Mountmellick embroidery or Mountmellick work is a floral

whitework Whitework embroidery is any embroidery technique in which the stitching is the same color as the foundation fabric (traditionally white linen). Styles of whitework embroidery include most drawn thread work, broderie anglaise, Hardanger embroider ...

embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on c ...

originating in the town of

Mountmellick Mountmellick or Mountmellic () is a town in the north of County Laois, Ireland. It lies on the N80 national secondary road and the R422 and R423 regional roads. Name ''Mountmellick'', sometimes spelt ''Montmellick'' or ''Montmellic'', is a ...

in County Laois, Ireland, in the early nineteenth century.

History

It was developed around 1825 by Johanna Carter, who taught it to a group of about 15 women and girls. It used white

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

thread on white cotton

fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

, and predominantly floral motifs. The plants featured were those that were found around the town of Mountmellick, and included

blackberries The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family (biology), family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus' ...

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except t ...

, dog roses and

shamrock A shamrock is a young sprig, used as a symbol of Ireland. Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, is said to have used it as a metaphor for the Christian Holy Trinity. The name ''shamrock'' comes from Irish (), which is the diminutive of ...

s. The Great Irish Famine (1845-1849) hit the town of Mountmellick very hard. In about 1880, Mrs Millner, a member of the

Religious Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

(who were a strong part of the Mountmellick community) started an industrial association to help people within the town. She employed women to stitch Mountmellick embroidery for sale. Many of these items were sold from the port of

Cobh Cobh ( ,), known from 1849 until 1920 as Queenstown, is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. With a population of around 13,000 inhabitants, Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour and home to Ireland's ...

, from where many people embarked on journeys to America. In the 1970s, Sister Teresa Margaret McCarthy of the Presentation Convent in Mountmellick learned of the embroidery, and collected together examples from around the area in order to study and learn from them. She taught herself the stitches and then began teaching others. Yvette Stanton has recreated the original knitted fringe used in historical pieces of Mountmellick embroidery. As of 2022, the chairperson of the Mountmellick embroidery museum is Ann Dowling.

Technique and uses

Mountmellick embroidery uses predominantly knotted and padded stitches to create beautifully textured whitework embroidery. The work features a characteristic knitted fringe. Other forms of

lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...

, such as

crochet Crochet (; ) is a process of creating textiles by using a crochet hook to interlock loops of yarn, thread (yarn), thread, or strands of other materials. The name is derived from the French term ''crochet'', meaning 'hook'. Hooks can be made from ...

or bobbin lace are not authentic trims for Mountmellick work. The embroidery was usually employed on items of household use such as

doilies A doily (also doiley, doilie, doyly, doyley) is an ornamental mat, typically made of paper or fabric, and variously used for protecting surfaces or binding flowers, in food service presentation, or as a head covering or clothing ornamentatio ...

, nightdress cases, brush and comb bags, bedspreads/coverlets, and tablecloths. Though the work was white and hence inclined to show stains, it was so sturdy that it could be easily boiled white again. Today, Mountmellick embroidery is enjoying a resurgence of popularity around the world. A museum at th
Mountmellick Development Association
in Mountmellick has been opened to permanently display articles of Mountmellick embroidery for all to see. The

National Museum of Ireland The National Museum of Ireland ( ga, Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann) is Ireland's leading museum institution, with a strong emphasis on national and some international archaeology, Irish history, Irish art, culture, and natural history. It has thre ...

(

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

) also has some beautiful examples of the work, as does the

Ulster Folk and Transport Museum The Ulster Folk Museum and the Ulster Transport Museum are situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about east of the city of Belfast. The Folk Museum endeavours to illustrate the way of life and traditions of the people in Northern Ireland, past ...

outside

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

and the An Grianan Adult Education College at Termonfechin, County Louth.

References

Traditional Mountmellick embroidery (white-on-white work only) *"Mountmellick Embroidery: Inspired by Nature" by Yvette Stanton and Prue Scott, Vetty Creations, 2007 (2nd ed.). *"Mountmellick Work: Irish White Embroidery" by Jane Houston Almqvist, Colin Smythe, 1990. *"Traditional Irish Embroidery: Mountmellick Work" by Sandra Counahan. Mercier Press, Ireland. *"Beginner's Guide to Mountmellick Embroidery", by Pat Trott. Search Press, UK. *"Mountmellick embroidery", by Jules and Kaethe Kliot. Lacis Publications, 1998. Non-traditional interpretations *"Mountmellick from My Muse" by Janet M. Davies. JMD Designs. New Zealand.

External links

Mountmellick Development Craft Museum
History of Mountmellick work

Links to Mountmellick embroidery information, collections, websites, books, Mountmellick kits and embroidery supplies.
www.jmddesigns.co.nz/
Books, tutorials and designs of Mountmellick embroidery, with pictures.
Mountmellick Embroidery, TRC, Leiden
The

Textile Research Centre The Textile Research Centre (TRC), Leiden, Netherlands, is an independent research institute working in the field of textiles and dress. It is housed at Hogewoerd 164 in Leiden and includes exhibition space, storage rooms, a lecture room and ot ...

Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...

’s page on Mountmellick work and its history. {{embroidery Embroidery County Laois Textile arts of Ireland

History

Technique and uses

References

Further reading

External links