Forgive my ignorance please. Over the decades there have been many sales of jewelry, dishes, and other personal effects of the Romanovs, but have there been any of the vast amount of decorative sewing done by royal ladies? I did see one cushion cover done by Alexandra in pink and golds. It was exquisite.
All the best, Kitt
I have not seen work done by the Romanov women, but there are Royal ladies that have done a great deal in the world of needlework.
Off the top of my head, the Royal ladies who have excelled in the art of needlework are:
Queen Matilda, William the Conqueror’s wife
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine de’ Medici
Mary, Queen of Scotts
Marie, Queen of Romania
Queen Matilda and her ladies-in-waiting are attributed the creation of the Bayeaux tapestry. Indeed, in France it is occasionally known as "La Tapisserie de la Reine Mathilde" (Tapestry of Queen Matilda).
It was Catherine of Aragon’s love of lace and embroidery combined with keen fashion sense that appealed to the English people, even before she was Queen. Catherine was educated in many disciplines including the "wifely arts." She was an accomplished embroiderer and many people believe she herself embroidered some of the King Henry's tunics. The sudden rise in popularity of the reversible scrolling designs on collars and cuffs was certainly due in part to her influence. In the early 1500s, Blackwork had a distinctly Spanish feel, which explains why it was often referred to as Spanysshe Work. The black and white scrolling designs had an obvious Moorish influence, hence the term "arabesque" is often employed in the description of such designs. Since Catherine spent her formative years in Spain and was exposed to Moorish art, architecture and textiles, it is easy to see how the association between her and Blackwork would be made. However, it is important to note that she merely helped create fascination with this style of embroidery; she did not invent it. The Blackwork of this period, looked like lace and was reversible, since both sides would be subject to viewing if it adorned cuffs, coifs and collars. Hans Holbein the Younger, court painter to Henry VIII, meticulously documented these embroideries. Holbein was not only the royal portrait artist, he was the person responsible for designing the kings robes, buttons, linens and other household goods. It was his attention to detail and the unfailing vanity of the nobility, that allows us a look back at this phenomenon and it is in his honor that the double running stitch is also called the Holbein Stitch.
Catherine de ' Medici is noted for bringing lace making from Italy to France where it became a national treasure. There is also an embroidery stich named for her in Italy, punto madama.
Mary, Queen of Scotts first experience with embroidery and needlework took place in France, when she was married to Francois II, the Dauphin. Her first mother-in-law, Catherine de Medici was very skilled in the art as were most women in those days of the Renaissance. When she returned to Scotland, she would embroider while participating in her Council’s meetings, but until her period of imprisonment in England, Mary had little time to devote to needlework.
In Lady Katherine Hoare's "The Art of Tatting" (1910), not an instruction book at all but rather a book of inspiration using photos of Lady Hoare's work and the tatting of Marie, Queen of Romania. Queen Marie's work in tatting used real gold and precious gems and pearls (mostly religious items) in the pieces.
