The Keepers’ of Athena’s Thimble is dedicated to all aspects of researching and re-creating pre-seventeenth century embroidery, and above all to sharing what we’ve learned. This page was created to help guild members and others by supplying information on everything from researching extant works to finding the best embroidery materials available today.
Know of a web site your fellow needleworkers will enjoy? Send it to the Web Minister at webminister@athenasthimble.com.
Note: Links outside this site will open in a new window.
Museums and Research: For Images of Period Work
- Archive of Documents in Italian
- Ashmolean – Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art
- Ashmolean Museum
- Bayeux Tapestry Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Durham Cathedral collection
- Glasgow University Emblem Website – directory of emblem sites
- Historical Needlework Resources – a sweet bag
- Icelandic Altar Hanging
- Musee des Tissus et des Arts Decoratifs de Lyon (Textile Museum of Lyons)
- Quilt History
- Metropolitan Museum of Art Cloisters Collection
- Metropolitan Museum of Art Antonio Ratti Textile Collection
- Miriam’s Middle Eastern Research – Embroidery page
- Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm Textile Chamber
- Old Italian Lace by Elena Ricci
- The Online Books Page – over 3 million facsimiles, Univ.PA
- St. Andrews After Empire project textiles – Carolingian ca. 900 to 1050
- Textile Museum in Washington DC
Organizations: Other Needlework Groups, Schools & Blogs
- American Needlepoint Guild
- Atlantian Embroiderers Guild
- Blackwork Embroidery – includes the Unstitched Coif project
- Embroiderers’ Guild ACT – Australia
- Embroiderers’ Guild of America (EGA)
- The Embroiderer’s Story (Tricia Wilson Nguyen)
- Mathilde Eschenbach’s embroidery page
- Needles Excellency
- Practical Blackwork
- Royal School of Needlework – in UK
- String or Nothing (Kim Salazar aka Countess Ianthe)
- Textile Research Centre – in Leiden, see the “Collections” & “Organisations” pages
- Traceable Heraldic Art
- Trish Burr Embroidery
- West Kingdom Needleworkers’ Guild
- The Worshipful Company of Broderers – Lochac
Suppliers: Materials, Tools, Supplies, Instruction, Patterns
- Access Commodities – manufacturer site shows products & lists retailers
- Berlin Embroidery
- Blackwork Archives
- DMC
- The Essamplaire – historic samplers
- Halcyon Yarns
- Hand Dyed Fibers (Victoria Clayton)
- Japanese Embroidery Center (JEC, Nuido)
- Kreinik
- Lacis
- Needle ‘n Thread – Mary Corbet
- Needlery
- Needlework Books
- Patternworks
- RSN Stitchbank
- Stitchery Row
- Thistle Threads (Tricia Wilson Nguyen)
- WEBS “America’s Yarn Store”
- Wichelt
