# Can anyone tell me what this is?



## crafterwantabe (Feb 26, 2013)

I believe it is on feed or flour sack material. Any idea what this is?


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## maureenb (Apr 1, 2011)

Not sure,but it certainly would make a cool wall hanging,or pillow


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## Pearls Girls (Jan 11, 2015)

Looks like a combo of tatting and weaving.


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## bgeivo (Apr 16, 2014)

It is called hardanger embroidery. It is usually done on linen. Very fun, creative work.


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## run4fittness (May 22, 2011)

bgeivo said:


> It is called hardanger embroidery. It is usually done on linen. Very fun, creative work.


Exactly! Something I was a total failure at. Beautiful pieces.


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## k2p3-knit-on (Oct 24, 2012)

It looks like something my grandmothers would have used as a doily.


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## LindaBlueCat (Mar 8, 2015)

It's much more freeform than Hardanger I have seen, a bit of a free spirit stitcher at work! Very nice.


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## blessedinMO (Mar 9, 2013)

Open-work embroidery.


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## m_azingrace (Mar 14, 2012)

bgeivo said:


> It is called hardanger embroidery. It is usually done on linen. Very fun, creative work.


Yep!


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## deenashoemaker (Nov 9, 2014)

Hardanger, gosh, I haven't done any since the 70's


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## crafterwantabe (Feb 26, 2013)

Thanks for all your suggestions. A gal brought this to see at our knit crochet group. Her tea grandmother had made it many many years ago. She doesn't know what it is. I thought the edges were tatted. But the other part were beyond me. I have seen hardanger but it looked like this. Thanks again everyone... the great grandmother was German. If that can help us figure it out.


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## mzmom1 (Mar 4, 2011)

I believe it's called drawn thread work (the blue) with crocheted edging. The white looks like eyelet embroidery edged with tatting.


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## crafterwantabe (Feb 26, 2013)

mzmom1 said:


> I believe it's called drawn thread work (the blue) with crocheted edging. The white looks like eyelet embroidery edged with tatting.


Thank you so much! I think you are right it certainly looks like it... thanks again!!!


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## gajh (Dec 21, 2012)

Doily -- usually stretched and starched into almost a board. My gram had a few that she stopped using in the '50s she was almost 70 said they were too fussy and old-fashioned for her.


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## rujam (Aug 19, 2011)

bgeivo said:


> It is called hardanger embroidery. It is usually done on linen. Very fun, creative work.


That's what I thought it was too.


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## Sherryc (Nov 17, 2014)

I don't think it's hardanger. My mother made beautiful hardanger pieces and they never looked like that.... and I'm not saying that doesn't look pretty, because it does, it just doesn't look like hardanger.


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## Carol J. (Jan 27, 2011)

crafterwantabe said:


> Thanks for all your suggestions. A gal brought this to see at our knit crochet group. Her tea grandmother had made it many many years ago. She doesn't know what it is. I thought the edges were tatted. But the other part were beyond me. I have seen hardanger but it looked like this. Thanks again everyone... the great grandmother was German. If that can help us figure it out.


This is definitely Hardanger, my favorite kind of embroidery.

Carol J.


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## multi-crafter (May 5, 2013)

My grandmother had a tablecloth similar to picture but all white. she called it cutwork. google has some pictures of it with directions on how it is done.


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## Carol J. (Jan 27, 2011)

crafterwantabe said:


> I believe it is on feed or flour sack material. Any idea what this is?


The blue and white work is called drawn thread embroidery. Threads are cut and drawn out and the remaining threads woven into designs. I have never seen it done with such heavy threads but it is beautiful.
The white circles on the edge of one piece is needlelace. Done with needle and thread the work on this piece uses a thread to match the fabric, quite heavy. Resembles crocheting but it is done with needle and thread.
An heirloom, handle with care. For examples and an explanation of these methods of stitchery can be found if you type in: Hardanger , or Drawn Thread work and Needlelace.
The fabric is not feed or flour sacks, it is heavier than that and probably linen.

Carol J.


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## Gweneth 1946 (May 20, 2012)

I'll jump in here and say something stupid its some sort of cotton or cotton blend.


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## KittyMomma (Dec 12, 2012)

I do Hardanger and haven't ever see a piece like that. The folks at Nordic Needle in North Dakota are experts on different types of needlework. Email them the photos and you will probably get a definitive answer. 
www.nordicneedle.com


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## CarolA (Sep 4, 2013)

I don't know, but it is lovely! I think I would frame it and hang it on my wall to be enjoyed while it is safely preserved.


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## Patty Sutter (Apr 17, 2012)

crafterwantabe said:


> I believe it is on feed or flour sack material. Any idea what this is?


Hardanger embroidery


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## desertcarr (Feb 1, 2011)

No tatting on it. I'd say some type of open embroidery or drawn thread work.


