Last week, I did indeed manage to cram in this embroidery project and complete it with fairly good success! Mind you, it took all blinking day Saturday to get it finished, but, come 9:00 pm, it was actually delivered! I take back the comment I made about wishing I had done something more complicated. Uh. No. My new motto: the simpler, the better.

Today, I'm going to show you how I embroidered the crown - I left my camera behind at the festivities yesterday, so I can't unload the finished photos yet. (It was one of Those Weekends. I'm lucky I didn't leave my head behind...)

When I started thinking about how to do the crown, my first thought was to fill it in like I did the cross, with long and short stitch in various shades of gold. But that didn't seem very interesting, so I did this instead:



First, I fetched a ball of yarn from my goldwork supplies. I use this yarn to couch gold purl over when doing goldwork. I ran a piece of the yarn through a cake of beeswax a few times, then I ran the yarn through my fingers to smooth it out and distribute the beexwax.

One string of yarn, by the way, was a perfect fit between the two lines on the crown. I was glad and rather pleased with myself for coming up with the idea! But don't worry - I still managed to make a mistake! Mistakes keep one humble, and they're the best of learning tools!



I took a Very Large Needle with a Very Large Eye, and threaded an end of the waxed yarn into it, then sunk the yarn ends at each edge of the crown.



And then, oh joy! oh bliss! I took out the GST (in the yellow - which is a beautiful soft gold, really) and started satin stitching over the yarn, which created a very nice raised band across the crown.



But as you can see, it isn't so smooth. Rats! In stitching down the sunk piece of waxy yarn end on the back, I didn't realize how badly it would tug things on the front. I did what I could to prod the stitching back into smoothness, but it never did look quite the same again.



After overcasting the yarn with the Gilt Sylke Twist, I outlined the crown in a dark gold (the same dark gold I used on the cross) using heavy chain stitch. I used the light gold that runs down the middle of the cross on the inside of the crown, stitching tiny seed stitches in there to add a dusting of color and a slight hint of texture.

A couple very good lessons I learned on this little crown: 1. Be conscious of what's going on on both sides of your fabric when tacking down loose ends; and 2. do the raised work last, after finishing the other stitching around it. I really had to manipulate my needle to get the stitches in around the GST without jabbing it. I jabbed it quite a bit!

I'll share the rest of that project later!

Coming up, I've got some super interesting information from Trish Burr! She's the author of Redoute's Finest Flowers in Embroidery and Long and Short Stitch Embroidery, and she has a new book coming out this summer in the US (already out in the UK and Australia, apparently!). She's also featured in this month's Inspirations Magazine. She sent me some notes on the path to publishing her books, along with some personal insights on her books, some gorgeous (and I mean STUNNING) photos of her work, and some information about her upcoming title. So I'll be putting that together into a worthy article this week! Look for it!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, Gilt Sylke Twist, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, May 05, 2008
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Just a quick note to let you know that there's a new A-Z Series book coming out: Goldwork with Silk Embroidery. I don't know a lot about it, but here's what I do know...

Country Bumpkin Publications produces an excellent line of embroidery books covering all kinds of techniques, and the books are great for beginners and experienced embroiderers alike. Their books feature step-by-step photographs of the stitches and techniques covered, which is wonderful when you're just learning (well, I think it beats the black and white diagrams, anyway!).



A-Z of Goldwork with Silk Embroidery is due for release in July of this year, and it can be pre-ordered now through Country Bumpkin. I would also guess you could pre-order through retailers here in the US that carry the CB A-Z books (for example, Wooly Thread or Needle in a Haystack). The shipping for Australia to America is pretty pricey!

The Goldwork book promises over 500 step-by-step photos and 10 projects covering 96 techniques of goldwork and silk embroidery. Check out the pre-order information on the A-Z of Goldwork and Silk Embroidery on Country Bumpkin's website for detailed information.

I've been waiting for this book for a while, actually - not that I knew it was coming, because I didn't! I just figured it was inevitable. I'm sure it'll be a good, quality book, and when I get my hands on it, I'll certainly let you know the nitty-gritty details!

Labels: book review, goldwork, Inspirations Magazine, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, May 02, 2008
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During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, embroidery on fine clothing was the norm. By the time the Industrial Revolution finished off the cottage industries, embroidery on clothing could be done by machine. But that didn't stop some people from undertaking the embellishment of their own wardrobes, as this New York Times article attests.

Anyone interested in costuming, in vintage textiles, or even in general surface embroidery may find this "Message to Women" interesting. What's the message? "Gold Thread to be Used Lavishly in Many Fabrics this Season" with explanations on "Honeycomb Stitchery." Read the gold thread article if you get a chance - you can pick up some interesting instruction on how to work the techniques discussed. If nothing else, I think it's amusing!



Speaking of embroidery on clothing and vintage textiles, another interesting source of embroidery designs is The Costume Galler's Online Library of Vintage Publications, in particular the free page of McCall's Magazine Self Transferable Embroidery Patterns, from May of 1908.



