Stitches

when was cotton first used as embroidery thread?

I have a needlework sampler dated 1799. It appears to be stitched in cotton thread. I did not think cotton thread was available at that time. When was cotton thread commonly used in needlework?

Public Comments

1. cotton is been around for ages and it was one of the plant used to make thread the first colour used was white and later on the light pink,light blue,and light green followed, you can say all the pastels here is a link with more information http://www.coatscrafts.co.uk/About+Coats/History/
2. Cotton has been in use for thousands of years and when it came into Europe in the 1400's is was considered quite exotic and therefore perfect for special stitchery projects and for making fine laces. Cotton was a luxury fiber until the middle of the 1700's when it became quite common, replacing linen as the needlework thread of choice. Your sampler from 1799 will undoubtedly be made of cotton since embroidery threads were commercially manufactured as far back as the middle of the 1600's. Coats and Clark (1800?) and DMC (1746) both date from that era and both were world leaders in the manufacture of fine cotton and linen needlework threads. There were many large makers of needlework threads and cotton was a staple fiber of neeedle-workers in the era. In reality there is little else that could be used other than cotton or linen. There were no synthetics, silk was too expensive for the common needle-worker and is many places it's use was strictly regulated for use by the aristocracy only, and wool was used for thicker coarser crewel work. That leaves linen and cotton and cotton was used by those just learning needlework, and samplers were made by those just learning needlework. Therefor cotton makes perfect sense. from the DMC website: http://www.dmc.com/majic/pageServer/0l01000019/en/History.html