Ilke, a reader from the UK, worked the following piece in order to compare different types of flat silk. She has written a comprehensive comparison between five flat (or "semi-flat" - if that's an acceptible term!) silks available on today's market: Eterna, Au Ver a Soie's Soie Ovale, Piper's (which is also the same as Helen Stevens's True Embroideries Sleave Silk), JEC flat silk from the Japanese Embroidery Center, and House of Embroidery's Fine Flat Silk. She also includes Pearsall's Filofloss, which has been discontinued. For her impressions of these different silks, and a close-up look at them stitched, read on...

First, we'll begin with the stitched piece that Ilke uses to demonstrate the various silks she is comparing in this "experiment." I've left the photo rather large so that you can click on it and look at the stitches fairly close.



Now, I'm going to let Ilke tell you all about her experiment. You'll find some very useful and thorough information here - I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

This is a comparison experiment between the flat silks I've got. There are quite a few, but for the moment I will ignore the ones which either come in very few shades (like Erawan Thai silk), or which come in variegated shades only (like Stef Francis), because they aren't suitable if you want to build up a collection with a good range of shades for ordinary charts (as opposed to monochrome designs, blackwork, Assisi designs or charts which are specifically designed for variegated threads).

Five flat silks remain: Eterna Stranded (ES), Au Ver á Soie Soie Ovale (SO), Pipers 90 Floss Silk (P), JEC Flat Silk (JEC), and House of Embroidery Fine Flat Silk (HE) (which is strictly speaking variegated, but has quite a few shades which are only very softly shaded). I've added a sixth silk, Pearsall's Filofloss (PF) – it's a flat silk which came in many different colours, but it has unfortunately been discontinued and replaced with Filoselle, which is a twisted silk.

All six silks are filament (reeled) silk (with the possible exception of HE); this means that the very fine filaments that make up the thread were reeled in one continuous strand from the silk moth's cocoon, and not spun from short pieces and leftover odds and ends. Because filament silks are built up out of continuous filaments, they are stronger and less prone to fuzziness than spun silks. On the other hand, they do tend to snag quite easily, on anything that isn't smooth – the edge of your fabric, rough skin, anything. Fortunately, it is also easily smoothed back into shape again, and can then be used again without looking any the worse for it.

ES and PF are stranded silks, 12 and 6 strands respectively, but because ES strands are so fine, the threads come to roughly the same thickness. ES strands are about 1/2a strand of DMC, PF strands are a little heavier than a strand of DMC.
SO, P, JEC and HE are single-stranded silks. SO is about 2 strands of DMC, JEC a little less than 2 strands, HE about 1 strand, P is about 1/2 a strand. SO and JEC, being thicker than the others, are a little less versatile in playing with different amounts of coverage, although they can be divided by very carefully separating the filaments (up to 16) which make up the threads – this is rather a fiddly job, though.
Each of these flat silks actually seem to give better coverage than their thickness would make you expect, because the silk lies flat and has a higher lustre than stranded cotton.

ES comes in 545 shades, in 5m skeins at $1.05
SO comes in about 50 shades, in 15m reels at $2.20
P comes in 224 shades, in 80m or 150m reels at $1 or £1.65
JEC comes in about 250 shades, in 60m reels at $7 or £4.70
HE comes in about 100 shades, in 30m card bobbins at £2.25 (100m reels are available direct from H of E, but I don't know the price)
PF is no longer available; I don't know how many shades it came in.

The amount of "coverage" you get per skein or reel compared to DMC stranded cotton is approximately as follows:
ES equals about 5m of DMC ($0.21/m)
SO equals about 5m of DMC ($0.44/m)
P equals about 6 1/2 or 12m of DMC (£0.15/m or £0.14/m)
JEC equals about 18m of DMC ($0.39/m or £0.26/m)
HE equals about 5m of DMC (£0.45/m)

Of these, I have read that only JEC is a truly flat silk. In practice there is little difference with P and OS, but ES, HE and PF are indeed a little less flat. In the case of ES and PF this may be because they are stranded, and have a slight twist to combine the strands, even though the strands themselves are flat. P and HE will usually have to be combined to get the required thickness, and so need occasional smoothing with the needle to get it to lie fully flat when stitched.

The project is stitched on burgundy 28ct Lugana over two.

I started with Eterna Stranded (the darker part of the rose). For good coverage, 5 strands are required. The strands lie quite flat without much help, although occasionally it needs a little smoothing with the needle. The silk snags fairly easily, but is as easily smoothed back into shape again. On the whole it is quite easy to work with, and it has a strong lustre. Drawbacks to this silk are that occasionally a skein may have some unevenness in some of the strands which cannot be smoothed out, and sometimes even broken strands; there are also occasional irregularities in the dyeing, leaving white spots. Even when this happens, however, only a very small part of the skein is rendered unusable, and as it is one of the cheapest flat silks around it is no great burden to buy a little more than you need, just in case.

The second part was stitched with JEC Flat Silk (the lighter part of the rose). In order to experiment with coverage, I stitched the left-hand petals using one thread, and the right-hand ones using a double thread. For good coverage, the double thread is needed; a single thread gives a more lacy effect. The thread lies perfectly flat without any assistance, but it does snag on absolutely everything, so it is essential to make sure that the edges of your fabric are smooth. As with the Eterna silk, however, this snagging has no lasting effect on its smoothness or its lustre, which is very strong with a slight haziness to the shine. In spite of the snagging, I found this a lovely silk to work with simply because it feels so smooth and looks lovely the moment you've laid a stitch; the sheen is very visible even when only one thread is used, but even stronger with a double thread (as there is more surface).

I then used House of Embroidery Fine Flat Silk for the top left-hand leaf. This silk surprised me, as it looks as though it has a very slight twist which might affect its sheen, but it stitches up beautifully with a lovely strong lustre. A double thread gives good coverage, and it is easy to work with, hardly snagging at all. It feels a little more springy than the other silks, and needs good tension and railroading to lie nice and flat.

The next leaf down is done in Pearsall's FiloFloss. Two strands give very good coverage, and apart from some slight snagging it is easy to work with, although it does need "dangling" occasionally to make sure it doesn't tangle, something none of the other silks seems to need a lot. This has a moderate lustre, and when stitched does show a slight twist, although only when compared to other flat silks.

The top right-hand leaf and the stem are stitched in Pipers 90 denier Silk Floss. This is the thinnest of the silks, and needs four threads to get satisfactory coverage; in some cases five or six threads may be needed. Although it is a bit fiddly to cut all the threads to the same length and smooth them together into one thread, once you're stitching with it, it behaves beautifully. It needs a bit of smoothing and/or railroading to lie flat, but it doesn't snag, and it has a good lustre.

Finally the lower right-hand leaf was done in Soie Ovale - the left-hand "leaflet" using a double thread, the other two using a single. On the reel, SO and JEC look very much the same thickness, but when stitched there is a clear difference, with SO giving much better coverage; so much so that the double thread was really a bit too chunky for my taste on this 28ct. This silk is the worst for snagging after the JEC, but it is also one of the flattest, and lies flat without needing much encouragement beyond an occasional smoothing stroke of the needle. It has a strong but subtle lustre with the same slight haziness that JEC has - both are reminiscent of vintage silk in their look.

So which is the best silk? It's very difficult to say because so much of it is a matter of taste, and it will also vary with the project you are choosing your silk for. Personally, I like the strong but soft lustre of the absolutely flat silks Soie Ovale and JEC. The difficulty with both is the snagging, which can get a little frustrating if you've been too impatient to bind your fabric and haven't been looking after your hands so they're all rough :oops:... Simple care for the fabric and the hands should reduce the snagging greatly, though, so no real reason to steer clear of them. Another slight disadvantage is that for finer work, or for more control over the thickness of your thread, you have to separate the actual filaments, which can be done but is a bit fiddly. JEC beats SO here because it is a little thinner and so separating threads should only be necessary for things like miniature embroidery. JEC also wins hands down when you compare the two in range of colour and price.

