Crewel embroidery is a form of free¹ surface embroidery which dates back about a thousand years. Embroiderers use crewel wool and various embroidery stitches to follow a design on the fabric.

Crewel embroidery designs are typically very bold² flora and fauna. The colours used are usually very bright and xxxxxxx.

Utensils

Like all other kinds of embroidery the equipment for crewel embroidery is minimal – just some fabric, thread and a needle and you are good to go!

Fabric

Fabric used is normally a close woven fabric such as cotton or linen. Fabric should not be flimsy as the wool thread used is a little heavy and the fabric does need to support the final embroidery.

Crewel Wool

Crewel wool is used for this type of embroidery. It is a 2-ply yarn which is slightly thicker than the cotton strands available for cross-stitching but is still reasonably fine for wool. It has a slightly coarse feel and should be available at your local haberdashers hanging beside the stranded cotton in a wide variety of colours.

Needles

As the thread is thicker than cotton thread, a crewel needle, which has a larger eye, is used.

Hoop or Frame