Candlewicking, an Old Craft

Border design on a bedspread

Candlewicking is a little-known form of embroidery. It began early in Europe and became especially popular among Englishwomen in the 1600's, where they made beautiful bedspreads on twilled linen using a series of French knots. Common designs included vines, flowers, grape clusters, and fruits. The skill traveled to America around that same time, but it didn't become popular in the colonies until the 1700's. It continued in many areas until machine-produced bedspreads became common.

1825 coverlet from collection of Bill Volckening

It got its name when women began to substitute the cord bought for candlewicks, which didn't require them to wind multiple threads together to achieve a noticeable knot. Still, over the years, women would put multiple threads together for candlewicking in order to use what they had on hand, especially after lanterns and lamps replaced candles. There're also examples of candlewicked pillowcases, sofa pillows, small cotton towels, etc., as well as the more common bedspreads. Traditionally, most candlewicked spreads where white on white or often with both thread and cloth being a natural color. However, a few were stitched with colored threads. I remember my mother making one with purple grapes and green leaves and vines. It wore out long ago, however.


Most candlewickers I know used an old candlewicked piece to lay a new cloth over and mark the design by rubbing over the design

with something that would show them where to stitch but later wash out. Tailor's chalk worked well if they had it. If not, they improvised. Sometimes, Mom would use a pencil to freehand dots on the cloth. She candlewicked bedspreads, quilts squares, throw pillows, small gift towels and other items. A dark drawing or coloring book page could be placed under the white cotton cloth to draw the design by. 

Candlewicked quilt squares

Years ago, my great aunt in the Stony Fork section of Watauga County, NC, had some of her work hanging on a clothesline to dry or sun. A visitor in the area noticed them and asked her to make some to send to his museum shop in New York. Later other relatives joined her, and this became an important source of income for them.

Candlewicking is an easy craft to learn with beautiful results. Some of you might want to give this historical craft a new try.

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