So what of the next flattest silk, Pipers 90 Silk Floss? I liked this more than I though I would - it is so thin I feared it wouldn't "gel" into a nice plump thread with a smooth surface, but it did; it also snagged very little. Other advantages are that it comes in a wide range of colours, is relatively cheap, and because of its thinness it is easy to combine into whatever thickness of thread you need. The combining is a little fiddly, even when you use a loop start and so have to cut only half the number of required threads, but I think you would quickly get used to it. One disadvantage is that the delivery times can be quite long, and emails don't always seem to get through, although when you actually call them and speak to them they are very helpful indeed.

Then the two "odd ones out" - FiloFloss because it is no longer available, and House of Embroidery because it comes in shaded rather than solid colours. Both are easy to work with, and HE actually had a much flatter look than I expected from the reel. HE is a good choice if you like the effect of subtle colour variation without going for full-blown variegated (although they do those as well). Most of the other silks which come in shaded colours (like some of the Dinky Dyes, Gloriana, Waterlilies, Belle Soie and so on) are not flat silks, and Stef Francis' flat silk tends to be bolder in its colour variations.

And finally the first flat silk I ever tried, Eterna Stranded. This has an awful lot going for it: it is inexpensive (even with a weak pound only Pipers comes close), comes in a staggering range of colours, and divides into thin strands so can easily be combined to any thickness. For snagging, it is average - better-behaved than SO and JEC, worse than P, HE and PF. For flatness and lustre, again average - it does not lie so naturally flat as SO and JEC, but needs less encouragement than P, HE and PF. The irregularities in the silk and the dyeing are a definite disadvantage, but this is compensated for by the price.

Final verdict:
For special projects I would go for SO (if the colours were available) or JEC, but they are too pricey and labour-intensive for "everyday" use. P is a very good alternative, although being so thin they are a pain to wind on bobbins (voice of experience there ...). I will certainly be expanding my collection of them over time. But if you want to use a flat silk almost in the way you would use your ordinary cottons, ES is probably the best choice because it has the widest colour range, is the least fiddly, and comes at an affordable price. HE are lovely for flat silk projects that need a little colour variation.

Thank you SO MUCH, Ilke, for this informative article! I'm eager to try House of Embroidery's thread - I haven't tried their silk! And I'm really grateful for your insight to the rest of these threads!

Labels: embroidery tips and tricks, needlework pictures, pictures, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, November 02, 2009
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This past weekend was busy with a magnificent wedding, and to top the weekend off, a friend stopped by to show me her great-grandmother's hand embroidered wedding dress. I thought I'd share some photos of it with you - it's a magnificent dress from a by-gone era!

Made from a gorgeous silk Crepe de Chine, the dress and "court train" are completely hand embroidered in silk perle with a pattern of chrysanthemums, ribbons, and shamrocks. The shoulders and sleeves of the dress are made of embroidered tulle, and the waste is accented with a rhinestone and bead bow.



The dress, unfortunately, was not carefully packaged or preserved over the last century, so it shows some serious marks of deterioration. The tulle on the shoulders and sleeves has turned a dark brown, and although feeling somewhat brittle in some places, it can still be gently handled. The lining of the dress is decaying in shreds, but the silk crepe of the dress itself is still in lovely shape (despite discoloration and some spotting that looks like rust). The embroidery is immaculate, with the exception of an occasionally broken thread here and there.



The bodice of the dress is covered with an abundance of embroidered chrysanthemums and shamrocks. The lustre of the silk threads is amazing - only silk thread could withstand the test and ravages of time and still look practically brand new!



Here, you can see the waste sash and the edge of the train running down the length of the skirt. The train, which is relatively small by today's standards of fancy trains, is made from the same fabric as the dress. It is relatively narrow and falls not too much longer than the length of the gown. The sides of the train wrap just barely to the front of the dress, so that the beautiful embroidery that adorns the edges of the train can be seen from the front and then down across the lower edge where it trails on the ground.



The large chrysanthemums are made of sweeping petals, embroidered in satin stitch, and their centers are embroidered with French knots.



In the close-up above, you can see that the clusters of French knots and the satin stitching are still in perfect shape - absolutely lovely!



The tulle that forms the caps of the sleeves is browned with age, but the embroidery on the tulle is still in excellent shape, and though the tulle seems somewhat brittle, it is actually quite soft. I love the leaf designs on the edge of this sleeve cap.

This particular tulle forms a kind of cap at the top of the sleeves - it is a larger-holed tulle in the typical hexagon shape. The sleeve itself is made from a very fine tulle which is slightly more brittle and had tiny holes, making it a bit more opaque. At the edge of the long tulle sleeves is a ruffle made of a diamond-shape netting, delicately embroidered:



I am not certain if this particular lace that forms the ruffle at the edge of the sleeves is hand embroidered or not. The little flower designs are made of what looks like bullion knots, but they may actually be satin stitch (or overcast stitching). The very edge is lined with scallops topped with a little picot.



This is a closer shot of one of the smaller embroidered chrysanthemums, ribbons, and shamrock. It's beautiful from the front, but what's amazing is that it is equally beautiful from the back:



Do you see the row of "dots" at the top of the embroidery? That is a strip of tiny weights sewn to the edge of the train.

The dress is stunning - and so light and airy, despite what looks like a heavy embroidery design. The whole dress is petit in size - I would say it's equivalent to about a size 4 - and holding it up to me, height-wise, the length would fall about to my mid-calf - and I'm only 5' 3". The bride was certainly a petit little thing. The article accompanying the dress indicated that her veil was adorned with an orange-blossom crown and she carried a bouquet of roses.

Labels: historical needlework, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, October 06, 2009
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A couple weeks ago, I took my Mom to a small cross stitch shop here in Kansas. She was looking for some kind of magnetic something-or-other to mark her filet lace crochet patterns, and I was happy to oblige her with the journey - I'm always in the mood for a needlework shop, after all! While we were there, I came across an interesting "tool" that captured my interest, so I bought it, thinking (if it does what it says) it would be an interesting tool to share with you.

But as it turns out, I am majorly perplexed by this needlework tool. Maybe someone out there can enlighten me on its value!



This is what it is: "thread straightener" rods, for silk or synthetic threads that are kinky, curly, etc.

Now, in concept, I am not opposed to a tool that would easily assist in relaxing the kinks out of silk threads. I, too, have been befuddled and frustrated by silk threads that are so boingy that they are a pain to use.

So I was more than willing to give this little miracle tool set a try.



These are two four-inch plexi-glass or pastic dowels, with a purple rubbery foam cushion hugging the middle of the dowels. The purple stuff feels a lot like the stuff that's used on the outside of drink bottles to insulate them.



According to the directions, you're supposed to wrap the cut ends of each thread around the purple foam center, and gently pull until you feel the thread relax. This is supposed to remove kinks, curls, etc.

For my first attempt, I took out some curly silk that was wound on a small, narrow spool, so it was a bit out the curly-bouncy side. I wrapped only the cut ends (about an inch or an inch and a half) around the purple stuff, one end to each dowel. And I pulled gently.

What I felt was the cut ends sinking into the foam center on the dowels. I didn't "feel" the thread relax. ??!! And the thread didn't look any different when I removed the ends from the dowels, except that the ends were a bit staticky.

