Cutwork

Cutwork or cut work, also known as punto tagliato in Italian, is a needlework technique in which portions of a textile, typically cotton or linen,[1] are cut away and the resulting "hole" is reinforced and filled with embroidery or needle lace.

Common base fabrics include broadcloth, batiste, lawn, linen, organdy, and pique.

[7] In Renaissance embroidery and Richelieu work, the design is formed by cutting away the background fabric.

Initially, scrolling patterns worked in punto in aria were most evident, changing at the end of the century to reticella.

It was often use for freer patterns than the more geometric reticella, where squares of the ground cloth were cut out and embroidery was then applied.

[12]: 138 in the 1850s, an Englishwoman, Miss Phelps, arrived in Madeira to recuperate, and she gave lessons in broderie anglaise.

As indicated by the existence of the guild, many women in Madeira engaged in embroidery as a way of earning money for their families.

An especially fine form of cutwork is called snee werk, used for decorating clothing such as aprons and blouses, and household items such as pillowcases.

The execution of this hand embroidery reached its height in the late 1800s, a prosperous time with more money for clothing.

For those who couldn't afford larger garments, eyelet collars that could be used to adorn different blouses were popular.

Here, areas of the fabric are cut away and stitch is applied to stop the raw edges from fraying.