satin · eyelet · cambric
white thread on white cloth. it can only be seen because it is raised: the shadow does the drawing. christening gowns, communion handkerchiefs, the cuffs of a wedding shirt — anywhere the thing said must be quiet, and the thing meant must be unmistakeable.
it includes broderie anglaise, where small holes are made deliberately and bound with buttonhole; drawn-thread, where the cloth itself is removed and the survivors are danced with; and the satin scroll that shows up best in late afternoon. compare blackwork, which is its absolute mirror, and the napkin in the press.
field-note: held to the window it disappears. held against the dark sleeve, it returns. all whitework is conditional.
embroidered initial · smocking · running stitch · white · lacework