Picture
Object name
Maker
Date made
1936
1989
1989
Place made
Description
Large-scale crewelwork picture signed 'L. Dalton, 1936' and 'Pamela Richards, 1989'.
Content description
A large-scale crewelwork picture begun by L. Dalton in 1936 and completed by Pamela Richards in 1989. The piece features a number of pastoral motifs worked in wool thread on an uneven woven linen.
The far left of the work depicts a woman in blue in a yellow field pushing a pram with a young child and holding wildflowers. The woman's dress and apron are of appliqued blue and white felt, while her legs, face, and hair are done in stem stitch, back stitch, and split stitch. The field is worked in lines of stem stitch and features the inscription 'Pamela Richards 1989'. The pram is worked in rows of black and brown chain and stem stitch with a green outline stitch overlay. The young child is outlined in a finer wool thread in stem stitch and wears a yellow-and-white sweater of whipped back stitch, chain stitch, and satin stitch.
Next to the field, a large tree with blue leaves is worked in a large whipped running stitch. The leaves are made of wave stitch and outlined in a chain stitch. A small red bird sits atop one leaf, body worked in buttonhole and straight stitch, with two musical notes coming out of its beak. On another leaf sits a brown and orange squirrel in stem and straight stitch. Behind the tree, three spotted deer are worked in a brown and black outline stitch and an orange felt applique. There are also several flying birds and small flowers in appliqued felt and green straight stitches in small arcs indicative of a grassy field.
In the centre of the work, a woman, a man, and a child sit by a picnic table in front of a small group of trees. Each figure is outlined in split stitch. The man and the child wear clothing worked in appliqued felt, while the woman wears a dress worked in a trellis pattern. Their picnic table is of blue and yellow herringbone and split stitches and has three blue teacups atop it. Under the table is shown a blue teapot decorated with couched yellow and orange strips and orange French knots, as well as a small cake and plate of cookies in split stitch, couched thread, buttonhole, and rough trailing. A basket of brick-couched thread and whipped chain stitch sits next to the table and contains a blue and yellow blanket in long-and-short stitch. The three figures are sitting in a small grove of trees worked in a whipped stem stitch and a couched thread.
To the picnickers' right is a pond with a swan, three cygnets, and a 'No Fishing' sign. The pond is done in lines of triple running stitches. The swan's neck is worked in encroaching satin stitch and its body in laid work, straight stitch, and appliqued felt, while the three cygnets are of appliqued felt with small stem stitch highlights. The sign is worked in straight stitch and chain stitch and the text in a buttonhole.
Above the pond, a young boy stands in front of a fence carrying a small bucket and a flag. He is also outlined in a split stitch and wears a felt appliqued shirt and pants with a trellis pattern. The orange bucket is worked in split stitch and running stitch, while his grey flag is worked in a whipped chain stitch and a set of couched and woven threads. Around him are more straight stitch grass knolls and small wildflowers of felt applique, woven wheel, and detached chain stitch.
The bottom right corner features a boxed inscription reading 'By L Dalton 1936' in an orange outline stitch. Above the inscription is a bunny and a small bird eating a worm. The bunny is worked in a trellis stitch with a French knot tail, and the bird is a series of straight stitches.
In the top right corner, two well-dressed men in hats ride horses behind a green chain-stitched fence. The men are wearing felt applique suits and hats in yellow and black. The front horse is spotted and black, worked in a whipped stem stitch, and the rear horse is an appliqued red felt.
The relationship between L. Dalton and Pamela Richards is unknown, but perhaps this is a mother and daughter or grandmother and granddaughter pair.
The far left of the work depicts a woman in blue in a yellow field pushing a pram with a young child and holding wildflowers. The woman's dress and apron are of appliqued blue and white felt, while her legs, face, and hair are done in stem stitch, back stitch, and split stitch. The field is worked in lines of stem stitch and features the inscription 'Pamela Richards 1989'. The pram is worked in rows of black and brown chain and stem stitch with a green outline stitch overlay. The young child is outlined in a finer wool thread in stem stitch and wears a yellow-and-white sweater of whipped back stitch, chain stitch, and satin stitch.
