"Slip 'Lemon' of embroidered canvas with silks, England, ca. 1600"@en . "Slip of embroidered canvas with silks in shades of green, yellow, brown, black and cream in tent stitch. The ground is unworked. The edges are turned and hemmed. The slip depicts a slightly curved spray of lemons on a cut stem."@en . . "Object Type
This slip, one of a small group, depicts a branch of a lemon tree.

Materials and Making
Slips were small, usually floral motifs drawn onto canvas, then embroidered and cut out. They would be applied to a rich backing fabric such as velvet or satin. They were used in various types of furnishing, particularly bed hangings. It was more manageable for the domestic embroiderer to work a small piece of canvas that could be held in the hand than to tackle a large embroidery in a single piece. It was also easier, if necessary, to detach the slips and reapply them to another backing.

People
Two manuscript notes in the V&A relate to the commissioning of these slips. They were apparently written by Anne Sydney, daughter of Sir William Sydney of Penshurst, Kent, who married Sir William Fitzwilliam (1526-1599). They seem to indicate that the slips were worked to commission, but almost certainly by household servants, Mrs Fisher and Mrs Lyell, rather than in a workshop."@en . "2021-02-10T00:00:00"^^ . . "British Galleries:\nThe coat of arms represents the marriage of Anne Sidney to Sir William Fitzwilliam (1526-1599). Slips were small motifs that were embroidered onto canvas, then cut out and stitched onto larger pieces of fabric. Floral motifs were particularly popular for domestic embroidery. A manuscript records that these slips were intended for hangings, probably for a bed. [27/03/2003]"@en .