The nice thing about the patterns offered on the McCall's page (there are five embroidery patterns altogether) is that you could easily modify the pattern for something other than the bodice of that dress you're making for your summer tea parties.... you could take just one section of a motif and use it on linens or whatever!

Enjoy!

Labels: embroidery links, embroidery resources, free embroidery patterns, goldwork, historical needlework, vintage embroidery

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, April 28, 2008
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I had so much fun embroidering this little strawberry scene. There's nothing super-fancy about it, and certainly there's nothing accurate about it as far as nature is concerned, but the embroidery was fun! I learned several things along the way.

First, I learned about embroidering with Gilt Sylke Twist - some things work, and some things don't. Well, I should qualify that: they didn't work for me. They might work better for someone with a little more skill and a little more patience!



For example, long and short stitch and variations, worked on an arch, are probably not ideal with this thread. For one thing, the thread can't be split, so you have to come up between the previous stitches - which nudges them aside. Because of the stiff nature of the GST, they tend to stay nudged aside...



It doesn't look horrible, but it doesn't look that great, either!

For the blossom, I settled on long and short stitch in ecru and pink, with some highlights of the pink GST in the middle.



I like the way the blossom came out. I used some slightly darker brownish-pink in there, too, and between the petals for a bit of separation.



The leaves behind the blossom are worked in three colors of green: I satin stitched the whole leaf in a medium green, then I embroidered a few "shoots" of dark green up from the edge of the petal. Finally, I worked in a very light green at the tips, using just two stitches over each tip, in stem stitch, to give it a kind of curled look.



Another thing I learned: oh, yes, we all know it, but do we do it??? Think things through before beginning to stitch. I wasn't thinking when I stitched this stylized leaf (right - that's my excuse: it isn't supposed to look real!). I meant to do the long and short on the edge, exactly as it is done, and I meant to stitch the green GST on the edge as well. I even meant to work a stem stitch filling on the top section of the leaf. However, I did not mean to break the stem stitch scallops where I did! I should have drawn a line, slanting down in the direction of the scallops on the edge, and broken my scallops of stem stitch filling along slanted lines, so that those lines followed the direction of the long and short stitch.

But I wasn't really paying attention, and I didn't notice it until I was finished!

Another way I could have avoided those scallop-lines in the stem stitch filling altogether would have been to alternate the placement of the stitches in each row, not ending at a point each time I came down the scallop hill.

But like I said, I wasn't paying attention!



I also learned another thing I already know, but it served as a good reminder: line up your threads and the quantities thereof before you stitch. I ran out of the green I was using. You can't really tell, but it made the little turn-over at the tip look a bit different than I intended.



But, despite all the lessons, I'm still pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Oh - I learned one more thing. I will no longer be a fanatic over not wanting people to touch my embroidery. Usually, as a finger approaches, I spaz out - "Don't Touch!" When people see something like this strawberry, with the raised leaves and the sparkle of the GST, they can't resist it. They MUST touch it. So I learned that, sometimes, you just have to sit back and not get weird over people wanting to touch your embroidery. After all, they're learning, too!

Hope you liked my GST Strawberry Adventure! Now, on to other projects!

Labels: Gilt Sylke Twist, goldwork, needlepainting, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, April 10, 2008
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Just a short little post, to show you pictures of the lattice work on the strawberry embroidered in satin stitch with the Gilt Sylke Twist....

I couched the lattice with green embroidery stranded embroidery floss, using one strand and a #11 needle. The lattice is worked in pink Gilt Sylke Twist.



I tried to take photos that would catch the sparkle... side shots work really well, and you can't see the flaws as well, either!!



I like the pink GST with the red. The colors work well together.



This is a head-on shot of the strawberry. The left leaf there is bent up, but it does sit down over the edge of the top, so that white isn't visible.

And that's the strawberry worked in satin stitch with Gilt Sylke Twist. I'm going to remove the stem stitch line I worked first on that leaf stem, then work the leaf to the left of the strawberry, and work the stem stitch up the vein of the leaf and to the main stem. The main stem will be worked in heavy chain stitch. Then I'll figure out the blossom...

But in the meantime, I've got a couple videos to edit, so I hope to post a stitch or two this weekend for the video library, and I have the April embroidery stash contest coming up. I'm going to offer a meter of each of the colors of GST that are currently available (red, green, light blue blue, cream, and pink) and another goodie or two. So keep and eye out for that, and have a wonderful weekend!

Labels: Gilt Sylke Twist, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, April 04, 2008
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Here's my strawberry, satin stitched with the Gilt Sylke Twist. I'm dying to move a little faster on this little embroidery experiment, but time, alas, isn't on my side right now!

I'm hoping to stitch the lattice work couching on tonight. I laid the pink Gilt Sylke Twist on to see how it would look, and I think it'll look pretty good!