Next to the field, a large tree with blue leaves is worked in a large whipped running stitch. The leaves are made of wave stitch and outlined in a chain stitch. A small red bird sits atop one leaf, body worked in buttonhole and straight stitch, with two musical notes coming out of its beak. On another leaf sits a brown and orange squirrel in stem and straight stitch. Behind the tree, three spotted deer are worked in a brown and black outline stitch and an orange felt applique. There are also several flying birds and small flowers in appliqued felt and green straight stitches in small arcs indicative of a grassy field.
In the centre of the work, a woman, a man, and a child sit by a picnic table in front of a small group of trees. Each figure is outlined in split stitch. The man and the child wear clothing worked in appliqued felt, while the woman wears a dress worked in a trellis pattern. Their picnic table is of blue and yellow herringbone and split stitches and has three blue teacups atop it. Under the table is shown a blue teapot decorated with couched yellow and orange strips and orange French knots, as well as a small cake and plate of cookies in split stitch, couched thread, buttonhole, and rough trailing. A basket of brick-couched thread and whipped chain stitch sits next to the table and contains a blue and yellow blanket in long-and-short stitch. The three figures are sitting in a small grove of trees worked in a whipped stem stitch and a couched thread.
To the picnickers' right is a pond with a swan, three cygnets, and a 'No Fishing' sign. The pond is done in lines of triple running stitches. The swan's neck is worked in encroaching satin stitch and its body in laid work, straight stitch, and appliqued felt, while the three cygnets are of appliqued felt with small stem stitch highlights. The sign is worked in straight stitch and chain stitch and the text in a buttonhole.
Above the pond, a young boy stands in front of a fence carrying a small bucket and a flag. He is also outlined in a split stitch and wears a felt appliqued shirt and pants with a trellis pattern. The orange bucket is worked in split stitch and running stitch, while his grey flag is worked in a whipped chain stitch and a set of couched and woven threads. Around him are more straight stitch grass knolls and small wildflowers of felt applique, woven wheel, and detached chain stitch.
The bottom right corner features a boxed inscription reading 'By L Dalton 1936' in an orange outline stitch. Above the inscription is a bunny and a small bird eating a worm. The bunny is worked in a trellis stitch with a French knot tail, and the bird is a series of straight stitches.
In the top right corner, two well-dressed men in hats ride horses behind a green chain-stitched fence. The men are wearing felt applique suits and hats in yellow and black. The front horse is spotted and black, worked in a whipped stem stitch, and the rear horse is an appliqued red felt.
The relationship between L. Dalton and Pamela Richards is unknown, but perhaps this is a mother and daughter or grandmother and granddaughter pair.
Dimensions
width: 167cm
height: 74cm
height: 74cm
Materials
Stitches
Stem stitch 
Whipped stem stitch
Back stitch
Whipped back stitch
Split stitch
Outline stitch
Chain stitch
Whipped chain stitch
Running stitch
Whipped running stitch
Straight stitch
Wave stitch
Trellis
Buttonhole stitch
Buttonhole wheels
Couching
Trailing
French knot
Herringbone stitch
Long and short stitch
Encroaching straight Gobelin stitch
Detached chain stitch
Woven wheel
Whipped stem stitch
Back stitch
Whipped back stitch
Split stitch
Outline stitch
Chain stitch
Whipped chain stitch
Running stitch
Whipped running stitch
Straight stitch
Wave stitch
Trellis
Buttonhole stitch
Buttonhole wheels
Couching
Trailing
French knot
Herringbone stitch
Long and short stitch
Encroaching straight Gobelin stitch
Detached chain stitch
Woven wheel
Techniques
Motifs
Catalogue number
RSN.2794
© Royal School of Needlework