doing the blackwork and definitely plan on doing more. At […]
muito obrigada por sua gentileza de liberar seu livro para downloads, There Moura.
I love these samples so much! Thank you for making them, and freely allowing others to use them! I made two presents for my mom for Mothers Day with two of your patterns. I would be happy to send you a picture of the completed work, but your ‘contact me’ link above doesn’t seem to be working.
Thanks! I am delighted that you’re enjoying the designs. There are lots more coming. My sequel to TNCM will be out before the end of this year.
I don’t have a clickable contact me link – it was removed because of a spam deluge. But if you substitute in standard email address symbols and spacing you can reach me at kbsalazar (at) gmail (dot) com I would love to see your pieces!
Hi Kim,
I co-write Upper Valley Fiber Crafts, a (non-monetized) blog about all things fiber in the Connecticut River valley of central VT/NH, and was hoping to put our first tutorial/free pattern up this month: a blackwork map of the area with each town in a different filling stitch. Would it be all right to use filling patterns of yours in that design? The regions will be small, so they would be among your least complicated patterns. I would certainly credit you, and point our visitors here, in both the tutorial post and the pattern PDF.
If you would rather I not, I will forbear from looking more at your work, and create my own (likely more dull) fillings. Thank you!
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca! The project sounds nifty and certainly do-able. Please write to me privately at kbsalazar (at) gmail (dot) com on this. I don’t want to clutter the airwaves with private arrangements. Happy to have you aboard. -K.
I want to thank you for this wonderful resource. I just used many of these patterns to create a blackwork map of Africa. I’d like to send you a picture of it but I don’t know how to attach it to this comment.
Many thanks again
[…] asked for and was granted permission to use fillings from Kim Brody Salazar’s wonderful blackwork fillings collection, but between asking and receiving I had the idea to make fill patterns out of the initial(s) of […]
Very impressed with your book of 4 parts of Blackwork. Have just downloaded and delighted. Thank you.
[…] the fill patterns I used are from the Ensamplario Atlantio (which is free and is a fantastic resource). It’s done with a single strand of DMC 154 on […]
I just realised I can send you the link on craftster where I posted my finished project. It is at http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=433466.0#axzz3DkRdaYN7.
Many thanks again for such a great resource.
I saw this on Embroidery Guild Victoria and I have just started a piece of work from Holbein’s painting of Jane Seymour’s sleeve. When I get time I shall view more of your book. Thanks for producing it on line. Cheers Janice
[…] each outlined in a heavier non-counted stitch, but filled in using the geometrics found in my Ensamplario Atlantio. I’ll be using coordinating fall colors for these – a bit of the brown and gold from […]
[…] of the piece, plus identification of the various sources and fills I used. All the fills are in Ensamplario Atlantio – my free collection of blackwork geometrics available elsewhere on this […]
[…] https://string-or-nothing.com/2011/06/25/ensamplario-atlantio-blackwork-filling-collection-pdfs-for-d… […]
[…] I will trace the field using the stencil. Then I will stitch up the gears using fillings from Ensamplario Atlantio, with their edges defined crisply using either back stitch or chain stitch (experimentation will […]
[…] of the fillings I will use on this will be from my free eBook, Ensamplario Atlantio. The ground patterns are stitched using two plies, mostly in double running, with lots of […]
[…] contrast nicely. For those who have asked – yes, every filling used so far appears in Ensamplario Atlantio. I have it downloaded to my iPad. My favorite sewing/knitting chair is a Mission-style […]
My heavens, that is quite wonderful. I love blackwork and there are some quite fabulous patterns in there. Thanks you so much for putting it up.
[…] I’m continuing up the left side of the motto, then I’ll do the right side, and finish with the top. I’m having tons of fun selecting fill patterns from Ensamplario Atlantio. […]
[…] next to line-based fills with few or no closed shapes. I’ve had a lot of fun paging through Ensamplario Atlantio looking for the best choice for each gear. And I’ve ended up doodling a few more, just for […]
[…] tracing of a commercial airbrush stencil by Artool. Most of the gear fills can be found in Ensamplario Atlantio. The few that aren’t from that source are recent doodles, and will be made available in […]
[…] and some blackwork pattern references – the RSN Book Blackwork Essential Stitch Guide and String-Or-Nothing’s Ensamplario Atlantio – and came up with my own pattern. I’m doing straight instead of curved lines. And each […]
[…] and some blackwork pattern references – the RSN Book Blackwork Essential Stitch Guide and String-Or-Nothing’s Ensamplario Atlantio – and came up with my own pattern. I’m doing straight instead of curved lines. And each […]
I used some of these patterns in a project of mine, thank you so much! I posted photos on twitter, I’m @scheimtimer
Sweet! I love seeing what mischief the pattern children attempt, out there in the wide, wide world! Love your piece. The red sings to me like a Roycroft style rose. 🙂 Thank you for making my day.
I used some of your fills for my first try at blackwork! https://www.reddit.com/r/CrossStitch/comments/5mjmkp/fo_bi_pride_blackwork_pendant/
Love it, and am delighted to help support the cause!
Thank you for this wonderful resource! I am a beginner in this art form, literally. But the look of Blackwork greatly appeals to me in beauty, form, and possibilities. 🙂 I’m hoping something straightforward, like a square pillow might be a good place to start.
Happy to be a bad influence! It is quite addictive, and never gets old. :). Happy stitching!