Then I looked at the instructions again, and I thought that perhaps they really meant that, starting from each cut end of the thread, I was to wrap the thread all the way around the purple foam, into the center of the thread, so that the thread was wound onto the dowels, and then I was supposed to pull gently, pulling the thread off the dowels.



So I tried that, too, and ended up with a staticky mess of curly silk thread. I'm assuming my second interpretation of the directions was entirely incorrect - curly-boingy thread is one thing. Staticky-curly-boingy thread is another matter entirely, and practically impossible to stitch with.

Yes, I'm stumped. This isn't exactly my idea of a useful needlework tool. But perhaps I've got the whole thing figured wrong, and there's some way to make this $5 set of 4-inch plastic sticks useful? Any clues?

A tried and true method for relaxing kinked, curly, or bouncy silk thread: Take the whole bundle (assuming it's coming off a skein) and cut it to your preferred length for stitching. Then put the tea kettle on. Once it starts whistling, hold your bundle of threads in both hands, and pull gently on it while running it through the steam from the kettle. In this way, you've relaxed your whole bundle of threads in one go. Then fix yourself a cup of tea and let your threads dry out. You can also use Thread Heaven on particularly cantankerous threads, to good effect.

Labels: needlework tools, pictures, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, October 05, 2009
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, September 30, 2009
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Some of the earliest articles that featured photos of my own hand embroidery here on Needle 'n Thread were two posts that examined a project worked with silk threads on silk fabric. The two articles focused on one half of an embroidered stole worked predominantly in satin stitch and stem stitch filling. The first article featurs close-up pictures of the stole, and the second article featurs a photo of the whole stole.

This past weekend, at the request of a friend, I pulled the embroidery project out again, including the second half of the stole, which has been laced up on a scroll frame, neglected for many years.

In revisiting this project, I've had the opportunity to rethink a few things about it.



This is the beginning of the second half of the stole. In my mind, I remembered being about a third of the way finished with this half of the project. I'm not sure why I thought I was so far along. It's discouraging, actually, to see that I finished so little on the second half!

What slowed me down on this project? Why did I resign it to the shelf?

The first thing that happened was that Life got in the way. I remember frantically applying myself to the first half of the stole, and, after about 3 months, finishing it, setting up the second half, and making a start on it. But it was the middle of the school year by then, and things just got busy. So the project was set aside for a time.

Then, one day, I had visitors, a lady and a little girl. And the lady wanted to see my current embroidery project. The little girl - about six years old - was playing outside when I took the piece down. I looked at the piece with the lady, and had just turned away from it, when the little girl came in. I didn't think to pay close attention to her - her dirty hands were wet and sticky and a little muddy. And she made a bee-line for the frame. Before the thought could formulate in my head (I don't think I got beyond the internal "Noooooooooooooooooooooo!"), she had applied one particularly grimey finger to the fabric and threads, leaving a big, wet, dark spot on both the embroidery and the ground fabric.

Do you know how it is, when you have a "big" obstacle to overcome in a needlework project, and the obstacle kind of takes the wind out of your enthusiastic sails? This was the case for me. At the end of that day, I wrapped the frame up in a cloth, and tucked the whole thing away on the highest shelf, in a box. And it has been there ever since.

But in taking it out again this past weekend, I discovered several things.



First, I discovered that the way in which I originally transferred the design had been a good idea, for the image has withstood the test of time magnificently. On the soft gold silk ground fabric, I had used white dressmaker's carbon. The white, once embroidered over, is not visible at all - even if a little fringe of it is left beyond the embroidery. And yet, it is clearly visible on the silk ground fabric, due to its light white-ness and its matte finish against the shiny silk.

Dressmaker's carbon can be an excellent way to transfer a design on smooth fabric. You can find transfer paper in the sewing notions section of fabric stores. Saral Transfer Paper is a good brand to use if you can find it. The variety packs come with a sheet each of red, white, yellow, blue, and graphite (greyish black). The sheets can be used many times over. If you can't find Saral, Dritz also makes a wax-free dressmaker's transfer paper in five colors. It is probably more commonly available at sewing stores, and the size is actually perfect for a project like this stole, which is long and narrow. It comes in 5.5" x 19.5" sheets.

Though the frame for the stole was wrapped in fabric that rested against the design, and then packed again in a box with other stuff, and put on a top shelf for several years, the design is still crisp and fresh and hardly smudged at all. I'm glad to see that.



The next thing I learned is that I tend to exaggerate in my mind how serious a "flaw" is on a piece of needlework. The wet, dark smudge (that I thought could never be cleaned away) was right here, between these two "petals" on the embroidery. Where is it now? Did time take it away? Or was the flaw not quite as bad as I had worked it up in my mind to be? Whatever the case, that excuse for shelving the project is now completely gone. There was only the slightest sign of a bit of dirt on the silk threads in the top petal. A little scratch with the fingernail, and it was completely gone.



I've learned a lot more about embroidery in general, ecclesiastical embroidery in particular, and individual stitching techniques since I embroidered this piece. In my mind, I recall this piece as being a "beginning" step in my pursuit of serious embroidery. As a beginning step, I somehow had adopted the impression, over the years, that I didn't do a very good job on the piece. But in looking at it (and this isn't to honk my own horn - just to make a point), my satin stitching was actually pretty darned good. Had I convinced myself that it wasn't up to par, as a further excuse not to return to this project? It is Certainly Possible!



I can't help thinking that I might be hard-pressed, now, to replicate this satin stitching!



Finally, there is the question of this frame. When I first started this project, I would've killed for a slate frame (not literally, but...). I looked high and low, here and there, and absolutely everywhere for one. I settled for a scroll frame, because it was the only thing that could accommodate the silk, keep it relatively taut, and roll up the excess fabric.

But in looking at the framed up piece now, I can confirm that I was right about my lousy lacing job. And, on top of that, using masking tape to "finish" the edge was probably just downright stupid (though there is actually about 6" of excess fabric on each side of the design).



In my mind, whenever I thought of this project (because it does still hang over my head now and then, and I think on it with regret...), this lousy lacing job and the tape fiasco were obstacles to completing the piece. But are they, in reality, obstacles? Not really. It would be nothing, now, to take this frame apart, remount the piece on a slate frame using proper fabric edges, and tighten it up to work on it.



Going back to the original first half of the stole, I took some photos of it again. Since that first post on the subject oh-so-long ago, I've had two different cameras, each progressively better, and I've learned a bit about light, and also a bit about photo editing programs.



I can't help looking at images of the original finished half of the stole and asking myself if it would be worth revisiting this project and even finishing it.

But now that some serious time has passed since I shelved the project, some serious issues have arisen that are truly obstacles. Of course, obstacles exist in order to be overcome!

The greatest obstacle is that of thread: the original piece was worked with Au Ver a Soie's Soie d'Alger. Though I had, at the time, purchased enough of the same dye lots for both sides of the stole, over the years, I have used those threads. Can I match them closely enough in order to finish the second half of the stole? Maybe. It is worth looking in to, but can't be done until I visit a shop that carries the threads.

There are several - actually, many - things that I would do differently now, if I were making this stole from the beginning. And this is another obstacle for me! It is more of a mental obstacle, though - which are the worst types of obstacles, because they require overcoming self, rather than overcoming something tangible outside of one's self.

I can't guarantee what I will do with this - whether I will finish it or not. Most of the trivial barriers that I had built up in my head regarding the whole project are gone, but a few serious ones still linger.

So, those are my musings on this project from the past. What would YOU do at this point? How would you come to a decision about whether or not to finish such a project?

