Embroidery on Ticking

By Stefanie Robinson

I was immediately drawn to the handmade Victorian wallet decorated with embroidery. The body of the purse is made from fabric known as ‘ticking’, a tightly woven utility cotton fabric, which is traditionally used as the outer cover for a mattress. The lining is a fine silk fabric in a vibrant teal blue which adds a luxurious contrast. The embroidery consists of an elongated straight sided feather stitch, also known as coral stitch, in red and blue perle cotton thread. A narrow dark red ribbon has been couched down with yellow embroidery cotton using herringbone stitch. A decorative gold has been added, couched with blanket stitch.

I can imagine a child given scraps of fabrics and threads, remnants from other projects perhaps, practising stitching by creating this attractive object possibly to hold their needles and embroidery threads, or as a special gift for someone.

During my MA research I have been interested in Aesthetic/Artistic dress of the mid 19th-early 20th Century. A time period which fits in well with the date of the object. Designers of the time took inspiration from the East and it became fashionable amongst the Bohemian set to wear long, loose kaftan style robes. Thinking about the hardwearing yet decorative nature of the object, I decided to create a practical yet decorative coat.