Needlework pattern

Berlin wool work was a style of needlepoint embroidery, usually worked in single stitches in many colours and hues (which had been made possible by the great progresses made in dyeing from the 1830s). Berlin wool work produced very durable pieces of embroidery that could be used as furniture covers, cushions and bags.

Berlin wool work patterns in colour were first published in Berlin, Germany, early in the 19th century. They were printed in black and white on paper and then hand-coloured, and published mainly as single sheets to keep them affordable. They were eventually exported to Britain and America, where 'Berlin work' became a craze.