Revisiting Pocketbooks

Do you remember last summer that I shared with you some photos of textiles at Old Sturbridge Village?  It was in this post.

Well, while looking for something completely different (isn't it funny how that works), I discovered that those canvas pocketbooks in flame stitch (or Bargello, or Irish stitch) were clearly "a thing."  The Philadelphia Museum of Art has quite a number of them.  So many, in fact, that I made a Pinterest board just of these pocketbooks.  It can be found here.

Bargello was one of the first embroidery forms I remember learning.  I had a teacher in high school who did some beautiful pieces and she taught me.  I painstakingly did a wool belt which, despite the fact that it came out quite nicely, I never had made up.  Sadly, I have since lost track of it.  It was quite wide, at least 3 or 4 inches, and was designed to be fastened by cords attached to the two ends and tied (it was the 70s after all...)

Bargello, or flame stitch (the designation "Irish Stitch" being used by the Philadelphia Museum of Art is new to me for this work) seems to have its origins in the 17th or 18 century.  There are stories placing it much earlier, but the existing pieces typically begin in the mid to late 1600s.

Most acurately, the term "flame stitch" applies to certain patterns only, while "Bargello" has become the more general use name.  The pieces have a strong similarity to brick stitch -- both are done on canvas and (most of the time), the stitches "step" from their neighbors.  Some Bargello patterns even step by each stitch while others have a group of stitches (2, 3 or even more) together before stepping.

Historic pieces of Bargello work are done in silks and wools, and usually have strong color palates.

Two of the pieces at Philadelphia really struck me.

First, 1933-47.4, which has a flame style pattern, with some lovely extra touches.  The addition of cross stitches and the use of color gradations makes the motifs really pop.

(c) Philadelphia Museum of Art

Then, there is 1930-30-21.  Dated to 1762, it looks like it could be quite at home 200 years later in the 1960s. 

(c) Philadelphia Museum of Art

I'm particularly entranced by the bright clear colors and wide variety of colors on these pocketbooks. The January/February 2006 issue of Piecework Magazine had an article about these pocketbooks, and a project to sew one of your own.  Those instructions can be found here.  The basic structure is very similar to some modern day wallets -- and how delightful it would be to pull such a piece of art out when paying for groceries.  

I'll probably keep updating that Pinterest board, so feel free to take a look and follow it.  Maybe one will inspire you to some lovely canvas work.