Blackwork
It is said that Catherine of Aragon brought blackwork from Spain when she married Henry VIII in 1509, but black counted thread embroidery on a white ground was practised in England before that date. Originally it was used for dress decoration, and later also for bed hangings, cushions and curtains. Blackwork was largely a monochrome technique, usually in black on white, but sometimes red thread was used and gold and silver thread added for richness.
