Jane Austen's needlework

Jane Austen was an accomplished needlewoman, as so many women were in times past. In Jane Austen: Her Homes and Her Friends, Constance Hill describes Jane and her mother and sister, Cassandra, settling into a routine at Chawton House of gardening, reading, writing, and needlework. Today, a visitor to the house can see the quilt the three women created, as well as a few samples of Jane's other needlework. (Above: Detail of the quilt at Chawton House)

Baptism cloth, 1800, shows a fine example of chain stitch embroidery during this period. This is not one of Jane Austen needlework samples.

This Norwich Shawl was embroidered in 1800, and used an embroidery pattern that would have been popular in northern Europe.

To learn more about Jane Austen as a needlewoman, click on the following links:

• Pride and Patchworkdiscusses Jane Austen as an accomplished needlewoman.

• Jane Austen's Quilt,an article from the Jane Austen Centre, discusses the quilt in detail.

• The Jane Austen Quilt, an article from the Jane Austen Society, also discusses the quilt at length.