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10th-15th Century Islamic Embroidery: Pattern Darning

By: THL Ghadah Falak Noor bint Safia Abdu-llah
Middle Kingdom, Barony of Andelcrag, Canton Three Hills
email: ladysatinedelacourcel@gmail.com
Blog: https://ghadahsembroideryjourney.weebly.com

This class covers the Islamic pattern darning stitch. An embroidery stitch where decorative borders and/or motifs are
created using the running stitch for the motif itself, or the background area where the pattern created is in the voided
space surrounded by the running stitch.

“A cheap alternative to woven patterning was embroidered work. There was a thriving bazaar industry with
client choosing design colours ad stitching techniques from samplers of work.” (Baker 73)

In addition to the marketplace

“Embroidery, as opposed to weaving, was a cottage industry. While some needlework was produced by
professionals in the public marketplace, most was made at home by women. Embroideries were an important component
of the bridal trousseau during the Fatimid and Ayyubid periods, as we know from Genezia documents. The average
person in medieval Cairo, for instance, was well-informed about embroideries and has a sophisticated sense of what was
of high quality and aesthetically pleasing” (Walker 187).

“A sampler fragment has rectangles filled with S-shapes,

diamonds with small crescents, and a single chevron
containing a curving line and a crescent finial. 1201-
1400 Fustat, Egypt”
http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/8/per_pa
ge/100/offset/800/sort_by/date/object/15913
Accessed. 5 Oct. 201

Objects Adorned
Many of the surviving pieces are large enough to identify what type of item it came from, such as a hat, kerchief,
or tunic. While other small fragments may not be so easily identifiable as to what they do give us is valuable information
such as: type of ground cloth, embroidery medium, and stitches used.

The following quote indicates some of the smaller objects that were embroidered.

“...needlework was used widely to decorate all manner of garments including, tunics, the ends of trouser legs,
girdles, waist tie-bands, scarves, caps, slippers, and kerchiefs kept in wide sleeves of the tunics. Items of household linen
were also embroidered and include towels, pillow covers, and cloths of different shapes and sizes used as wrappers and
covers. Many such cloths were required for household use to act as dust covers for all manner of objects including trays,
baskets, cooling jugs for water and ceramic jars of the type known as albarelli or drug jars. Cushions were essential to
provide comfort in homes which did not use chairs or beds. In Mamluk paintings curtains are depicted knotted or drawn
aside and evidently played an important part in the interior furnishings as wall-hangings and room dividers. Two of the
more unusual items in the collection which were hung as ornamental edged around tents and canopies and an
embroidered cover for a padded glass bottle.” (Ellis 8)
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(Left) End of a trouser leg. Linen embroidered in red and blue silk in pattern darning in running stitch. (1250-1570) Egypt.
(Ellis 35) (Right)Remains of a pillow or cushion cover. Linen embroidered in blue silk in pattern darning in running stitch.
Egypt 1390-1470. Ashmolean Museum
https://collections.ashmolean.org/collection/search/per_page/100/offset/400/sort_by/relevance/object/78264
Accessed 9 March 2022

Materials
Silk, cotton, and Linen are natural fibers most found in embroidery of this era. Silk embroidery on Linen ground being the
most common combination.

“In the case of Mamluk embroidery, the needlework was usually done in floss silk on an uncolored, tabby cotton
or linen background. The needlework alone enlivened what was an otherwise plain textile” (Walker 187).

Even weave fabric - the warp and weft threads are the same count. This type of fabric is good for counted work such as
double running, counted surface work stitches as long armed cross or close counted herringbone, Counted and non-
counted surface work, pulled and drawn threads as well as Pattern darning.