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## Pattez (Feb 21, 2014)

I think it is a sampler of different stitches.My grandmother did every needlework & the blue & white circle looks like polka webbing . Over 40 years ago my sister in law found a sample & my grandmother went to a needlework shop ( imagine!) and got the thread and pattern & taught her to do it. It also looks like it has tatting and drawn work


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## spinninggill (Apr 9, 2011)

Looks like drawn threadwork, with weaving and crochet


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## Judy M (Feb 17, 2011)

If done on top of fabric, it is called spider weaving embroidery. http://stitchschool.blogspot.com/2010/06/spider-web.html


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## Grammy Toni (Apr 30, 2011)

It looks like a creative mix of hardanger, tatting, drawn work (pulling threads out) and embroidery! What a treasure to mount and frame!


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## Longtimer (May 23, 2013)

KittyMomma said:


> I do Hardanger and haven't ever see a piece like that. The folks at Nordic Needle in North Dakota are experts on different types of needlework. Email them the photos and you will probably get a definitive answer.
> www.nordicneedle.com


You are correct. That is not hardanger. 
The blue part that looks like weaving is Tenneriff lace combined with drawnwork. 
Some hemstitching along the edges for the base.


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## crafterwantabe (Feb 26, 2013)

Thank you all for all your responses. I passed along everyone's thought to the gal who brought it .. she well be happy to finally know... thank you all!!!


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## engteacher (Jul 9, 2011)

Carol J. said:


> The blue and white work is called drawn thread embroidery. Threads are cut and drawn out and the remaining threads woven into designs. I have never seen it done with such heavy threads but it is beautiful.
> The white circles on the edge of one piece is needlelace. Done with needle and thread the work on this piece uses a thread to match the fabric, quite heavy. Resembles crocheting but it is done with needle and thread.
> An heirloom, handle with care. For examples and an explanation of these methods of stitchery can be found if you type in: Hardanger , or Drawn Thread work and Needlelace.
> The fabric is not feed or flour sacks, it is heavier than that and probably linen.
> ...


Thank you! I used to belong to a lace guild and learned how to do Romanian lace at one time. I have a piece given to me by a Romanian student that her grandmother made. She explained it as "sewing over a skinny cord". I am a tatter.


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## imashelefrat (May 16, 2013)

I think you are right, not sure about the tatting. I tat and this looks different.
Tatting looks more crisp than this. In addition the round motif at the corner square(blue and white) is weaved in the round to fill in the empty squares (on spokes that are added in the empty squares)
I might be wrong about the tatting.



mzmom1 said:


> I believe it's called drawn thread work (the blue) with crocheted edging. The white looks like eyelet embroidery edged with tatting.


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## laceluvr (Feb 16, 2012)

The first & second photos are examples of drawn threadwork as mzmom1 posted. The blue pinwheels are a form of needle weaving or needle lace. It's very different than Hardanger.


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## AnDee (Jan 30, 2012)

I would say it looks like Hardanger on a very large scale. Very interesting piece though. NordicNeedle.com would be a source of information for books and supplies if you are interested in trying it. I took a class years ago and bought an ornament kit I still haven't finished. NOt that it's difficult - I've been a crocheter for decades and finally learned to knit a few years ago. (My cross stitch and quilting have been put aside as well.) I think I have craft ADD


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## Judy M (Feb 17, 2011)

floral feed sacks in the 40s. Very nice fabric used for dresses, aprons, pillowcases, etc. 
http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1105750
flour sacks in 30s
https://www.littlethings.com/flour-sack-dresses/
http://www.littlethings.com/flour-sack-dresses/


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## imashelefrat (May 16, 2013)

I might be missing something, or you might be missing something, but how is this connected to the question?


Judy M said:


> floral feed sacks in the 40s. Very nice fabric used for dresses, aprons, pillowcases, etc.
> http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1105750
> flour sacks in 30s
> https://www.littlethings.com/flour-sack-dresses/
> http://www.littlethings.com/flour-sack-dresses/


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## Judy M (Feb 17, 2011)

https://www.pinterest.com/colleengurr/needleart-open-work/?lp=true
http://www.pinterest.com/colleengurr/needleart-open-work/?lp=true

https://www.pinterest.com/twizzleknit/embroidery-drawn-pulled-thread-work/?lp=true
http://www.pinterest.com/twizzleknit/embroidery-drawn-pulled-thread-work/?lp=true

http://encyclopediaofneedlework.com/chapter_3.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drawn_thread_work
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drawn_thread_work


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## Judy M (Feb 17, 2011)

imashelefrat said:


> I might be missing something, or you might be missing something, but how is this connected to the question?


Someone suggested it might be feed sack material. Many feed sacks had patterns on them, as did flour sacks. The material would have been closely woven to contain the feed, grain or flour.


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## mombr4 (Apr 21, 2011)

I don't know what it is, but it is very pretty.


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## mac.worrall (Jun 24, 2011)

mzmom1 said:


> I believe it's called drawn thread work (the blue) with crocheted edging. The white looks like eyelet embroidery edged with tatting.


That's what I think too.i used to work similar things many moons ago


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## crafterwantabe (Feb 26, 2013)

Thank you all for looking . And making your suggestions... it is very beautiful that's for sure.


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