Candlewick embroidery is a unique from of embroidery that started in the United States as pioneers traveled and created homesteads. It is a combination of recycling and minimalism to create beautiful as well as useful decorations for the home. It also was used to calm a troubled mind and ease anxities of an unknown future. These women were not only brave but were so resourceful they created an amazing style of emroidery that has enchanted stitchers for generations.

Candlewicking embroidery is traditionally white candlewick floss stitched on white muslin. You need to remember that embroidery floss was a luxury item that pioneers did not have space or finances for. However, they did need candles and lots of them. Women discovered that the candle wick could be divided and used as floss. Imagine the joy these women must have felt knowing that they could still do embroidery just with a different product. Keep in mind that they still had to be cautious of how much of the candle wick was used for embroidery versus making candles.

Traditional stitches include the French Knot and the Colonial Knot because they take less thread than other embroidry stitches. By the way, the Colonial Knot was created specifically for this type of embroidery. An outline of knots would be stitched to show a basic design of hearts, flowers, or other shapes that could easily be created. They would then wash their projects in hot water which would shrink the muslin. This would make the stitches stand out while also stabalizing them. The projects would also last a little bit longer preventing using neccessory resources to create something else.

Keep in mind these women worked with white thread on white fabric by candle light after doing chores around their homes. Imagine the patience and dedication needed to stitch by candlelight to create a quilt, curtains, towels needed for daily use. Today, most stitchers stitch for the pleasure as well as decorating a home. We no longer worry about resources as almost anything is a short distance away or just a click away with the internet.

Unfortuantely, this is one reason why Candlewick Embroidery fades in and out of style. It was created out of a need to create beautiful things for a home while resources where extremely limited. Today, this style of embroidery is an endangered textile art that is just waiting to fade into time or to be canceled out along with the history it was born in.