Detail of a Textile Fragment, 1250-1516. Fragment of a

plain woven, undyed linen cloth, possibly a curtain, Non-even/Plain weave fabrics -
decorated with counted-thread embroidery in red silk/ Detail of a textile fragment with bands of diamond-
The design, in pattern darning with some thread shaped squares, 10th - 15th century AD, linen,
outlines, shows a field of repeated double-headed birds embroidered with blue cotton, 24 / 18 threads/cm
in alternating rows, below a wide band with a geometric (thread count), Accession no. EA1984.156.
chevron pattern. (Thread count 17/17)”. https://collections.ashmolean.org/object/237887
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O363375/textile- Acessed 16 November 2022
fragment-unknown/?carousel-image=2018LF9526
Accessed 12 December 2022
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Stitch Direction

Stitches could be horizontal, vertical, even sometimes both directions on a piece, as well as in conjunction with other
stitches. Embroiderers would work the patterns in both polychrome and monochrome schemes

Example of vertical pattern darning. Detail of a “Textile Example of Horizontal darning. Detail of a textile
fragment with bands of lozenges, stepped diamond- fragment with bands of crosses, diamond shapes and
shapes and triangles.” Egypt, 10th - 15th century AD. arrows. Egypt 10th - 15th century AD. linen,
Linen embroidered with blue cotton. embroidered with blue thread, possibly flax.
http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/7/10222 http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/7/10222
/10229/15558 Accessed 10 March 2022 /10229/15800 Accessed 10 March 2022

Colors

The following colors of floss were used in Islamic embroidery: “…dark blue…, …purple…” (Lamm 67), “…tan…” (Hague
12),” …orange…” (Hague 15), “…light blue…” (Walker 196)

Part of a girdle or trouser tie-belt; Mamluk period (1250-1517). Linen embroidered with red, blue, and green silk in
pattern darning, cross stitch, spaced cross stitch and outline stitch. Hem stitched in flax. (Ellis 28)
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Motifs

Islamic embroidery motifs include script, geometric designs, scrolling vines, floral shapes, animals such as birds and fish
are found throughout Islamic embroideries during the Islamic era, from the ninth-16th centuries. Marianne Ellis states in
the book Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt:

“Many of the embroideries are worked in geometric patterns but there are also examples of scrolling and
arabesque designs, figural motifs and calligraphy” (Ellis 8).

This fragment consists of undyed linen weave with

brocade in black silk.” Attributed to Egypt 14th century.
Outlined pattern darning
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/44
3915 Accessed 11 March 2022 Detail of various birds and fish from a sampler. blue silk
on linen. Ayyubid period 1155 +/- 50. (Baker 75)

Textile fragment. A band with a highly stylized vine and

tendrils. Embroidery fills the background. Egypt 10th -
15th century AD. Linen embroidered with blue cotton.
http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/8/sort_b
y/relevance/sort_order/asc/per_page/100/offset/0/obj Detail from a fragment of a garment. Script, counted
ect/15562 Accessed 15 March 2022 work embroidery, darning in running stitch. Egypt 1200 -
1400. https://collections-
gwu.zetcom.net/en/collection/item/22311/ Accessed
22 March 2022
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Two examples of the front and back of pattern darning embroidery.

Part of a fragment with zig zag band design; Mamluk period (1250-1570). Linen embroidered with blue silk in pattern
darning in running stitch. Above: front of the embroidery. Bottom; back of the embroidery.
http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/8/per_page/100/offset/0/sort_by/relevance/start/793/end/1565/object/
10740 Accessed 15 March 2022
Childs Tunic

Above: Child’s tunic. Linen embroidered with deep brown silk in pattern darning in running stitch. Below: detail of the
pattern darning on the tun. Late 14th - early 15th century, radiocarbon date 1390 ± 35 AD Egypt. (Ellis 31)
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Threading the Needle and Locking Down the First Stitch.

NOTE: Should you find a separate way that works better for you to start a thread, please use it, and enjoy.

Step One: Take your ends of the floss. put them through the eye of the needle. Making sure to leave the other end as a hoop
or U shape.

Step Two: At your starting point, From the back side push the needle between the threads, pull thread so you have about an
inch left on the back side in a “U” of loop shape.

Step Three: Go over the required number of threads according to the pattern. Poke the needle in the space just after the last

thread in the counted and pull snugly. Threads should gently but snugly wrap around the ground fabric thread.
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Working the Pattern

Step One: Continue following the pattern counting Step Two: Next row down, go back the opposite
threads or spaces as you choose. Making sure to direction for that row. Repeat the technique until
stay consistent throughout the pattern) going in & that row is completed.
out between threads until you get to the end first
row

Step Three: Repeat process going back & forth for the following rows until you reach about four inches left on
the tail of the thread. Making sure the last stitch ends with the needle coming out on the back side of the
pattern. Leaving a tail about three- five inches.
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Ending a thread

NOTE: Should you find a separate way that works better for you to end a thread, please use it, and enjoy.

