18th century embroidery techniques

For the wealthy, the eighteenth century was a period of decadent splendour, and their clothing was no exception - sumptuous fabrics were embellished with lavish, ornate embroidery.

Gail Marsh, a costume and textiles curator and senior lecturer in fashion and textiles for many years, has delved into archives to research the techniques and tools that embroiderers of the day used to create such bewitching items of clothing, plus: relevant quotations from ladies and gentlemen of the period; intricate drawings of costume pieces, annotated with the greatest detail; demonstrations of the stitches, threads and techniques that were used; and colour photographs of the museum-held pieces.