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, Embroidery Projects, miscellaneous embroidery musings, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, September 29, 2009
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Castelo Branco is a city in Portugal just north of the Spanish border in central Portugal. Like many cities and regions in Europe, Castelo Branco has its own unique style of embroidery. Méri recently introduced me to this type of needlework when she sent me a beautiful magazine dedicated to the embroidery of Castelo Branco and featuring many gorgeous projects. Take a look!

The embroidery of Castelo Branco brings one word to mind - it is rich. It is rich in color, design, and symbolism.



This traditional Portuguese embroidery is worked on a linen ground, traditionally with silk threads. The predominant filling technique used is Ponto Castelo Branco, or Ponto Frouxo - long satin stitches with a perpendicular thread couched over the satin stitching to secure it. The technique reminds me very much of Italian stitching, which is comprised of long silk satin stitches couched over with gold passing thread (I used this technique for the sky in my Agnus Dei project). The obvious difference is the type of thread used for couching.



Among the other stitches used in the embroidery of Castelo Branco, you'll find satin stitch, stem stitch, long and short stitch shading, chain stitch, French knot, detached chain stitch, fern stitch, fly and feather stitch, shadow stitch, herringbone stitch, straight stitch, and various fillings. Méri was very kind to translate the stitches for me! The magazine, Belas Ideias, published by tuttirév, includes not only an abundance of designs but also a pictorial stitch dictionary.



The embroidery is by no means "popular" or common embroidery - it was worked, in its day, for those who could afford to pay for it.



It seems the most wide-spread application was in decorating bed coverings, which were often part of the trousseau or dowry of a young bride. Today, the embroidery of Castelo Branco can still be purchased or commissioned, with prices ranging all the way up to 45,000 Euros for a bedspread, depending on size and design.



Have you noticed that the designs are somewhat reminiscent of Jacobean embroidery? The tree of life is a common image, as are fanciful birds, animals, flowers, vines and tendrils, and fruit.



The elements included range from the sacred to the profane, and many of them have symbolic meaning.

I think this embroidery style is lovely! While it is like Jacobean in some respects, in other respects it is quite unique - the abundance of couched-over satin stitching is defintely different, and the threads used are a flat, lightly twisted silk (originally, a filament silk - today, artificial silks are also widely used).

The designs in the magazine are calling my name!! (They're practically screaming, actually!) Méri often teases me for introducing her to embroidery she "must" try (like the Schwalm project!), but I think she has avenged herself! I've added this to my perpetually growing List of Things to Do, and I'm already looking ahead for my next block of time, where I can set up a small project. There's an ideal "little" project in the magazine, which would make a perfect Christmas gift.

Thank you SO much, Méri, for introducing me to the embroidery of Castelo Branco! The book is beautiful! Thanks, as well, for the linens and threads! I will make use them all soon and keep you posted on how it goes!

Labels: Jacobean embroidery, linen, needlework pictures, pictures, regional embroidery techniques, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, September 01, 2009
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Kreinik is an embroidery thread company here in the US that's been around since the 1970's. It's a family run business that has become very well known in the embroidery world - I've never been in a needlework shop or the needlework section of a craft, sewing, or hobby store that didn't have some kind of Kreinik thread available for purchase. While they are probably best known for their different metallic cords and blending filaments (that's just a guess...), they also manufacture some beautiful threads. I want to show you three of their silks and tell you a little bit about them.

Silk Serica, Silk Bella, and Silk Mori by Kreinik are all 100% silk threads for hand embroidery. The first two threads - Silk Serica and Silk Bella - are filament silks, while Silk Mori is a spun silk.

The difference between filament and spun silk is found in the silk fibers that are used for manufacturing the thread, and how the threads are manufactured. Filament silk is spun straight off the cocoon in long lengths. It is a very high sheen thread and quite strong. Spun silk is made from the "left-overs" after the cocoon has been unraveled. The silk is spun much like wool or cotton, in small pieces that, through the spinning process, work into a long strand. Spun silk has a nice lustre to it - it is soft, and generally it is "stranded" - that is, it's put up in a certain number of strands per thread off the skein (like DMC or Anchor cotton, which are stranded cottons).



Silk Serica is a 3-ply filament silk. It works well on 18-ct canvas, for good coverage with tent stitch. It's also a beautiful thread for techniques such as Hardanger, where it makes very nice Kloster blocks.



It can be used in any application in which you would use a silk buttonhole twist, but, from what I can see, the Serica is a looser twisted thread. Because it is looser, you can actually separate the plies (carefully), to use in satin stitching and so forth. When separated, the three ply thread becomes even more "shiny," and any waves that are the result of being twisted can be smoothed out by slightly dampening the thread.

Silk Serica comes in 142 colors that match Silk Mori.



Silk Bella (the second row of spools) is also a 3-ply filament silk, but it is much finer than Silk Serica. Unlike Silk Serica, it can't be separated into individual plies.



This fine thread is perfect for any application where tiny detailing is desired. It works well on high count fabrics for stitching over one thread, in counted work. It's great for blackwork, and can be used well in needle lace and pulled thread techniques.

Silk Bella comes in 46 colors.



This little picture is a sample given in the Kreinik brochure. The Kloster blocks (those are the heavier white stitching) are worked in Silk Serica. The woven bars and the tiny filler stitch in the center are worked in Silk Bella. The leaves on the outside are worked in Silk Mori.



Silk Mori (the pull skeins in the last row) is a typical stranded silk, used in the same applications you'd use stranded cotton. It's a six-strand spun silk, and, because it is silk, it has a higher lustre than cotton, and that lustre will last indefinitely. (Mercerized cotton tends to lose its sheen over the years...) Silk Mori comes in 142 colors, like Silk Serica.



Another little sample here from the Kreinik brochure helps demonstrate the differences in these three silks.

The color selection for these silks is really nice, and I'm eager to stitch with them. I've stitched with Silk Mori, but haven't personally done any embroidery with the Silk Serica or the Silk Bella. I hope to soon! You can find color charts for these silks available on Kreinik's website.

To help you get a better idea of the threads, I'll write up a comparison between them and other similar threads, so you can see these threads in relation to more familiar needlework threads. In the meantime, though, if you're looking for some beautiful silks to try out, you might want to give these a look! I love the feel of them, and I think they're going to be very nice for stitching.

Have you used any of these Kreinik silks? Any tips? Any information? Let us know!

Labels: embroidery resources, needlework websites, pictures, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, August 24, 2009
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Lately, you've seen a few mentions of Society Silk embroidery - also called Silk Art embroidery, needle painting, thread painting, silk shading, and ... on and on - here on Needle 'n Thread. The box of vintage needlework supplies (including silk threads and stamped linens from the early part of the 20th century) was, for me, a catalyst for further explorations into Society Silk. I also featured some of these historic needlework items in my give-away a couple weeks ago. Since then, it's been a case of Silk-Art-Embroidery-on-the-Brain.

Needless to say, then, I was super-duper delighted when a reader left a comment directing me to her Flickr page that is jam-packed full of 192 photos of Society Silk embroidery! Oh, wow! I was in Silk-Shaded Heaven.



This particular collection on Flickr includes color plates from books published by silk companies and now in the public domain. The collector has put her images together in one place, so that the rest of us can meander through some really gorgeous examples of silk shading and other embroidery in silk.



Even if nothing else in the collection thrills you to the tips of your toes (a scenario which is highly unlikely!), then this embroidered peacock surely will. It is... it's - amazing.



While you're meandering around Embroiderist's Flickr collection, make sure to click on Embroidery Collection, which will take you to a more general page that includes all her collections related to embroidery. Beware, though - you might spend hours browsing! There are heaps of vintage designs there!



I hope you enjoy browsing the Embroiderist's collections - and thank you, Embroiderist, for commenting on Needle 'n Thread and posting your link! I thought it was far too good a source of inspiration to leave it lost in the comments - hope you don't mind the write-up!

