Technique: Richelieu
Place of Origin: France
Earliest approximate date: 14th – 16th centuries
History: Richelieu embroidery enjoys a diverse and itinerant history. Richelieu’s origins can be traced back to 14th century Italy and the Renaissance, where it was known as punto tagliato, which literally translates to “cut point” in Italian. Today, we call this technique “cutwork.”
Punto Tagliato was the first form of cutwork embroidery. Nuns in monasteries stitched cutwork textiles for the church. The technique quickly drew the keen interest of the upper classes, nobility, and royalty.
Purportedly, the French court imported Punto Tagliato pieces from Italy. Cutwork embroidery then exploded in popularity under a new name: Richelieu. Named after Cardinal Richelieu, a 17th century French clergyman and statesman who served under King Louis XIII of France. It is said that Cardinal Richelieu wore many garments that featured the Richelieu embroidery technique, although finding examples has proven difficult!
Materials, Techniques, and Stitches: Richelieu is a cutwork and, most typically, a whitework technique. Embroiderers work design outlines in buttonhole stitch; with the fabric thus reinforced, they then cut away sections of the fabric. Bars, or “brides” create connections between the open areas, further reinforcing the stability of the fabric. Traditionally, fine linen is used, although cotton lawn may also be used. Richelieu has also been worked on silk organza in some cases.
In Richelieu, the first step is stitching parallel lines of running stitches to demarcate and outline the design. Following that, buttonhole stitches are worked over the running stitches, with brides stitched in to connect the areas that required reinforcement. The “brides” also feature buttonhole stitching, and sometimes picot embellishments. Once the full design is completed, the fabric around and between buttonhole stitches and bars may be cut away.
As mentioned, Richelieu featured in garments, but was also often used in home furnishings: table runners and tablecloths, napkins, and other home accents. Sometimes, a bold color fabric was placed behind Richelieu lace to showcase the cutwork design.
Interested in exploring more cutwork techniques? EGA members can access the Slinge – Croatian Cutwork Petite Project for FREE! (Get it soon, this project is being retired on May 31st!
Sources
(n.d.). Cutwork embroidery. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutwork
(n.d.). Revisiting Richelieu: Beautiful Cutwork Embroidery. Needle ‘n Thread. https://www.needlenthread.com/2023/09/revisiting-richelieu-beautiful-cutwork-embroidery.html
(n.d.). Richelieu. Textile Research Center. https://www.trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/regional-traditions/europe-and-north-america/embroideries/richelieu-work
(n.d.). Cutwork embroidery techniques. Needlework Tips & Techniques. https://www.needlework-tips-and-techniques.com/cutwork-embroidery.html
(n.d.). Richelieu. Encyclopedia of Needlework. https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofne00dill/page/84/mode/2up?view=theater&q=Richelieu
(n.d.). Mme Corbière’s Cutwork. Royal Alberta Museum. https://royalalbertamuseum.ca/blog/mme-corbieres-cutwork
(n.d.). Stitching the Story of Cutwork Embroidery, One of the Most Luxurious Goods in Europe. Ancient Origins. https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/stitching-story-cutwork-embroidery-one-most-luxurious-goods-europe-005346
(n.d.). Italian Lace History. World4 Costume Culture History. https://world4.eu/italian-lace/
(n.d.). Punto Tagliato. Tatter. https://tatter.org/events/punto-tagliato-european-cut-work-embroidery/