My fear is that I will finish the strawberry and loose interest in finishing the rest of the little design!

Here's the satin stitching in progress and finished:



Working across the strawberry did pose some difficulties in the way the thread lays. I like Carol-Anne's suggestion about using two needles threaded with the GST, and taking turns. Although this looks a bit bumpy there in the middle, it turned out ok, and the warbly parts will be stroked into submission before I lay the lattice work on. Actually, the lattice, I think, will help hold the threads in place.



Here's the finished satin stitching. I'm wondering what will happen when I stitch between the GST to couch the lattice threads on. Will it separate noticeably? We shall see. I'll use a very fine needle and only one strand of thread.



I think this thread is really gorgeous! From even a small distance, you can't really make out the individual gold wraps. You end up with a sense of the gold, in the way that it picks up the light, sparkles here and there, and gives off an overall "shimmeriness" (if that's even a word!).

So, that's where I am right now. I'd love to know who else is stitching practice pieces with the GST and if you have any pictures posted... Do share!!

Labels: Gilt Sylke Twist, goldwork, needlework pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, April 03, 2008
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Here's a little progress report on my latest embroidery experiment. I'm working on a strawberry, satin stitched with Gilt Sylke Twist. The leaves are finished, the strawberry is padded, and I've begun the satin stitching. So far, I'm having a blast!

I embroidered the strawberry leaves in detached buttonhole using the green Gilt Sylke Twist. I'll try to explain verbally how I detach the leaf, since I didn't actually take step-by-step photos. Sorry!



I decided I would do the center leaf after all. I was debating about this at first, as I mentioned in the first steps of the Strawberry Project.

I want the center leaf to stand up above the berry, so it has to be separate from the ground fabric. The outline I used for the detatched buttonhole is just a simple backstitch where it's attached to the ground fabric, and a couched line where it will be separated from the ground fabric.

You can see the red couching stitches in the photo above. Once the buttonhole filling is complete, the couching stitches are snipped away, so that the leaf can stand up from the fabric. The only place I actually worked through the fabric on the outline of the leaf was at the very top of the leaf, where I stitched through the other leaves already there. Get it?

It was a leeeetle bit hard working the detached buttonhole in the area above the other leaves. I just had to be careful not to catch the stitches in the leaves below.



So that's the leaf, finished. I whip stitched the edge in a lighter green. I wanted the leaves to have the sort of crinkly look typical to strawberry leaves, but I don't know how well that comes across.



Then I started filling in the padding on the strawberry. For the padding, I'm working with two strands of a dark red DMC cotton. When padding something with multiple layers of padding, you start in the center with a satin stitch padding over a small part of the center. Then you work the padding in layers, changing the direction of your stitches. You want the last layer of padding to run perpendicular to your topmost layer (the visible layer) of satin stitch.

When working the padding stitches, I didn't carry my thread across the back of the area, because I didn't want the back to build up, too. Instead, I jumped sideways for each stitch.



I kept working the padding in layers, until the shape was filled up. Here, there are three layers underneath the layer you see on top.

In both of the above photos, you can see the center leaf turned up. The GST is pretty stiff, so the elements worked with it are somewhat bendable.



For the final layer of padding, since the GST is going to be stitched down the length of the berry, I stitched the padding (using one strand of DMC now) horizontally across the berry. I also worked a split stitch outline around the shape.

Then, for the exciting part!!



I began the satin stitching in the GST. Some things I did differently from normal satin-stitching, because of the stiffness (and the expense) of the thread:

I didn't carry the thread across the back. I emerged at "A" at the top of the berry, went down at "B" at the base of the berry over the split stitched line, and then, jumping sideways, I came up at a point "C" to the right of "B" (at the base of the berry) and then went down at a point "D" to the right of "A" at the top of the berry. After the first two stitches, I didn't like the way that was working.

To come up right next to the previous satin stitch was difficult, because of the stiffness of the thread. It caused the stitches on top to arch away from each other. I gave them a little pinch on the back to rectify this, but for subsequent stitches, I moved from one side to the other of the previous stitches.

So, here's a diagram of where I went up and down for the satin stitching:



Up at A, down at B, up at C, down at D, then jump to the other side of A, and go up at E, down at F, then jump to the other side of C and go up at G and down at H.

This seemed to work better, but it required more thread to pass across the back. Still, it was a lot less thread than carrying the whole stitch up the back, and it turned out looking ok!

The next update will be the completed satin stitch on the strawberry, with lattice couching over the satin stitching. I'm doing the lattice in the pink GST. I'll couch the lattice down with regular embroidery floss, but I'm not sure what color to couch it with?? Green?

Labels: Gilt Sylke Twist, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, April 02, 2008
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One of my goals this weekend was to sit down with the new Gilt Sylke Twist and try it out with different embroidery stitches. I didn't get very far, but at least I started!

