Scot Wood from SMW Design and the popular design blog The Adventures of Tartanscot reminded us just how much we love the beautiful tradition of Jacobean Crewel, and just how much crewel Lee Jofa has to offer.

Crewel is originally associated with the exotic, twisted-yarn embroideries of India. This was enthusiastically grabbed up by European traders, and Jacobean Crewel embroidery flourished in the reign of King James I of England in the first quarter of the 17th century.

This type of crewel embroidery features fanciful plant and animal shapes worked in a variety of stitches with two-ply wool yarn on linen. Popular motifs include the Tree of Life – pictured in the foreground chair of this room designed by Gary McBournie, as featured in Traditional Home and shown in the Lee Jofa crewel, Arbre de Vie (2004028 – 519).

This seemingly delicate upholstery is a marvel of color – beige, green, pink, slate. The longer one looks at it, the more it seems to pull color out of every corner of the room, the way a good hostess coaxes out her shyest guests at a cocktail reception. This particular fabric, which is 70% cotton and 30% linen, clearly shows its Indian design heritage, with a 59-inch vertical repeat and a nearly 50-inch horizontal repeat.

Of course, not all Jacobean crewels have such dramatic proportions. The Tyler Crewel-Sorbet from Lee Jofa has a 20-inch vertical repeat with more intricate detailing of tiny buds and berries.

Not all are a rainbow of colors. The Sohil Crewel-Indigo (2007107- 15) offers the magical detailing and cobalt hues of a Delft tile.

Not all are floral. The Almora Crewel-Vincuna (2002183 – 4) offers a simple fern pattern in ambers and ochres populated by stylized African animals – lions, elephants, monkeys, giraffes, etc.

And not all are worked into an un-textured fabric. The lush Bartholomew Velvet, with 100% wool yarns embroidered on the soft, nappy cotton fabric, is a wonderfully exotic upholstery for room that needs warming up.

For variety in color, design and texture – it’s clearly cool to be crewel.

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