Designs, Period.
Section I: Alphabets

Plate 1.

A. Straight Celtic: capital letters (10 high)

This style is from the Book of Kells, similar to letters in the Book of Durrow and the Book of Lindisfarne (c. 698). The best known examples of Celtic insular lettering are from the elaborately decorated missals of the 4^th to 6^th century. The style remained in use in Ireland up to the 11^th century.
(original design after Bain, also see Book of Lindisfarne in Nordenfalk)

B. Celtic knotwork: interlace design/border (21 high, 75 wide, 30 repeat if used as border)
(original design after Bain)

Plate 2.

A. Uncials: capital letters (7 high + 3 for ascenders + 3 for descenders)

Uncials were used from the 4^th to 9^th century as script; they continued to be used later as capitals with lowercase half-uncials and with gothic lettering.
(original design after Stoner & Frankenfield)

B. Half-uncials: lowercase letters (5 high + 3 for ascenders + 2 for descenders)

These were prevalent from the 6^th century onward as a lowercase form.
(original design after Stoner & Frankenfield)

C. Gothic: lowercase letters (6 high + 3 for ascenders + 3 for descenders)

Gothic letters were in use from the 12^th to 16^th century in northern Europe. These are 14^th century letters. Included are "ae" and "or" ligatures; many others were used in this style of lettering.
(original design after Hutchinson)

Plate 3.

A. Chancery or Italian Humanistic: capitals, lowercase, numerals (capitals: 7 high + 5 for descenders; lowercase: 5 high + 5 for ascenders + 5 for descenders)

These are from the 15^th century. Humanistic writing was a revival of Carolingian minuscule, developed in the 14^th century and at first most prevalent in Italy.
(original design after Stoner & Frankenfield)

Plate 4.

A. English 16^th century chalice veil (1415-1874): capital letters (letter: 17 high; heart: 8 high by 9 wide; diamond: 11 by 11)

This alphabet comes from a chalice veil worked in horizontal counted satin stitch (pattern darning) with pink silk letters and silver gilt motifs. The center inscription is "VNTO GOD GIF PRIS" and the border is inscribed "O LORD CONSIDER MI DISTRES AND VITH SPED COM PETE TAK MI SIN DEFAC MI FALT REDRES," a metrical version of Psalm 51. See Plate 5 for a reconstruction of the missing letters. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
(photographed in Wardle)

Plate 5.

A. German 16^th century sampler (T.114-1956): capital letters (7 high + 1 for "G" ascender)

This alphabet is from a sampler described as "...probably German, appears to be a sampler for church linen; the motifs are in the style of the earliest group of pattern-books, about 1523-40" (King). The piece is worked with colored silks on linen in cross stitch, long-armed cross stitch, 2-sided Italian cross stitch, and double running stitch. Piece is 34½" by 21¼". Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
(photographed in King and in Sebba)

B. Vine border (5 high with 14 repeat)
(original design)

C. Missing letters in the style of the German 16^th century sampler capitals above
(original design)

D. Missing letters in the style of the English 16^th century chapel veil capitals from Plate 4
(original design)

Plate 6.

A. Icelandic 17^th century bed valance (Inv. No. 1149): lowercase letters (20 high; the "s" is 21 high)

This style of lettering (lowercase with diamond-shaped corner blocks) is found in many of the Icelandic embroidery pieces shown in Guðjónsson:
page 20 17^th c. bed valance (Inv. No. 1149)
page 21 17^th c. altar frontal (Inv. No. 647)
page 30 17^th c. coverlet (Inv. No. 1065)
page 40 c. 1700 font cloth (Inv. No. 1924)
page 60 1617 altar frontal (Inv. No. 10940)
page 64 1811 coverlet (Inv. No. 11055)

On this piece the lettering is in straight darning in wool thread on linen tabby with additional designs in pattern darning, and the total size of the piece is 86 by 379 cm. National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavík.
(photographed in Guðjónsson)

B. Missing letters in the style of the Icelandic lowercase letters above

The last letter is a "thorn" (Þ ).
(original design)