LaBelle Èpoque Mountmellick Chatelaine

Delightfully embroidered Mountmellick chatelaine pieces are the focus of this 6-hour lesson. Traditional white-on-white embroidery, Mountmellick was introduced to Ireland during the nineteenth century by Johanna Carter, a member of the Society of Friends. It first was developed in the town of Mountmellick for its production as a cottage industry. This laid-thread technique is the perfect vehicle for newcomers because of the variety of stitches contained in the design and the fact that there is no worrying about what color threads to choose. Worked entirely in white, the scale is large, so the stitches are easy to see and designs are usually taken from nature. Focusing on shades of white, shiny and dull, knotted and smooth, the stitches prove to be interesting and fun. Stitches include padded satin stitch, seeding, Palestrina, French knot, wheat stitch, stem stitch, and much more. This lovely, pocket-size chatelaine consists of a bell-shaped casing with a ribbon tie. The sliding ribbon attachment reins in a needle felt and an embroidered strawberry emery with needle lace cap, which serves as the bell’s clacker. This is the perfect project for those wanting to learn this traditional Irish embroidery technique while making a project you can enjoy personally.