First, I mused about what to embroider. I didn't want to work random stitches. The thread is a bit dear to use on random stitching. But then, I didn't want to spend a lot of time thinking up or sketching out a design, either. I just wanted to get to the stitching!

I had a piece of good linen already framed up that I was "trying" a different failed experiment on (more on that later), so I salvaged a corner of that, took a pencil, and drew whatever came to mind straight on the linen.



There's nothing too naturally accurate here - stylized leaves, an attempt at some sort of blossom, and a strawberry. Spring must be coming - I've had strawberries on my mind lately!

My plan was to embroider the strawberry in red GST, in satin stitch, with a lattice over it in pink GST. That's still my plan. I just didn't do the strawberry first, but I'm thinking I should have.



To get familiar with the GST, I thought I'd stitch a line of stem stitch. I began with a #7 hand-made Japanese needle, but I think it was too small. I switched to a #10, which seems a little big, especially when working the stitches in the picture below. But it was ok for the stem stitch.

You can see that the stem stitch is a bit on the wobbly looking side. It took me a bit to get used to the thread. It's quite stiff. I should have been a little more careful and a little more patient.

One you get used to the thread, though, it's great to work with. I don't suggest a "sewing method" with stem stitch. Take your thread all the way to the front, all the way to the back ("stab" method). I like the noise the thread makes passing through the fabric, actually. It's a barely there kind of zipper sound!



I'm pretty sure I'm working this out of proper order. But I wanted to lift the strawberry leaves above the strawberry itself, and to do that, I figured I'd have to stitch the leaves, leaving part of them detached, lift them up, and stitch the strawberry underneath. I now wonder if I've left enough room to manage that, but we'll see.

The middle leaf may be abandoned altogether. We'll see on that, too!



Here's a close-up, so you can see the sparkle. The Japanese #10 is not ideal for the detached buttonhole in a tiny space - it's too fat, in my opinion! I outlined the leaves in backstitch in a matching dark green, and couched the area of the outline of the leaf where I wanted to lift it up from the ground fabric. You can see the red couching stitches in the leaf outline on the right. After filling the leaves with the GST, I took a barely lighter green - one strand - and stem-stitched around the leaves to give them a finished edge. I whip-stitched the part of the outline that was couched, so that I could still lift the leaf off the ground fabric.



And that's a little bit of an angled close-up so you can see the dimension.

My plan from this point: finish the leaves, then do the strawberry (in padded satin stitch with a lattice over it). Some of the leaves will be long-and-short stitch with regular stranded silk, but I will probably edge them and add veins with the GST.

I haven't quite decided what to do with that ridiculous-looking "blossom" yet. I'm open to suggestions!

And the stems and vines will be worked in different line and chain-type stitches. The main stem, I think, will either be worked in chain stitch or in heavy chain stitch - or perhaps just a wider band of stem stitch worked as a filling, so that I can add some shading. We'll see!

More updates later - back to my needle and thread!

Labels: Gilt Sylke Twist, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, March 31, 2008
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Continuing through my collection of liturgical and church-related embroidery photos, here's a glorious embroidered piece - the hood of a cope, with figure embroidery. Like the Last Supper chasuble I posted yesterday and the Crucifixion chasuble I posted photos of last year, this is relatively "modern" work - first half of the 1900's sometime.

The embroidered image on the cope hood is God the Father, holding Christ in His arms, with the Holy Ghost over the right shoulder. Around the figures are the choirs of angels. The cope hood would be approximately two feet long, and a little less wide.



The majority of the work is done in long and short stitch or split stitch shading techniques.



The individual angels representing the choirs of angels are probably about 3 or 4 inches high. I regret that I didn't take accurate measurements when I photographed these! The detail and the color are quite nice.



There are nine choirs of angels depicted, each one represented by the wings or by what is held in their hands. I don't know the precise symbolism.



The dove that represents the Holy Ghost caught my eye on this piece, as the outlines are embroidered in red, rather than the typical black or dark grey.



Because the piece was in a glass-covered drawer, I couldn't get a direct shot of the crown or face details here. You can see gemstones (probably glass) and pearls worked on the crown.



The shading on the face of Christ is really very nicely done. It looks better from far away than it does close up, in my opinion (as does the whole piece). This is often the case in ecclesiastical work - the pieces are embroidered and shaded according to how they will look from a distance, since one of the reasons they are made is for the edification of the faithful, who would be viewing them from the distance in the congregation, rather than close up in the sanctuary of a larger church.

The clasp on the cloak of God the Father is set with gemstones and pearls as well. You can see drill marks in the glass stones when the image is enlarged.



The goldwork on the embroidered part is done in imitation Japanese gold. You can see the wide wraps around the core thread. The gold on the fringe, though, is undoubtedly real gold which has tarnished over the years. The fringe was more than likely purchased complete rather than prepared by those who worked the embroidery.

