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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 19 2007, 12:02 PM EDT (current) | kjacobso | |
| Jun 19 2007, 12:01 PM EDT | kjacobso | 303 words added |
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Punch-needle embroidered pillows, also called punch-work, hooked, or chenille pillows, were a fashionable handicraft in the 1930s and ’40s. Their popularity today stems in part from a revival of interest in the playful patterns of that era—from Scottie dogs to proud peacocks, bold florals, and thoroughbred horses in profile. But unlike most vintage textiles, which are known for their crisply defined graphics, these thickly stitched pillows have a less precise, more irregular look.
Punch needlework has a history four centuries old in Russia, where it was used on ecclesiastical garments and articles of worship. By about 1880, women had embraced the technique to embellish Victorian crazy quilts.
The technique is similar to that used in creating hooked rugs or chenille, but it ends with a sculptor’s touch. A hollow needle threaded with yarn is punched through the reverse side of a woven fabric, leaving a loop on the front that is then cut, brushed, and shaped for special three-dimensional effects. Motifs rise above the fabric, usually black or brown velvet.
The importance of the process of finishing the design in three dimensions explains why two pillows made from the same pattern can look very different: they will vary according to each maker’s tastes and talents. Expertly sculpted punch-needle embroidery appears rounded, with areas of light and dark within the same color area. The pile can be any length from tiny nubs to 6-inch-long strands left hanging and frayed to mimic the long hairs on a horse’s tail.
High skill is not a definitive criterion for collectors. Often the more naïve a design appears, the greater its appeal. Stitched signatures and dates and other variations from a published pattern also increase value. Animals (kittens, dogs, deer, squirrels, horses) generally bring higher prices than simple flowers or mottoes. Silk braids or fringes also increase price.
Punch needlework has a history four centuries old in Russia, where it was used on ecclesiastical garments and articles of worship. By about 1880, women had embraced the technique to embellish Victorian crazy quilts.
The technique is similar to that used in creating hooked rugs or chenille, but it ends with a sculptor’s touch. A hollow needle threaded with yarn is punched through the reverse side of a woven fabric, leaving a loop on the front that is then cut, brushed, and shaped for special three-dimensional effects. Motifs rise above the fabric, usually black or brown velvet.
The importance of the process of finishing the design in three dimensions explains why two pillows made from the same pattern can look very different: they will vary according to each maker’s tastes and talents. Expertly sculpted punch-needle embroidery appears rounded, with areas of light and dark within the same color area. The pile can be any length from tiny nubs to 6-inch-long strands left hanging and frayed to mimic the long hairs on a horse’s tail.
High skill is not a definitive criterion for collectors. Often the more naïve a design appears, the greater its appeal. Stitched signatures and dates and other variations from a published pattern also increase value. Animals (kittens, dogs, deer, squirrels, horses) generally bring higher prices than simple flowers or mottoes. Silk braids or fringes also increase price.