Labels: embroidery resources, long and short stitch, needlepainting, needlework pictures, needlework websites, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, August 24, 2009
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A few weeks ago, a reader contacted me to ask if I would be interested in a box of "old" stamped linens. They had been given to her, but she knew she wouldn't use them, so she kindly volunteered to send them to me, or to Good Will. Some linens, she said, still had the original embroidery threads with them. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity, and Freda very kindly sent me the box.

I've had similar things happen before: neighbors cleaning out their garage or their storage area and coming across old craft stuff and not wanting to go through it; people contacting me from afar, after the death of a family member, and asking if I wanted the box of their mom's embroidery supplies, as they weren't interested in them; a lady dumping (yes, dumping) a worn out box full of children's crafting supplies on my front porch.... and the list could go on. In most of these situations (the exception being the dumbed box on the front porch!), it has always been a real pleasure to go through the boxes.

Each box tells a story of sorts - what the person's tastes were; how much they loved their hobby; what things in life were important to them; whether they were very organized and meticulous people, or whether they were more like... uh... me. Going through old needlework supplies, you can learn a lot about people!

You can also learn a lot about the history of needlework, which was the case with Freda's box.



The contents of this box undoubtedly date to the late 1800's - early 1900's, during that era of "Silk Art Embroidery" or "Society Silk." Well, certainly some of the threads date from the mid-1800's up to 1917 (I'd guess closer to 1917).

Inside the box, I found a heap of unworked, stamped linens, featuring tea cloths, doilies, and the like. The majority are printed with "natural" looking floral designs, typical of the "Silk Art Embroidery" style (or "Society Silk"). Very few of them are partially worked, and none are completely worked. I'll show you the linens a bit later.



Tucked inside some of the linens were skeins of silk floss - in different degrees of disarray. Some will need attention to get them back in order; others are neatly braided.



Regardless of their current situation, all the threads are gorgeous! The sheen is incredible - the silk is just beautiful! I am looking forward to the challenge of separating and straightening out the different colors and weights of silk!

When I removed the linens from the box, I discovered more silk! Someone had already tried to organize this bunch, using small plastic bags.



The majority of the silk was manufactured by M. Heminway & Sons:



Merrit Heminway was the first manufacturer to spool silk in the US. From the mid-1800's through 1917, his company (formerly Bishop & Heminway) was called M. Heminway & Sons Silk Company. In 1917, the company was sold to Hammond Knowlton & Co, and the name was changed to H.K.H. Company. So somewhere between the establishment of of M. Heminway & Sons Silk Company and the selling of it to H.K.H., these threads were made. An expert who's studied the subject in-depth could probably look at the label and be a bit more precise as to the age of the thread, but there's no doubt that the era is certainly the "Silk Art" or "Society Silk" era of embroidery.

The popularity of this style of embroidery, which is essentially needlepainting flowers and other natural florals on linen and other ground fabrics using fine silks, lasted from the around the 1880's through about 1915 - 1920. According to Donna Cardwell in her book Silk Art Embroidery: A Woman's History of Ornament and Empowerment, the term "society silk" comes from the organization (The Society of Decorative Art) that taught the skills of this type of needlework all over the country and in Canada. Silk Art Embroidery has an interesting history and is worth reading about. Don't be too put off by the title of the book above - I was afraid it was going to be entirely a "social history" book, but it isn't. It contains interesting history and lots of technique information.

While it is evident from this box of goodies that the stitcher was definitely stitching household linens, I can't help wondering if they were for her or if they were being made to sell as a source of income? Was she just dabbling in the new embroidery rage? Or was she seriously trying to learn the technique in order to supplement income? These things, I will probably never know - but it's fun to wonder!

Incidentally, this type of thread was not used solely for "Silk Art Embroidery." This was the silk embroidery floss available in the US at that time, and you can see it on a multitude of ecclesiastical work from that time period, as well. I've always wanted to see the threads they used in ecclesiastical work from the early 1900's, up close. When looking at different pieces, it's evident that the pieces were stitched with lightly twisted filament silk. And finally, here's a whole box of it!

I'll be sorting through this as I have time, and I'll also be showing you the linens, in case you're curious!

Thanks, Freda, for thinking of me!

Labels: historical needlework, needlework pictures, pictures, silk, threads, vintage embroidery

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, August 05, 2009
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The folks behind the Plimoth Plantation 17th century jacket project have been busy! They've brought another new metal thread onto the market, one which was used in 17th century raised embroidery, but eventually fell out of use and disappeared from the market. We've heard the story before - remember that these are the same folks behind the Gilt Sylke Twist now once again available to the embroiderer after a couple centuries of absense! Silk Purl is the new thread, and here's a look at it...

Silk Purl is made up of a fine copper wire wrapped with filament silk, then turned into a tight coil. If you're familiar with goldwork embroidery threads (real metal threads for embroidery), you can compare Silk Purl with regular purls used in goldwork. (You can see some gold purls being worked in my beetle wing goldwork project from a while ago, if you want!) The difference between regular gold or gilt purls and Silk Purl is that Silk Purl is covered in silk, which means it's colored and shiny like silk and the coil is a little fatter than the coil you'd see on a regular gold or gilt purl.



Silk Purl is a really incredible thread! I realize that trends and tastes change as the years pass, but it's so hard to imagine that a thread this interesting could just fade from existence and not be resurrected again for some centuries!

I love the look and the feel of the Silk Purl. It feels hard (due to the wire) but smooth (thanks to the silk!), a little boingy, and bumpy.



Just like with regular purls used in goldwork, if you stretch the Silk Purl, you'll get an elongated spring-looking length of wire that will not close back on itself.



If you unwrap the spring, you can see the colored wire that forms the core of the metal thread, and the silk, of course, which becomes very limp and silk-like. It's nice silk and it feels great to the touch!



Silk Purl is hollow in the center, so small pieces cut from the length of the Silk Purl can be sewn on just like bugle beads. According to Tricia Wilson Nguyen, the lady behind the research that resurrected these historic threads, Silk Purl was sewn on in a number of ways: couched in long wavy lines (sometimes with the Silk Purl slightly stretched - think human of animal hair in 17th century embroidery); sewn on in loops; or sewn on in a kind of chipwork method to fill an area, as is done with check purl. Tricia included some great photos of historical examples of Silk Purl in use in her last newsletter from Thistle Threads. If you haven't signed up for her newsletter, you should. Though they don't come out often, when they do, they're full of interesting tidbits on historical embroidery.



To give you an idea of the size of Silk Purl, I lined a piece up with a regular piece of 6-stranded DMC cotton, which is what you see here in the foreground of the photo.



Although in size, Silk Purl is more solidly round and stands up off the fabric, you can see that it isn't too far in size from a regular piece of DMC (with all 6 strands still in tact).



Silk Purl comes in colors to that match Gilt Sylke Twist, with about 8 colors available right now. It is uncertain whether the thread will continue to be manufactured, and the colors presently being manufactured are short in quantity, so if you see a color you like over at Thistle Threads, don't delay in ordering it - you never know when it may be gone again for good.

I ordered a sample pack of the colors, to see what Silk Purl was all about. I think it's a really neat thread, and that those interested in stumpwork or any dimensional embroidery techniques, or goldwork, would find the thread inspiring. I've been mulling over all kinds of possible uses ever since the package arrived in the mail, and I've added it to my list of things to play with in the near future! I'm looking forward to it!

Labels: embroidery resources, goldwork, historical needlework, pictures, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, July 28, 2009
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As a serious thread junkie, I'm always on the lookout for nice embroidery threads, especially silks. Margaret brought my attention to this website, which looks like it offers some delectable silk threads for hand embroidery!

