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The Petit Point called Saint Cyr stitch (Basketweave)
Hitherto one used different stitch such:
"done with the big stitch on canvas", or "done with cross
stitch of gold, silver and silk threads..."
No yet was used the Basketweave.
The inventory of the crown jewels, drawn up to the castle of Vincennes in
1418 announces "a small stitched purse".
In 1480, the widow of king Rene ask to carry out to Jean Guillebert, her
carpenter, a tapestry standing.us.me; too in 1483, in the inventory of Charlotte
of Savoy, widow of Louis XI, a tapestry.us.me is mentioned. Catherine de
Médicis, to the statement of Brantôme, "
took lot of time, after-diner with her works of silk and wool where she was
as well perfect as it was possible". (Let us note that it is in her
honor that DMC® created the prestigious range of tapestry wools of her
name.) Madam de Maintenon integrated this knowledge of making and all these
tapestry stitches in her lessons. But the most beautiful of all these stitches,
the most solid, the finest was taught at the end of studies. Since then in
France the needlepoint enthousiasts calls it the saint Cyr stitch.
The saint-Cyr stitch (basketweave) also kept from its origins the classicism
of its century. It is the stitch of Royal tapestry by "Excellence".
From this time, the tapestry made by saint-Cyr stitch (basketweave) becames a
social movment and invades the boudoirs and the living rooms. One finds it on a
tapestry of Madam de Mailly that Louis XVth lacerated of a blow of knife, later,
on the trimmings of armchairs realized by Marie Antoinette for Compiegne castle.
Carried out at the court or in the middle-class of province, the tapestry
stitched by "saint-Cyr" way entered the history. The important ones of
this world will continue the tradition by embroidering tapestries with the Petit
Point for their furnitures, the duchess of Berry for her castle of Rosny and the
Cambronne General to occupy his old days...
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MADAME DE MAINTENON 
SAINT CYR STITCH 
POINT