Again, another quick meditation on the type of work that must have gone into such pieces! Ecclesiastical embroidery for vestments was usually done either by convents with many hands involved in the embroidery, or by guilds, who also had several ladies who would take part in creating a piece. A work like this would be a major long-term project for one individual!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, historical needlework, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, March 21, 2008
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I was scrolling through my files of photos I've taken of different pieces of ecclesiastical embroidery and came across these photos of a chasuble embroidered with the Last Supper and other images. So I thought I'd share them with you.

The chasuble itself is not embroidered - the motifs (as is often the case) were originally embroidered on separate pieces then appliqued together and fitted onto a chasuble. This whole piece looks to me like a bit of a salvage job: I think the embroidered cross and bands were probably on a different vestment originally. The vestment itself was probably too worn for church use, so the embroidery was salvaged and put onto a different chasuble.

The embroidered part is probably not old, though. I would say it's no older than the early - mid 1900's. The gold is certainly worked in imitation Japanese gold.

Apology in advance: these are not my clearest photos! I didn't have my new camera when I took them.



The image of the Last Supper is on the back of the chasuble, centered in the cross section of the cross.



Below the Last Supper is an embroidered image of Melchisedech, the high priest in the Old Testement. The allusion is to Christ, the High Priest, "after the order of Melchisedech."



Here you can see both images positioned on the chasuble. I guess I couldn't get in the whole cross. There is a motif below Melchisedech as well:



The Pelican is used as well as an image of Christ, as it was thought that the pelican would feed its young from its own flesh.

And some close ups (as best as I could get them) from a few of the scenes on the back of the chasuble:



The shading on these is nice. They're about 2" square.



A close-up of one of the apostles - note the detail in the eye. Even though the photo's a bit blurry, the eye really is amazingly detailed.



Two other apostles. I always find it funny, when you look at these pieces up close, how strange the eyebrows look!



On the front of the chasuble is the sacrifice of Isaac, another image from the Old Testament.



Above the sacrifice of Isaac is this little embroidered angel. I like it. I like the way the lifted wing fits in the arch!



And below the sacrifice of Isaac is the image of a ram, also an allusion to sacrifice.



And here's a close up of another one of the decorative medallions. Nice satin stitch!



And here's a relative close up of one of the acanthus-type designs that set off the arches around the figures. Really, the padded satin stitching is exquisite.

Imagine - just imagine! - the work that went into these pieces. I'd love to re-create something similar to this... maybe not the same theme, but on the same scale! How many years do you suppose it would take one person to manange that? !!!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, March 20, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, January 15, 2008
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Do you have a particular embroidery stitch that eludes all your attempts to master it? I do. It's the plaited braid stitch. I'm sure there are embroiderers out there who may read this and say, "WHAT? She can't do the plaited braid stitch? And she calls herself an embroiderer!?" That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but - still - it is a stitch that I have a heck of a time trying to get "right." So I'm exploring it, searching for resources, help, information, tips, and whatever anyone wants to add to my explorations...

The plaited braid stitch shouldn't be confused with the braid stitch - although they are similar in their beginnings. The braid stitch is rather simple, though, and relatively easy to stitch. The braid stitch looks like this:



The plaited braid stitch is a stitch that was used in 17th and early 18th century to provide heavier scrolling patterns on textiles. It was worked in metal-wrapped silk thread (much like Japanese gold) or stiffer cord-like thread. Unlike the stitch above, which is completed in two steps for the first stitch and one step on the repeats, the plaited braid stitch takes five steps to execute the first stitch, and then the repeats require two steps if you use a "sewing" method of stitching, and three steps if stabbing. So far, I've found stabbing to work better, especially with metal threads.

What piqued my curiosity about plaited braid stitch recently is the awesome project going on at The Embroiderers' Story. This is a blog devoted to the re-creation of a 17th century lady's embroidered jacket at Plimoth Plantation. I've poured over the whole blog and read with delight about their work in recreating this beautiful piece of clothing. Their process of finding thread, their progress on the embroidery - all of this really thrills me! I'm anticipating the information on how they are going to recreate the scroll pattern in the jacket, and what thread they are going to use. Are they going to use the plaited braid stitch (which, after looking closely at their model jacket, seems to be the stitch used for the scroll), and, if so, what kind of thread are they going to use to work the stitch? I'm sure they've got this all figured out, but I can't help thinking that, if they have found the embroidery time consuming so far, how much more time consuming will it be with the plaited braid stitch? It seems to me that all the other stitches used on the jacket work up relatively quickly - detached buttonhole and trellis stitch can go pretty fast once you establish a rhythm. But plaited braid - wow! It's slow, and that's a lot of scroll work!

This is the thing: clear directions for the plaited braid stitch are really (Really!) hard to come by! If you want to find it in a current embroidery book, you'll be hard-pressed. The only book I've found it diagrammed in so far is Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches. True, I don't have every book on the market, but I pulled out my collection of standards, and Mary Thomas is the only one who covers it.



