Sewing Stitches Used in Medieval Clothing
Compiled by Jennifer L. Carlson
These have been generally sorted by date then by stitch and region. The compiler's used the the terminology that is in each source in question.
STITCH TYPE | DATED TO | LOCATION | ITEM | SOURCE |
Braiding stitch | Danish bronze age | Thorsberg Mose, Denmark | Cloth fragment with oversewing in stitch resembling braiding stitch | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 72 |
Button | Danish bronze age | Boremose, Denmark | Leather cape I; leather buttons made by winding a strip of leather round a wooden peg, like a toggle fastening | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 18 |
Buttonhole stitch | Danish bronze age | Denmark (general) | Reference to skins and textiles | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 279 |
Buttonhole stitch | Danish bronze age | Bredmose, Denmark | Coarse cloth. 2 seamed edges oversewn with buttonhole stitch | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 28 |
Buttonhole stitch | Danish bronze age | Aalestrup Bog, Denmark | Pieces of woven fabric sewn in buttonhole stitch | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 44 |
Buttonhole stitch | Danish bronze age | Haraldskae Mose, Denmark | Fabric II. Fringed edge oversewn in buttonhole stitch | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 58 |
Buttonhole stitch | Danish bronze age | Hvilehoj, Denmark | Remains of fine cloth. Fragment with buttonhole stitch. | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 118 |
Couched cord | Danish bronze age | Denmark (general) | Reference to skins and textiles | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 279 |
Feather stitch | Danish bronze age | Huldremose, Denmark | Checkered skirt | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 51 |
Hem stitch | Danish bronze age | Krogens Molle Mose, Denmark | Hooded cape | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 15 |
Hem stitch | Danish bronze age | Roummose, Denmark | Sheep skin cape | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 42 |
Hem Stitch | Danish bronze age | Karlby Mose, Denmark | Skin cape C. Hem stitch in gut or sinew | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 47 |
Hem stitch | Danish bronze age | Karlby Mose, Denmark | Skin cape B. Cape sewn in hem stitch with skin thread | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 47 |
Hem stitch | Danish bronze age | Baunso Mose, Denmark | Skin cape A. Sewn in hem stitch with gut or leather | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 39 |
Hem stitch | Danish bronze age | Baunso Mose, Denmark | Skin cape B. Hem stitch used for piecing | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 39 |
Hem stitch | Danish bronze age | Refstrup Hovedgaard, Denmark | Skin cape with hem stitched seams | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 56 |
Hem stitch | Danish bronze age | Haraldskae Mose, Denmark | Fabric I. Borders single-turned and hem stitched | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 58 |
Hem stitch | Danish bronze age | Vester Torsted Mose, Denmark | Fragment of skin garment. Sewn with hem stitch | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 66 |
Hem stitch | Danish bronze age | Vrangstrup, Denmark | Two cloth fragments III. Edge turned over and sewn in hem stitch with 2-ply sewing thread | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 96 |
Hem stitch | Danish bronze age | Huldremose, Denmark | Skin cape. Sewn with hemstitch | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 52 |
Herringbone stitch | Danish bronze age | Huldremose, Denmark | Skirt | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 280 |
Overcast stitch | Danish bronze age | Denmark (general) | Reference to skins and textiles | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 279 |
Overcast stitch | Danish bronze age | Karlby Mose, Denmark | Skin cape C. Overcast stitch in gut or sinew | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 47 |
Overcast stitch | Danish bronze age | Huldremose, Denmark | Skin cape. Sewn with overcast stitch | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 52 |
Overcast stitch | Danish bronze age | Auning Mose, Denmark | Piece of cloth with overcast edges | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 54 |
Overcast stitch | Danish bronze age | Refstrup Hovedgaard, Denmark | Skin cape with overcast seams | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 56 |
Overcast stitch | Danish bronze age | Mogelmose, Denmark | Skin jacket with overcast stitches in leather thread | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 56 |
Overcast stitch | Danish bronze age | Haraldskae Mose, Denmark | Skin cape. Skins joined with overcast stitches | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 58 |
Overcast stitch | Danish bronze age | Ronbjerg Mose, Denmark | Tunic sewn with overcast stitch | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 66 |
Overcast stitch | Danish bronze age | Vester Torsted Mose, Denmark | Fragment of skin garment. Sewn with overcast stitch; overcast stitch around cut out portion | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 66 |
Running stitch | Danish bronze age | Krogens Molle Mose, Denmark | Hooded cape | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 15 |
Running stitch | Danish bronze age | Aardestrup, Denmark | Skin cape. Running stitched seams | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 33 |
Running stitch | Danish bronze age | Roummose, Denmark | Sheep skin cape. Running stitched seams | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 42 |
Running Stitch | Danish bronze age | Karlby Mose, Denmark | Skin cape C. Running stitch in gut or sinew | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 47 |
Running stitch | Danish bronze age | Karlby Mose, Denmark | Skin cape B. Cape sewn in running stitch with skin thread | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 47 |
Running stitch | Danish bronze age | Arden Mose, Denamrk | Fragment with running stitches | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 280 |
Running stitch | Danish bronze age | Boremose, Denmark | Cape I. Running stitched neck hem | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 18 |
Running stitch | Danish bronze age | Boremose, Denmark | Cape II. Running stitch seams | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 18 |
Running stitch | Danish bronze age | Baunso Mose, Denmark | Skin cape A. Sewn in running stitch with gut or leather | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 39 |
Running stitch | Danish bronze age | Baunso Mose, Denmark | Skin cape B. Hem stitch used for piecing | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 39 |
Running stitch | Danish bronze age | Karlby Mose, Denmark | Skin remnants D and E. Pieces of skin sewn together with running stitch | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 47 |
Running stitch | Danish bronze age | Huldremose, Denmark | Skin cape. Sewn with running stitch | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 52 |
Running stitch | Danish bronze age | Haraldskae Mose, Denmark | Skin cape. Skins joined with running stitches | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 58 |
Twisted buttonhole stitch | Danish bronze age | Osterbolle, Denmark | Fragment | Hald, M. Ancient Danish Textiles, p. 280 |
Back stitch (probably) | Pre-Viking or Viking era | St. Andrew's Parish, Orkney Island, Scotland | Hood. Decorative band sewn to body of hood with "regular" stitches | Henshall, A. Early Textiles, p. 13 |
Chain stitch | Pre-Viking or Viking era | St. Andrew's parish, Orkney Island, Scotland | Hood. Mend under chin - chain stitches in double thread, 5 per inch, at point of weakness, framing an area of darning | Henshall, A. Early Textiles, p. 13 |
Darning stitch (twill) | Pre-Viking or Viking era | St. Andrew's Parish, Orkney Island, Scotland | Hood. Mending; stitching copies the twill weave in a heavier and darker yarn | Henshall, A. Early Textiles, p. 13 |
Hem stitch | Pre-Viking or Viking era | St. Andrew's Parish, Orkney Island, Scotland | Hood. Raw edges of seam turned over twice and hemmed down on the outside; edges framing the face turned over twice onto the outside making a hem 1/2 inch wide; lower edge of the cloth turned outwards and hemmed to edge of decorative band; upper decorative band whipped to upper edge of lower band | Henshall, A. Early Textiles, p. 13 |
page revision: 10, last edited: 27 Aug 2011 02:08