I found a fantastic website from Mathilde Eschenbach with charts for medieval Middle Eastern counted thread embroidery (blackwork, pattern darning, cross-stitch) plus photos of the original pieces. Here are a few example thumbnails to inspire you to take a look:
Cats and trees, Egypt, 14th-16th century
Egyptian pattern darning
Cross-stitch, Egypt, Mamluk era
embroidery for ducks 
Thank you Hannah for sharing this info!
you’re welcome!
The cats are wonderfully quirky, aren’t they!
I really like seeing the changing subjects from culture to culture, even with the same technique and geometric style.
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