The website is called Mulberry Silks, and it's located in the UK. It looks as if they carry a variety of types of threads, but for some reason, I seem to be drawn to the hand embroidery threads. Huh. I wonder why?!



The different palettes of color are really pretty! The silk is wound on spools, and the range of colors in all those lined-up spools just sets my thread-loving heart a-flutter!



Above is one of the brighter palettes...



... and this one, the Garden Palette, is by far my favorite (though it seems to be lacking yellow, doesn't it?)

I suppose I'm not actually recommending the threads, because I haven't tried them, so I don't really know what they're like. But they're somewhat intriguing, aren't they? I've added them to my Ever-Growing-List-of-Threads-I-Want-To-Try, though, so when I do, I'll let you know what I think of them.

In the meantime, since I haven't tried them, I thought I'd ask if any of you have? If you have tried Mulberry Silk hand embroidery threads, can you give the rest of us the low-down? Are they worth the investment, given shipping and exchange rate? I'd love to hear any opinions on them, especially before making that kind of investment in a thread purchase!

Thanks!

Labels: embroidery resources, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, June 20, 2009
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This ecclesiastical embroidery piece is an icon of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, from the Eastern Orthodox tradition. Lynn, who is an iconographer, has taken to embroidering icons lately, and this one is gorgeous!

You will probably be amazed to know that this is Lynn's first attempt with goldwork!



The Theotokos (Blessed Virgin) was embroidered separately, then appliquéd to the veleveteen background, onto which the text and flowers are directly stitched. The finished embroidery measures 12" x 21".



The figure is worked in silk shading techniques, following the traditional color schemes and definition found in icons. The cloth on which the figure rests is worked in Or Nué and the gold background is made up of couched double gold threads.



The halo or nimbus is also couched gold - very neatly and well done, I'd say! The head of the Virgin rests on a very life-like pillow. You can also see here the neat stitching in red, and a close-up of the white stripes on the background cloth.



In iconography, the art is more two-dimensional. Unlike the realistic shading found in later art (Medieval, Renaissance, and beyond), the Byzantine art and icons tend to look flatter. This was done on purpose, to concentrate the viewer's thoughts on what the art is expressing, rather than on the art itself. (This is also one of the reasons why most iconographers in early history were anonymous, and the same holds true for church art in the West, even into the medieval era just before the Renaissance.) I think this icon tradition is reflected really well here at the base of the gown. It's just realistic enough to give the impression the artist wants to give, but not overly detailed - perfect shading for an icon.



Here are the hands, folded in repose. I wanted actually to draw your attention to the very fine gold line around the red robe. A nice touch!



Lilies are a symbol of the Virgin. These were stitched directly onto the velveteen background, along with the text:



Isn't this piece beautifully done? I think it's absolutely gorgeous. And to think that it is a "first attempt" at goldwork is astounding!

Thanks, Lynn, for sending the photo! Congratulations on a beautiful piece of art!

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

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, June 05, 2009
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I must reiterate everything I said the other day about the generosity of needleworkers! Yesterday, I was thrilled and speechless when I emptied my mailbox. There, inside, was a package all the way from Portugal, from Méri, of Agulhas da Méri fame. Inside the package - some gorgeous threads and a piece of Portuguese linen, woven at the textile mills of northern Portugal.

I just have to show you pictures of this thread and the fabric. Pictures won't do the linen justice, or the threads, for that matter.



First, the threads. There are two kinds of silk here - one is still on the market and available in Portugal.



It comes in very long skeins, and the thread is beautiful - it's a fine twisted silk, non-divisible. The sheen is hard to capture in a picture...



...but a close up serves to show the nice twist in the thread.

I can't wait to give these threads a try! I haven't seen anything like them here in the States. Buttonhole silk is usually a bit fatter and more tightly twisted. And stranded silk doesn't have this kind of sheen.



Now, these other threads have captivated me! This is a soft, thick, luxurious silk, no longer sold, and Méri estimates that these skeins are from the beginning of the 1900's, as they were passed down through family. They are typical of the embroidery from Castelo Branco in Portugal. They are unbelievable threads!



You can see that the thread has a very soft twist to it. Each strand is rather thick - I'd say at least as thick as a #3 pearl cotton, though not twisted tightly like pearl cotton.



To explain the sheen - and even to photograph it well (for me, anyway!) is almost impossible. How can I get across the idea of the sumptuous "fire" of these threads? They're incredible! I would imagine that they will make beautiful satin stitching, if worked in short lengths. I'm eager as well to try them with long and short stitch and with stem stitch.



And finally, the linen - a beautiful, durable, medium-weight linen with a nice hand, and a good, practically even weave. It looks like it will be a perfect linen for drawn thread work. I also think it would be perfect for crewel work or Jacobean embroidery in wools. It's really nice stuff! Méri said this linen is sold as what we call "seconds" - that is, not suitable for shops or exports, but still available at the source. She buys it by weight. I can't imagine that this is "second quality" linen. It's pretty nice!

Méri, how can I thank you for the wonderful package?! I'll try to do the supplies justice! Thank you so much for your generous gift!

Labels: linen, pictures, regional embroidery techniques, silk, supplies

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, May 22, 2009
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Anne G. sent along some photos of her latest piece, an embroidered icon. The the piece is small, it "packs a lot of punch." Though the piece has a somewhat modern flair to it, it reflects the icon tradition in religious art. I thought you would enjoy seeing it.

Anne embroidered the piece as a gift. The completed size is 4.5" x 5.25", so quite small, but the space is used really well.



The design is from a book called A Brush With God, and the original picture is called "Peter's Mother of God." The original is by Peter Pearson, who kindly gave Anne permission to use it. The representation is of "Our Lady of Tenderness."



The embroidery is worked entirely in flat silks, on silk upholstery fabric, mounted on high count muslin. The halo, or nimbus, is worked in pairs of #8 Japanese gold - it's really beautiful!



And this is the framed piece. I think the framing is ingenious - it really sets off the embroidered piece well.

Thanks so much for sending the photos, Anne! It's always a pleasure to see you're work!

Labels: needlework pictures, pictures, readers embroidery, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, May 11, 2009
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The other day, my sister and niece stopped in at a thrift shop (or "op shop"), and they came across this embroidered Chinese panel that they thought I might find interesting. It was only a couple bucks, so they brought it home to me.

The embroidery on the panel looks to me as if it were worked by hand, but it has that kind of mass-produced look (sweatshop work, perhaps?). I could be wrong. I'd be happy to hear what you all think.



The frame is flimsy and cheaply made and painted. I think the embroidery is actually stuck on the board in parts. I'm going to take it apart, eventually, just to see what it's all about.

There are parts of the embroidery that I really like:



The shading on the water fowl is magnificently done!



The feathers and the layers of color are finely and perfectly stitched. There aren't any "carrying threads" that are typical to machine embroidery. I'm certain this is hand stitched.



The roses up close didn't really grab me at first. The contrasts are stark and the lines a bit angular...



But what's funny is that, from the side, they look entirely different! The silk has quite a sheen to it, too.



The clusters of flowers and leaves below the ducks are the best part of the foliage on the piece, I think.



And the grass and water on the pond in which the ducks are floating is really interesting. The two shades used to embroider the grass give the illusion of a reflection, and the pale grey horizontal stitches make the water look quite real.



This little bunch of hanging buds and flowers makes a nice cluster, and I like the silvery grey in the leaves.

There are some stains on part of the piece - mostly in the foliage hanging down from the roses - but other than that, it's pretty clean.

