as well as in colour is often wanted; sometimes the
former alone is sufficient. The choice of material depends very much
upon the use to which the finished work will be put, but this simple
form of applied work often relies for part of its effect upon an
intrinsic interest in the material, so it is usually carried out with
such materials as velvet, satin, or silk, either plain or figured.

The design for this kind of work should be of a bold conventional type,
such as large foliage with the character of the heraldic mantling; any
naturalistic flowers, figures, or animals easily become grotesque. A
simple outline to the forms is necessary, both because of the technical
difficulties and for the effect of the finished work. This kind of work
is hardly suitable for expressing fine detail; oftentimes it is seen
from a distance, and many indentations on an outline sometimes tend to
weaken it. Heraldry can be well expressed by this method. Fig. 95 is an
example from a piece of XIIIth century work, a fragment of the surcoat
of William de Fortibus, third Earl of Albemarle, who lived in the reign
of Henry III.; the example can be seen in the British Museum. This
method of work is also particularly suitable for such purposes as the
decoration of wall surfaces, for hangings of various kinds, or banners;
it can, however, be used for many other purposes, provided the design
and the materials are well chosen.

[Illustration: Fig. 95.]

Owing to the difficulty of working upon some ground stuffs, the method
has arisen of carrying out the embroidery upon an easily worked ground,
such as linen; cutting it out, when finished, along the outline and
applying it to the proper ground, the junction of the two materials
being hidden by a cord or some equivalent. It is usually further
completed by light sprays or some other kind of finishing touches being
placed around the applied part, these worked directly on to the proper
ground. This prevents the embroidery from looking too bald and detached
from its surroundings, of which there is always a danger when it is
carried out separately and then attached; if at all possible it is
always more satisfactory to work directly on to the right ground.

As a matter of fact it is almost always possible to do this; the workers
of the XIIIth century, the period at which the art of embroidery was at
its height, carried out the most exquisitely fine stitching and design
on such grounds as velvet that had alm