Example of Richelieu work.
Richelieu work, or Richelieu embroidery, is a form of cutwork lace. It was especially popular in the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries. Since the dominant colour is white, it may also be classed as a form of whitework. There are various designs, and these are outlined with buttonhole stitches and with bars connecting the open areas. The bars themselves are also provided with buttonhole stitches and picots.
This form of whitework was used for tablecloths or other practical pieces; often a coloured material was stuck behind the Richelieu work to accentuate the open areas.
Richelieu work again popular in England in the mid-nineteenth century, using designs that were based on much ealier models.
Digital source (retrieved 16 May 2016)
Digital source illustration (retrieved 16 May 2016)
WV
