Berlin Woolwork

Our new pair of handpainted Berlin Woolwork designs tell an interesting story about the democratisation of embroidery. Berlin woolwork developed in Germany in the early 1800s as a new form of needlecraft in which embroiderers followed a pattern drawn out on a paper grid. Designs could be more widely disseminated and required far less technical ability for the embroiderer than traditional free-form embroidery. By the mid-19th century, Berlin woolwork became celebrated for its particularly vivid colours—clear, bright shades, pure whites, and delicate pastels—with the development of synthetic aniline dyes.