Online, there are a couple sites that have the same type diagram for the stitch. The diagram looks like this:



It's the same diagram that's found in Mary Thomas's book, shown here:



On some websites, I've noticed that some alternate names are given to the stitch, such as "plaited stitch" (nope - it's not), "braid stitch" (no, it isn't!), and "rosette chain stitch" (nope, not that either).

I also ran across a website with step-by-step photos of something entitled "plaited braid stitch." But it isn't "the" plaited braid stitch here - it's missing a step, and the braid, if worked following the directions given, looks heavier on one side than on the other. That's because one of the plaiting steps is missing.

The site is Victoria Clayton's Hand-Dyed Fibers, a good site for some interesting and useful information for stitchers (she has a good articles on finishing a needlebook, for example).

It's her fourth and fifth step that pose the problem with her version of the plaited braid:



If your work up her stitch a little more carefully, this is more or less what you end up with (working with perle cotton):



It certainly works up faster, but it isn't the right look - notice that one side (in the photo above, the right side) has a plaited look to it, but the other side is just the loop that you find in the regular braid stitch.

In the "real" plaited braid stitch, the sides are even - there's a "plaited look" to both sides of the stitched band. Here's a close up of the blaited braid stitch worked on an antique:



Notice how comfortably the threads fit together - they look almost supple in their twists and turns. Of course, the piece is old and the threads have been there for a while. But still - the stitch is tight and neat and even, and the threads look comfortable with their situation!

Here's a close up of one of my attempts at the plaited braid stitch, following the diagram above for the stitch, and using a size 5 imitation Japanese gold and a really big needle:



You can see the strain on the gold already, even though it was passing through a large needle hole. The gold also looks stiff and uncomfortable. The stitch doesn't close up on itself very well, either - although perhaps that's part of the nature of the stitch when worked with stiff threads.

There are some noticeable differences between my sample and the older work above - for one thing, in the thread I used, the gold strip wrapped around the core thread is a lot wider than the strip on the older piece. I think this has a lot to do with the stitches in the top photo looking more supple.

My stitches look decidedly stiffer and "rounder" than the those in the top photo. Notice the obvious downward direction of the stitch line in the top photo - the interior stitches (the "plait" part of the stitch) - angle downward in the stitch direction (especially the ones on the left). In my sample, every part of the stitch seems to keep a rounded, stiff look. In the older piece, these stitches are closer together, too.

Here's a shot of the plaited braid worked with cord, from Mary Thomas's book:



In playing with the stitch, I've learned that once you get the hang of the order of the steps for the plaited braid stitch, it isn't that hard to follow the steps. The tricky part of the stitch is to keep it even and to get into a working rhythm so that you can make progress on your stitching. As mentioned above, when working with a wrapped metal thread (like Japanese gold), I found it easier to use a stab method (that is, taking the needle all the way to the back, pulling the thread through - at least to the point of creating the next loop, and then bringing the needle back to the front).

Now, what I'd like to know from all the embroiderers out there who are familiar with the plaited braid stitch is this:

What kind of gold or metal thread works best for this stitch? What size needle works best - and what kind (sharp or blunt?) - and are there any tips or tricks you've learned while working the stitch that you can share?

If readers have any information on the stitch, or can direct me to further resources, I'd love to hear from you!

Labels: goldwork, Hand embroidery stitches, historical needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, January 03, 2008
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Or Nué is undoubtedly the most advanced type of goldwork, and it's an embroidery technique that fascinates me! Here are some resources...

First, I should clarify: I'm not talking about the half-way hazy "Or Nué" kits, where you get to work cotton threads over DMC metallics, and produce a vague image of something, but you're not quite sure what.

While these projects do introduce the concept of Or Nué, they aren't what fascinates me! It's the historical stuff that I can't get enough of!

So I wanted to share with you a couple resources on this technique, so that you can see what it is, maybe dabble in it yourself, or just delight in the historical pieces that reflect an unbelievable level of craftsmanship with needle and thread.

First of all, there's this article that Megan sent me a link to, although (grin) I did already have it! But she reminded me of it, and that's what counts! The article is titled "Classnotes on Or Nue Embroidery," and it's a 3-page PDF file with two nice, clear black and white photos. The article contains some useful information about the technique, and a good desicription of what it's all about. The article comes from an SCA site that actually has a whole index of articles on metal thread.

Then there's this post about Or Nue on Needle 'n Thread from not-too-long-ago, within which you will find some good resources and a picture of the Mantle of the Virgin.

Speaking of that incredible piece of embroidery, if you like this kind of stuff, consider spending a few moments looking at this page featuring close-ups of the Mantle of the Virgin from several different angles - and yes, they are clickable and zoomable! So you can get pretty close to examine the details. Here's a screen shot of one little area zoomed, so you can see what I mean:



The sparkle of the gold through the silk is lovely. And the shading on this piece is INcredible! And of course, I love the pearls! You can pan the image while it's zoomed, which is a nice feature.