So, what do you reckon? Shall I take it apart? I was thinking there might be parts that would be fun to salvage, recycling it into something else. Any ideas?

Labels: needlepainting, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, May 08, 2009
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We haven't visited the goldwork iris in a while, and I left everyone hanging with the last post about it, when I asked what you thought I would do for embroidery thread! I never did answer that question, so now I will bat around the ideas in my head about this piece.

First, I'll admit right upfront that I haven't given this little piece of goldwork embroidery a chance! I have worked on it in fits and starts, usually in 15-minute (or shorter) increments.

The 15-minute sessions are great when you have a project set up and you know exactly where you are going with it. I have found that, in such cases, short sessions are useful in making progress. The drawbacks to short embroidery sessions like that, though, are that you can't always get a good rhythm going with your stitching, and you can't make enough progress to know exactly whether or not something is working out, if you are "feeling your way through" a project in the first place.

And that's kind of my situation with the goldwork iris.

This is as much as I've progressed on the project:



I really only have three full threads couched. I went with the Soie d'Alger because that's the silk thread I had on hand in the right colors, but of course, the whole time I was stitching, I was bemoaning the fact that I didn't have the silk I wanted! However, I made a firm resolution that I would not buy anymore threads until the middle of April, and I am sticking to that! So I told myself the Soie d'Alger would work for this test piece.

And it does work! It's fine. It's not necessarily what I would have preferred, but it's a good thread, and it does work.

I received a lot of good advice on the project from other stitchers who have tried this technique, and I'm really grateful for that! I wish I hadn't started stitching already when some of the advice came in. For example, I wish I hadn't made so much of the outline (especially the dark green) so solid, and had left some space for the gold to show through. I did towards the top, but now I'm dissatisfied with that, because it is inconsistent with the rest.



There's not enough stitching done here to really tell how it will look, and I'm more and more convinced that, with this technique, the whole picture develops slowly and you really need to give it a chance! So I haven't given up on it - I need to make greater progress to see how things are going to go with this piece.



There's one part of the design so far that I really do like about it, and that's the purple. In fact, I like the purple so much that I'm completely glad I didn't order the Piper's silk (or TESS), or didn't pick a not-quite-right color.

So, right now, that's where I am on this project. Truth to tell, I've put it away for a little bit - it's packaged up, threads and all, until I can devote some serious time to it. While it sat among my present embroidery tasks, I felt pretty anxious about it. Better to put it away for a little bit, until I can devote more time to it!

I am still plugging away on my whitework sampler - the cutwork section has a few bars worked in, and that's about all I got done with needle and thread this past weekend!

And now, as I'm in the midst of a very busy time at school, it looks as if it'll be a little while before I can get back to some serious stitching! I'll have to rely on 15 minutes of whitework here and there if I want to make any progress.

I hope you all had a chance to get in some stitching this past weekend and that the week promises some good opportunities to you for the same!

Labels: goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, March 23, 2009
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The purpose of today's article is both instructional and inspirational! I usually post reader's embroidery projects because I find them particularly interesting or inspirational, and I think it's nice to see what others out there are doing with their needles and thread. Here's a beautiful metal-thread embroidery project which features satin stitching...

Christiana embroidered this fleur-de-lis in satin stitch, using #1 silver Jap. The design she's using is from Tanja Berlin - one of the elements on her goldwork sampler. But Christi says she doesn't like filling with purl, so she wanted to try satin stitching instead, using the #1 silver Jap, which is a very fine metal thread.

She chose a blue silk ground, which sets off the silver beautifully.

In communicating over this project, we sent pictures back and forth and discussed the methods and so forth, and she took notes on what she was doing, which she subsequently scanned and sent along, too. So what I've done here is put together her project so that you can see how she did it, and maybe pick up some tips and tricks along the way.



Christi was working on her goldwork feather and the fleur-de-lis at the same time, so both projects were set up on a slate frame. Notice that the slate frame is dressed with linen, then the ground fabric (blue silk in this case) is basted onto the linen, so that she is working through both the linen and the silk. This is normal for most ecclesiastical work - and goldwork in general - that, behind the ground fabric, there is another layer of supporting fabric. Specifically, in ecclesiastical work, it is typical to set up a slate frame with a piece of linen, then mount the finer ground fabric on the linen. Often, when several small motifs are being worked, they'll be set up on one frame to save time and linen.



She used tissue paper to tansfer the design, tracing the design onto the tissue paper then using dark blue thread to stitch over the design to transfer the pattern. Using the dark blue (same color, more or less) as the ground fabric eliminates problems later, if the tacking threads can't all be removed. They aren't as noticeable!

For the top part of the fleur-de-lis, thin felt is used to pad the shapes. Christi stitched over the felt with a fine white thread to secure the felt to the fabric. This method of securing the felt differs from person to person and technique to technique. When I secure felt, I generally stitch very tiny stitches along the outside of the felt. This causes the felt to stand up a bit in the middle. Stitching over the felt as Christi has done helps minimize the height of the felt, which is what she wanted.

Instead of using felt on the arms of the fleur-de-lis, which are narrow and spindly, she discovered something: when removing the tissue paper from transferring the pattern, she noticed that the tacking threads held the tissue paper pretty firmly in place on the arms of the fleur-de-lis. She wanted the arms to be less padded than the top part of the design, and she thought that perhaps the tissue paper would serve to barely lift the thread off the fabric, to provide a white background behind the silver, and to give her a sharp edge for satin stitching. Maybe she didn't have to use felt on the arms after all, and this could save her a step!



And that's what she did - she left the tissue paper from the transfer on the pattern and stitched over it. She said it worked really well and it's a technique she'll use again. You can see in the photo above the tissue paper still attached to the fabric...



Here are the two arms and the base completed. Funny how the cameral makes the threads look more gold than silver... but really, it's silver!

Now, with the base of the design, Christi said she had some problems deciding how to stitch it, and here are her notes on the subject. You can click on them to see a larger version.



When satin stitching different shapes, it's important to take into consideration the length the stitches will cover in the longer parts of the shape. Stitches that are too long can loosen over time. Also, they don't always lie well. So this was good thinking, to split up the design!



You can see here the base of the design. I think it looks good, but I understand why it would have been better to split the design into three, instead of two, stitching areas.



Satin stitching around curves can be tricky, and one of the most common problems is keeping "perfect" stitch direction. Christi didn't like her shifting stitch direction in the areas marked, so she noted that for future improvement. Um.... well, the truth is, we always look at our own work more critically. I think this looks good.



After finishing the satin stitching, she outlined the main part of the design with silver pearl purl.



And here's the finished piece - really beautiful!

Thanks, Christi, for sending the pictures along and the explanation of work!

I hope you enjoyed seeing this project, and that you picked up some ideas from her experiences working it!

Feel free to ask any questions...

Labels: embroidery tips and tricks, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, readers embroidery, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, March 15, 2009
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Have you heard of The Silk Mill? It's a company in the UK that produces silk thread for needlework. It's a nice company - professional, friendly, and... silk producing. What more could you want? I had the opportunity to try out some of their threads this week, and so I thought I would introduce them to you.

The Silk Mill produces an amazing color range of silk threads for hand embroidery and other needlework techniques. They have over 500 colors, and it looks as if they are producing new colors with regularity.



Along with the packet of threads came a very nice brochure with all the colors (with corresponding names and numbers) illustrated. I'm just weird enough to really enjoy spending time looking at these types of brochures. I read them. Yes, I do! Like a book. There isn't a lot of information in the brochure, but I read the names of all the colors and look at the colors. I am sure this is a result of my fiber infatuation, but at the same time, I think it's also an attraction to color. I find the variety of names we give to colors fascinating!



