1325-1350 - Garment Piece with Running Stitches


"A piece of three-shed twill with traces of a silk facing sewn to it with horizontal and diagonal rows of stitching" from the second quarter of the 14th century found at excavations at Baynard's Castle (Crowfoot, p 174)

"Here a woolen 2.1 twill is lined with a piece of silk tabby and they are held together with rows of running stitches which form a triangular pattern." (Crowfoot, p 174) This was probably part of a garment as it was common to line garments with silk. Is it quilting? The running stitches were holding together two layers of fabric.The rows of running stitches were placed very close together in a geometric pattern. It fits the basic definition of what quilting is.

Source: Crowfoot, Elisabeth, et al. Medieval Finds From Excavations in London vol 4: Textiles and Clothing 1150-1450. Boydell Press: Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK, 2001 (Museum of London)

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