Scottish Embroidery: Medieval to Modern by Margaret Swain

Scotland has a rich heritage of fine needlework, both private and ceremonial, and in this, the first volume on the subject, Margaret Swain explores the history of Scottish embroidery and embroiderers, from the sixteenth century to the present day. Personal letters, inventories and trade advertisements are used to show how Scotswomen of the past obtained materials, yarns and designs to embellish household furniture and clothing, and the author looks not only at the domestic needlewoman, but also at the part played by her professional male counterpart, the producer of heraldic pieces. Taking as her starting point the earliest surviving pieces of Scottish embroidery, dating from before the Reformation, the author proceeds through the work produced for - and by - Mary, Queen of Scots, through the professional and the highly skilled domestic embroidery of the seventeenth century, to the eighteenth century, when needlework became much more the province of the amateur. There are chapters on tambouring and Ayrshire work, and on Scottish samplers, as well as a new appraisal of Victorian embroidery. Finally, the story is brought up to date with a look at the work of the Glasgow School of Art, and an investigation of the effect of art college teaching on professional and amateur embroiderers in Scotland today. An appendix lists the whereabouts of many of the works mentioned, and a wide range of illustrations, many taken specially for the book, adds to the value of this comprehensive work of reference.

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