Casgliadau Arlein

Sampler showing a map of England and Wales, counties outlined. Black frame. The map is embroidered in fine cross stitches using different colour silk yarns onto a tabby woven ground of bast fibre. The yarns are Z-spun.

Embroidery is stitch-mounted onto a backing fabric of cream cotton 4/1 twill ground fabric with small stitches using fine 3-ply, Z-twist silk in brown and cream. These very fine stitches run all along the edge, in line with the black embroidered line and run roughly down the centre and across the middle of the map, following the outline of the embroidered borders. The backing fabric is wrapped around a piece of 2mm card board and is secured with lacing stitches. The stitches that tension the upper and lower edge are stitched with white cotton 3-ply, S-twist thread and the stitches that tension the side edges are undyed bast fibre (grey-brown in appearance) which are also 3-ply, S-twist. To cover up the lacing stitches, a plain piece of paper has been adhered to the reverse of the board. This paper was in direct contact with the three wooden boards that are pinned in place to hold the map in place within the frame. The back of the frame is covered with brown paper which has been adhered in place.