An excellent idea! If you are looking for other ideas for a starter project, here are some:
https://string-or-nothing.com/2015/09/09/blackwork-inspiration/
I’m an occasional cross stitcher, (more frequently, knitter), and just stumbled onto and into your pages. Your Ensamplario is so beautiful, I had to download it right into the folder where I keep my internet loot of Sajou/DMC/et.al. classics. I’ve never done Holbein stitch before, except in outlining cross stitch, but I can see the attraction, because what I like most about cross stitch is to work out a path to make the backside (as close as possible to) vertical lines only, (what is called “Ebenseer Kreuzstich” in German). Much more interesting than just counting threads.
Which is also true of blackwork, plus it produces a much greater variety of textures.
I’m looking forward to dig out my embroidery stuff one of these days to try my hand at some!
[…] the forehead cloths themselves). This particular design is from my free collection of fills, Ensamplario Atlantio. No plan here, just idle stitching while the ground is still in one easy-to-handle piece. […]
Thank you so much! I want to convert needlework to other media, so I’m glad to get such a treasury of one of my favorite techniques. I may try my hand at it with needle (or Luneville hook) and silk thread now and then for historical or period-based fantasy costumes. 🙂
This is a wonderful resource and inspired me to make up some black work patterns myself. Will be doing some book marks in red silks for my sister and her husband. Thank you so much
[…] zur Technik fand ich diesen Artikel von Nordic Needle hilfreich, und string or nothing hat ein Freebook mit über 200 Füllmustern veröffentlicht, eine ganz tolle Ressource! Auf meiner Pinterest-Seite „Sticken“ habe […]
Thank you, what a treasure of a book!
[…] 另外，附上一個免費下載的黑繡圖案pdf連結（請點這裡），總共切割成4個檔案。（已經有下載來使用，還不錯喔！） […]
[…] source for patterns is Kim Salazar’s Ensamplario Atlantio which can be found on her blog String-or-Nothing. It is a set of four free PDF’s which are available for free use. I encourage all of you to […]
[…] Ensamplario Atlantio is 40 pages of blackwork filling patterns, over 200 of them in total. And it’s a free download! It’s been around for a while, but I just happened across it (via Incidental Time Traveler), and it’s one of those collections you’ll be delighted to have on hand when the need arises for it. […]
[…] Ensamplario Atlantio is 40 pages of blackwork filling patterns, over 200 of them in total. And it’s a free download! It’s been around for a while, but I just happened across it (via Incidental Time Traveler), and it’s one of those collections you’ll be delighted to have on hand when the need arises for it. […]
[…] the first little bit – a filling from Ensamplario Atlantio, the fourth […]
[…] am ready to stitch it and make my selection. Most of the fills I’ll use on this piece are in Ensamplario Atlantio, my free eBook of blackwork geometrics, but I may draft up more or tweak existing ones as […]
[…] I’ve started on the main body section, using yet another fill from Ensamplario Atlantio. […]
Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing this book. I have been collecting these type of stitching for about a year now in anticipation of embroidering a design which will show how beautiful it can be. A design of overlapping circles needing different ‘weight’ patterns. This will help so much. Once again, thank you.
[…] repeat could work too. If this is your first go at blackwork, I’d recommend a simple pattern. Visit this site for a large collection of blackwork […]
[…] I started filling in each element with different blackwork patterns. I found most of them in the Ensemplario Atlantio on String Or […]
[…] cup is eyeballed; the mead pattern is from ‘Ensamplario Atlantio’, a free collection of blackwork filling patterns. The poem, as always, is my […]
[…] those who want more and wonder where the first volume of this series is, no worries. Pop over here to download the constituent parts of the original Ensamplario Atlantio. Why four parts then, but one big download now? When EnsAtl first came out downloading a doc that […]
[…] tall. Even if I subtract some for a border, there’s room for one of the larger repeats from Ensamplario Atlantio, or Ensamplario Atlantio […]
[…] border that I liked in this application, but I did come up with this all-over design, presented in Ensamplario Atlantio, my first freebie, in Part 3, Plate […]
[…] choosing my fills, I knew exactly where I was headed. Over to Countess Ianthé’s book of fills, mostly historical, but beautifully charted and where I knew exactly where to find them. […]
Hello!!
I love your patterns but am new to embroidery. Do you have a guide on where / how to start and work these patterns?
Thankyou!!!
Hi Tam. I know that a lot of people devise elaborate methods of breaking up geometric designs and working them in mutiple passes. I’ve never bothered to do that largely because I have never seen historical precedent for doing so. I use double running stitch almost exclusively, although sometimes I hop over to back stitch if that’s more convenient. There are tutorial lessons for double running stitch under the “Tutorials” tab at the top of every page on this site. Hope this helps!
As far as what type of cloth to work on, and what type of thread to use – these are counted patterns. They work best on ground cloth that’s either specifically made for it with easy to count “squares,” like Aida, Fiddler’s Cloth or Monk’s cloth; or on cotton/linen/blends with the same number of threads in both warp and woof (north-south, and east-west) and with threads large enough to see and count.
Many beginners seem to gravitate to 11 count Aida cloth (11 stitches to the inch) and use plain old multistrand embroidery floss (usually two or three strands on that fabric). Both are inexpensive and widely available. It’s also advisable to have something to hold your cloth nice and taught and flat while you stitch. That’s where embroidery hoops or other frames come in. But while recommended, for the heavy 11 count Aida, some people don’t bother.
These materials are pretty much the same as the ones used for cotton thread cross stitch. If you google “beginners cross stitch” you will find a lot of advice on materials, setting up your fabric and getting ready to stitch.