SNIPPET: The small town of Mountmellick, Co. Laois is the traditional home for Mountmellick raised embroidery. Treasured, old pieces are collected, and displayed, and the craft is taught and practised far beyond the shores of Ireland. The embroidery is done in white knitting cotton on a heavy white satin jean. Motifs include a variety of natural floral designs, usually fairly large in scale, and pieces are often finished with buttonholed and fringed edges. There are three embroidery stitches specific to Mountmellick work - the cable plait stitch, the Mountmellick stitch and the Mountmellick thorn stitch. Other commonly used stitches include bullion, long cable or cable chain, thorn, French knot, stem, blanket stitch or button hole (can be sawtooth, houndstooth or plain with French knots in some cases), leaf fill, satin (can be padded or couched), snail trail, chain, seeding, lazy daisy and feather stitch.. Although many stitches are available, some of the best work make use of only two or three. Designs were originally inspired by plants growing along the Owenass River bank: blackberries, acorns, dog rose, ivy , oak, barley, woodbine, wild clematis Cultivated plants such as passion flower,, cyclamen, tiger lily, snowdrop and daffodils also appear frequently in the designs, and even butterflies, seashells, birds and bird nests appear in the designs. The passion flower is a particular favorite among current works. The cloth may be a natural color, although bright white is traditional. The cloth is steeped overnight in cold water and then vigorously boiled to bring it up snowy white. Pieces are very serviceable and are meant to be used. Repeated washings of the older work give them a particular softness and a "patina." Much work has gone into their creation. Many pieces are viewed as family heirlooms and passed down from generation to generation. Joanna CARTER is generally credited with creating Mountmellick Embroidery. In 1816, she received an award for developing new embroidery stitches at a prominent London exhibition, and by 1825 was running a small school in a thatched cottage in Mountmellick, teaching young girls the craft. Mountmellick Embroidery seems to have been set up originally as a way to provide a trade for poor girls. The craft had a long association with a Society of Friends (Quaker) school opened in Mountmellick in 1786. Another woman associated with its early development was Quaker Margaret BEALE, an accomplished lacemaker from Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. Mountmellick Embroidery became a popular Victorian pastime for middle-class ladies, then saw a decline. Sister Theresa Margaret McCARTHY, born in Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick, in the Presentation Convent in Mountmellick since 1936, an authority on embroidery, sparked a revival of the art in the 1970s with her expertise and enthusiasm and has taught stitches to countless others. Sister Theresa was named a Laois Person of Year in 2000, for her contribution to local customs and craft. Please consult the Mountmellick Embroidery page at the Island Ireland website for further history (including donated Quaker patterns from a trunk by the Quaker PIM family of Mountmellick), very old (London) and recent publications, classes at various venues including An Grianan (the sunny place) Irish Countrywomen's Association College in Termonfechin, Co. Louth, an hour's drive from Dublin. Included is information on various museums in Ireland and England with examples of work on display, ideas for applications from christening gowns to framed work, mechanism for possibly purchasing these labor-intensive embroidered pieces. .