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White on white: a whitework exhibition in St. Louis and how to try it yourself

Updated:

Since 2 October 2026 the Saint Louis Art Museum in the United States has been showing "Quilts and Coverlets: American Needlework in White". It runs until 18 April 2027, and admission is free (exhibition page on the museum's site). On display are white bedcovers from the early to mid-1800s from the museum's collection.

What whitework is

Whitework is white thread on white cloth. There's no colour, so the design relies on texture: the relief of the stitches, the quilting, the shadows cast by raised areas. These pieces look different in different light, and they almost always take patience: on white, a mistake can't hide behind a colour.

How to make a white piece in cross stitch

A cross stitch chart can be a single colour. A few techniques help white show up on white:

  • Texture instead of colour. Combine full crosses, half stitches and backstitch — they reflect light differently. For fractional stitches, see "Half and three-quarter stitches".
  • Knots. French knots add relief and read well on white — see "French knots".
  • A slightly different white. White can be cool or warm, or ivory. A thread a shade away from the fabric lets the design show while it still reads as white.
  • Shiny thread on matt fabric, or the other way round, also gives contrast without colour.

Stitching white without tiring

  • Light from the side. A lamp at an angle picks out the relief of the stitches, so you can see what you've already stitched.
  • Clean hands and a cover. Every mark shows on white — keep the work covered, and before washing read "How to wash and press a finished cross stitch".
  • Mark what you've stitched. White on white makes it easy to lose your place — mark stitches on the chart.

About the author

This article was written by the Crossette team. We're building Crossette, a cross stitch tracker for iPhone and iPad: you mark stitches on the chart — from full crosses to backstitch, beads and French knots. It's in development; to join the beta, email [email protected].