Step One: With your needle go back under five or six previous stitches from rows already completed to lock
down the thread.

Step Two: Cut off excess tail.

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Class Practice Pattern

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Patterns

Textile fragment with X-shapes, Egypt 10th-15th century AD. Ashmolean Museum Accession # EA1984.257 Pattern charted
by A. McKenney © September 2013

Dots, From the 1927 book Islamische Stoffe, by Ernst Kühnel. Table 34 4842(S.59)
Pattern charted by A. McKenney. © August 2014

Triangles, From the 1927 book Islamische Stoffe, by Ernst Kühnel. Table 35, 1035 (S.59)
Pattern charted by A. McKenney. © July 2014

Hearts and S-shapes, Egypt 10th -15th century, The Fish. From the 1927 book Islamische Stoffe, by Ernst
Newberry Collection Ashmolean Museum accession # Kühnel. Table 34 4842(S.59)Pattern charted & drafted
EA 1984.220 Pattern charted by A. McKenney © March by A. McKenney. © August 2014
2013

Textile fragment with an arrow, rosette, and spiral

Ashmolean Museum Accession # EA 1984.155
Pattern drafted and charted by A. McKenney © September 2013
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Stylized Animals from a child's tunic

Egypt 10th-15th Centuries
Ashmolean Museum accession # EA 1984.291
Two Headed Creature Pattern charted by A. McKenney © March 2013
V&A Museum
Museum Number 792-7898
Pattern charted by A. McKenney. © April 2015

Textile Fragment with Linked Triangles. Ashmolean Museum Accession # EA.1984.397

10th -15th Century Egypt. Charted by A. McKenney © June 2017

Fragment. Silk on linen, 13th-14th century, Egypt Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accession Number: 27.169.1
Pattern charted by A. McKenney. © April 2015
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Fragment with Ornamented Zig Zag and Medallions. Metropolitan Museum14th Century Egypt. Accession Number #
90.5429 Charted by A. McKenney © April 2015

Pattern from Mamluk Darning Sampler 15th century Taylor, Roderick, “Embroidery of the Greek Islands and Epirus”
pg20. Pattern charted by A. McKenney. © May 2015

Textile fragment with stylized bands. Egypt 10th -15th century AD. Ashmolean Museum Accession # EA1984.162
Pattern drafted and charted by A. McKenney © September 2013

Lozenges, Stars and S-Shapes. Ashmolean Museum Newberry Collection. Accession # EA1984.149, Mamluk Egypt. Chart-
ed By A. McKenney © June 2014
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Textile fragment with band of S-shapes and squares. Egypt 10th -15th century AD. Ashmolean Museum Accession
# EA1984.143 Pattern drafted and charted by A. McKenney © August 2013

Textile fragment with band of grids, crosses, and triangles. 10th -15th Century A.D. Egypt
Ashmolean Museum Accession # EA1984.153. Pattern drafted and charted by A. McKenney © February 2014

Fragment with bands of crosses, diamond shapes and arrows. 10th -15th century A.D. EgyptAshmolean Museum Acces-
sion # EA1984.158. Pattern drafted and charted by A. McKenney © September 2013
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Acknowledgements

Lord Seamus Kendrick - Editor and support

Mistress Miriam bat Shimeon OL - Mentor and guidance with pursuing Middle Eastern & Islamic Embroidery.
Mistress Mathilde Eschenbach OL - Whose generosity and website influenced the start of this journey.
Mistress Safia al-Khansaa' OL - Encouragement, direction, and support. Being my mentor.
Mistress Safiya bint Suleiman, OL - Mentor encouragement, guidance, valuable tips and pursuing Middle Eastern &
Islamic embroidery.
Mistress Zubaida Hanimevali OL - Suggestions how to be a better writer. Being a mentor
Urtatim al-Qurtubiyya bint 'abd al-Karim al-hakam al-Fassi – tips how to look at paintings, and miniatures with a more
critical eye, when using them as examples.

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