One of these days, I want to work up some tutorials that cover goldwork! Here's hoping it will happen over Christmas break.

In the meantime, do enjoy the links above!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, historical needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, December 18, 2007
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Here's an update on my beetle wing and goldwork embroidery sample. In the photos here, I've started embellishing a bit. The more I look at it, the more it does look like a peacock on stick!

The tops of the "petals" of the main goldwork flower needed something. Digging through my scraps and such, I found a small bag of little spangles (or paillettes). I put these above the petals that don't have the scrolly pattern at the top.



I took these photos outside, hoping that the color would be a little more "true to life." I still can't capture the look of the wings with the camera!

Paillettes (spangles) are often sewing onto a goldwork project using purl or another type of "bead" to hold down the spangle. If you use something in the center, like a bead, you don't have to couch the spangle from both sides. You'll see this up close in photos below. Close up, you do see the yellow thread holding down each side of the spangle, but from far away, it really isn't that noticeable.

You'll also often see spangles overlapping in a line, sewn down by purl worked in what almost looks like a stem stitch. This is called S-ing. I would have liked to overlap the spangles, but I had a limited supply. I counted them out and laid them on the piece, determining exactly how many I would need so I would be certain to have enough. I had two left over!



Here they are, up close. Just like you do when working with metal threads, you wax your thread when you attach spangles. I reeeallly wanted to overlap the spangles here and sew them down with S-sing. But oh well! Pacman, anyone?



Here, you can see the spangles decorating the smaller flower. I'll get back to this one below...



Just to show you the way the light plays on the wings - here, they ALL look blue!



And from this side, the beetle wings look blue, too! The spangles, by the way, really gleam in the light. They are lovely with goldwork!



Here's the whole thing from above - I think you can get a better idea of the blue and green hues in the alternating petals on the flower. Well, at least a little bit, anyway!



Back to this fellow, up-close. There are two things in this flower that are different (and unfinished!) First, around the two side beetle wings, I've worked some S-ing in purls, alternating smooth and rough purl. S-ing looks a lot like stem stitch. The difference is, you work from the top of the line, laying your first purl the length of the stitch. Then you come up into your fabric, half a stitch-length below the end of the first purl. Thread the next purl on your needle, and take your needle down at the half-way point of the previous purl, taking your needle underneath the first purl, on the stitch line. Pull through, firmly but not too firmly, so that the first purl curves. Mary Brown, in her book "Goldwork Embroidery Designs and Projects" gives an excellent instruction on S-ing. In fact, if you're at all interested in goldwork, I've found that this really is, so far, the best book on the subject (in my opinion). I have many books on goldwork - this is comprehensive!

Ok, back to that flower - you can see where my S-ing is far from perfect. Some of the purls cracked. This can happen when they are cut too long for the stitch you're taking. You can avoid it by cutting your purls with more care! The other cause of the cracking (and this is the case here) is poking them with your needle while you're stitching!! I was using a very long, thin beading needle (Mary Arden, #13), which I was unused to weilding. It went everywhere - mostly in the places I didn't want it to go. I needed the smallest needle I had on hand, because I was using a rather small purl. A #12 sharp wouldn't fit through the rough purl. I'm not sure what size purl it was, because I stupidly didn't label the bag when I put away the scraps last time! Good lesson!

The other (unfinished) thing going on in this flower is some seeding with real gold Jap, size #1. It's stitchable or couchable, very fine stuff. I cut small lengths and started trying it as a seeding stitch. It works "ok" although the more you work it through the fabric, the more you risk losing the gold off the core thread. Also, it's probably not the best choice of stitch and thread on velveteen - the stitches tend to get lost in the pile. So I had work pretty carefully with it. I wanted something to add a bit of fill on the two side petals, without being at all bulky. I just wanted it to barely show, like a dusting of gold. So it's working for that, but it takes a long time. It's like having a shimmery layer of gold dust in there - a little sparkly, but not too much, with plenty of the red still showing.

Still a bit more to go on embellishing this, so I'm off to thread my needle again!

Labels: beetle wing embroidery, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, November 25, 2007
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I was able to finish up the basic outline of the beetlewing embroidery project and attach the wings, so I thought I'd share some photos!

I still have some work to do on my goldwork and beetle wing project, but in these photos, you can see that all the major embroidery is done - it's now just a matter of embellishing it a bit further and putting on the finishing touches.



This is the main part of the design - the big flower. I outlined the petals in #5 gold passing thread, alternated with Elizabethan twist. (The petals with the little scroll tips are done in the twist.) Passing thread is a bit stiffer, I think, than the twist, but it's also finer. Gold passing is couched onto the ground fabric. It makes a wonderful filler. For example, you can take a look at it around the edge of my Agnus Dei project from last spring. Normally, passing thread is worked two at a time, couching perpendicular to the gold thread over two strands.

The wings are actually slightly different colors. I had the blue hues separated from the yellow / green (keep in mind the wings overall are green, but some reflect blue or yellow or copper more than others). So I alternated the colors every other petal as well. I'll try to get a clearer picture of that eventually! Perhaps taking the pictures outside on a sunny day will help.



This is the little paisley leaf on the left of the design. I split the beetle wing in half and trimmed one half smaller, to get them to fit in the base of the paisley leaf. I'll put something between the two wings up the middle of the paisley.



This is the smaller flower on the right. The petals are outlined in #5 passing and in Elizabethan twist as well, just as on the larger flower. On this smaller flower, I put the wings at the base of the petals. I figured, since it's more of a bud than a full-fledged flower, I wanted it to look slightly different. I used half wings on the outside petals, and on the inside petal, I trimmed the middle wing to have more of a point. I'm also going to add some filler or something to the petals on the "bud."



And here's the whole design so far! Overall, I do like it. I've had fun working with the gold! In fact, given the hectic holiday yesterday and company this morning, I haven't had a chance to get back to it lately - soooo... I hope you enjoy your Friday evening! As for me, I'm going to go thread my needle!

Labels: beetle wing embroidery, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, November 23, 2007
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Here's the next stage of my goldwork and beetle wing embroidery practice - sewing some of the gold on! This is fun stuff! I'll show you some photos here, and explain the types of gold I'm working with, as well as the particular techniques. I'll also point out a few flaws, so you can avoid them if you take up goldwork!

After selecting which metal "threads" I would use on the project and jotting them down on my pattern, the real fun began!

I started with the main stem of the design, and worked it in Elizabethan twist. This is three strands of gold, twisted together to make a nice, sparkling twisted "wire" (only it isn't as stiff as wire). With twist, you couch it on, and normally, you slightly untwist the twist when you couch, and pass your couching thread between the twists so you can't see it. Then, of course, you let them twist back together again. Elizabethan twist is the smallest of the twists - it's pretty fine - and I can't for the life of me get my couching thread to disappear between the twists without distorting them - I think I may have to find a finer silk!



I worked up the stem, around the triangle at the base of the flower, and back down the stem with the Elizabethan twist. To couch goldwork, you use yellow or gold-colored thread (I use silk), which you run through a cake of beeswax. I run the thread through about three times, and then pass it through my fingers a couple of times to smooth the wax on. The beeswax gives strength to the couching thread. Working with the twist, you should couch in the direction of the twists, so that you see as little of the couching as possible.



The triangle at the top of the stem is filled with what is called "chip work." This is usually done over felt padding (yellow felt, if you're working with gold). The metal here is called "check purl." It's a hollow, faceted, tube-like coil of very fine gold wire. You cut little pieces from it and sew them down like beads. Chip work can be packed very closely together (and the felt helps this process), or it can be randomly scattered over the ground fabric. This is kind of a cross between the two. The chips are worked directly on the ground fabric, and they are "tight," but not super tight.



On the little stem, the chip work is even looser - but I have since gone back and filled in a little bit! You can see on the top left side of the photo above where my couching thread does not match the twist of the Elizabethan twist. It's important to keep the couching thread even with the way the twists twist on this type of twist - since it's difficult to hide the thread, you want it to at least "blend in." If it's going against the grain of the twist, it won't blend in very well!



For the outline of the paisley-looking petal on the left side of the design, I used what is called "pearl purl." Unlike the hollow wire of the check purl, the pearl purl is a thicker, nobbier spring. You couch it on using waxed thread, scooting the couching thread between the little "pearls" on the coiled wire. I like this stuff! It works wonderfully around curves and makes a nice decorative line. It looks very rich! It's also much stiffer than most of the other metals (with the exception, I'd say, of the flat, ribbon-like metal called "plate"). Pearl purl also takes corners really well. You can pinch it into a nice square at the joints of the "pearls."

After outlining the left leaf thingy, I cut lengths of smooth and rough purl. Like the check purl, these are hollow coils of very fine gold. In a long strand, they are limp and snake-like - really neat stuff! You cut it and sew it on like beads, the thread passing through the hollow core. I wanted a decorative edge around the leaf, so I took a shorter stitch length than the length of the purl, so that it looped out. Then I couched the middle of the loop, "splitting" the purl and making what looks like little zig-zag triangles around the edge of the top edge of the leaf. I alternated between smooth (very shiny) and rough (matte) purl, so that the light would play differently on the different golds.



This is that whole shape from afar. You can see how the shiny purls gleam while the matte (or rough) purls do not. Notice that you can see a wee bit of the paint line under the pearl purl outline. That is less noticeable with the purl zig-zag finished and the pearl purl outline tweaked a bit.

That's it! The beginning of the fun part of the project!! I'm off again to thread my needle!

Labels: beetle wing embroidery, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, November 21, 2007
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