The brochure groups the colors according to... well, colors! So in the yellow group, you'll find great names like Tiger Flower Yellow, Golden Sultana, Corn-on-the-cob, Saffron Crocus, Yellow Wagtail, and so forth. In the Orange list, some of the colors are Glazed Carrots, Firecrest, and Mexican Sunset. In the pink list, try Salmon Mousse and Popsicle Pink!



Besides individual skeins of colored silk, the Silk Mill packages skeins in different "theme" colors. For example, the package I'm reviewing here is titled "Winter at the Beach," and the colors correspond to a wintery beach. There are color packs (they call them mini-sets) titled enticing names such as "Moonlight and Champagne," "Summer Dress," "Winter in the Woods," and so forth. And all the colors work for the names! I love that!



You can purchase The Silk Mill threads individually, but they are more cost effective if purchased in groups of ten, or in mini-sets or full sets.



Here, you see my first set of Silk Mill silk, "Winter at the Beach." It's a five-skein set. The sheen on the silk is quite nice! This is monofilament silk, so the sheen is much higher than that of spun silk (like Soie d'Alger).



The skeins are actually a twist that, when untwisted, come apart into a large circle.



To untwist the skein, just find the knot that holds the bunch together. Once you find the knot, hold onto it and take the twist out, until you have a large circle. I'll show you below how I prepare this type of thread for stitching, in order to avoid frustration from tangling...



The silk is stranded - 6 strands in a bunch, like DMC floss.



After I opened the skein into a large circle, I cut the point where the knot was, so that I had a bunch of very long strands of silk. I divided the bunch into three equal lengths. You can divide it just in half, but I think the stitching length would be too long, for reasons mentioned below.

After cutting the threads to my stitching length, you can see that I had a rather boingy mass of silk... which would be a pain in the neck if it were left just like this - destined to knots and disorder... Plus, I don't like the boinginess of some silks. I prefer, if possible, to calm that down a bit.



Here, you can see that the thread is significantly "calmer." How did I manage it? I put the kettle on for a cup of tea, of course! I didn't think it right to play with silk from the UK without enjoying a good cuppa!

As soon as the tea kettle was whistling, I took the silk bundle in my hands, holding one end in one hand and the other in the other, and moved it back and forth in the steam coming out of the whistling tea kettle. I do this with a lot of different types of threads and have never had any adverse effects. I don't leave it soaking in the steam - I just pass it through. It goes straight immediately.



Once the thread was straight, I let it sit while I found something to hold it with. I used a key tab, as demonstrated in my previous article on thread organization and key tabs. Using the method shown in that article and the article on preparing coton a broder, I looped the silk onto the key tab ring and loosely braided it. I secured the end of the braid with a slip knot made out of soft cotton thread, gently and loosely secured. Now, I can pull one individual strand at a time from the braid.



At last! The comparison: on the left, one strand of DMC. On the right, one strand of Silk Mill silk.

Do you notice something? Look closely at the twist. I didn't notice this until I lined these two threads up for the picture. DMC is an S-twisted thread. The Silk Mill is a Z-twisted thread. If you are already familiar with rayons and some other silks (I believe Trebizond is also Z-twisted), you have stitched with Z-twisted threads. It doesn't make much of a difference in stitching, except with a few specific types of stitches. For example, if you work a stem stitch with a Z-twisted thread, it will look more like outline stitch (the stitches will roll around each other and be less distinguishable). If you want your stem stitch to look like a stem stitch, with the "rope" look and more noticeable separation in stitches, when stitching with a Z-twisted thread, you have to actually work an outline stitch. Also, with bullions, you twist the thread around the needle in the opposite direction. But for most stitching, the difference is minor, if not at all.

Back to the strands themselves: you can see that one strand of DMC is slightly smaller than one strand of Silk Mill silk.



Looking at a thread is never enough to tell you whether or not you will like it. You need to stitch with it! Put the thread through some paces and see how it feels. The thing is, I can never really "know" a thread until I stitch with it quite a bit. Still, a little bit of stitching should tell you right away if it's likely you'll like it.

So I stitched a few small bits. First, I stitched a little satin stitch swash. I also worked the chain stitch using two strands together.



I worked some cross stitches, stem stitch, Holbein stitch (double running stitch) and back stitch, and some split stitch.



Conclusions:

1. The silk is beautiful! It feels good in the hands - it doesn't snag or anything like flat filament silk is prone to do. It's smooth and luxurious feeling. The colors are vibrant and consistent. The thread is soft and fine.

2. I found it requires short lengths for stitching. As I neared the end of lengths of thread I was playing with, the thread started to exhibit some definite fuzziness. In short lengths, it performs fine (14 - 15").

3. It stitches beautifully. The sheen is nice, and thread, though boingy at first, behaves ok. In this regard, I would classify the ease of managing the thread somewhere between managing regular cotton and managing rayon (which I always find to be more persnickity than other threads). The stitches looked nice, and the sheen is exceptional.

4. Would I buy the thread? The brochure I received says the skeins are £2.75 each, or £2.50 for 10 or more. Mini-packs (5 skeins) are £8.50 each, and larger sets range from 11 skeins in a certain color group at £19.50 each, up to 27 skeins for £39.50. On the brochure, there's also a sticker that indicates that all skeins are £2 each, so perhaps there's a price reduction thing going on there? Also, on the website, you can see deals such as 10 skeins for £17.50...

With the current exchange rate, £17.50 ends up to be about $24.35 - $24.50. So one skein of silk would be $2.43 - $2.45US. And you know what? That's not a bad price! Of course, there's shipping to consider, but even with shipping, if I were ordering a larger order, I still think the silks would be a good price. This all depends, of course, on the fluctuation in the exchange rate, but right now, it's not bad! If the skeins are £2 each, the work out to about $2.70... I think the economical way to go is to buy them in packs.

So... would I buy Silk Mill silks? I think I would! In fact, I think I will! I like them! I like the threads - especially the feel and the sheen; they have a magnificent color selection; and they are reasonably priced.

Just for the sake of comparison:

Treenway Silks: 10 yards - $5.00
Soie d'Alger: @ 5.5 yards - $3.75 - $4.00 (it's got seven strands in each length, though)
Caron Waterlilies: 6 yards - $5.75 - $6.35
Needlepoint, INC: 5.5 yards - @$4.00
Thread Gatherer Silk 'n Colors - 7 yards - @$6.50 - $7.00 (12 strands per length)

So, if you're looking for silk, and you want to try something new, try the Silk Mill silk threads! If you order from them, tell them I sent you!

And let me know how you like the threads... I'd like to hear other people's opinions on them! Have you tried them already? Do you like them? What type of needlework do you use them for?

And, finally, just so you know - I'm not affiliated, this isn't a paid advert or anything like that! It's just my review and my opinion... you may have a different opinion - if you do, don't hesitate to share!

Ahhh. It's Friday - enjoy the weekend!

Labels: embroidery resources, embroidery tips and tricks, needlework pictures, pictures, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, March 13, 2009
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Last time I mentioned the goldwork iris project, I was befuddled over what threads to use for couching. I went out to the studio, then, and decided to end my befuddlement.

I went through my selection of silk threads to see if I had anything I'd like better to use as the colored couching threads. While out there, I also dug through all my other threads, and happened upon - shock! horror! - some Sulky machine embroidery threads.

So I brought everything I found inside to the iris to do some pondering.

I pondered thus:



I like the fineness of TESS silk. This is Helen Stevens's silk thread line, made by the same folks who make Piper's Silk. But alas, as you may already be guessing...



... I don't much care for the colors I have on hand. The greens are ok - in fact, I like them! But the purples leave a lot to be desired, as does the closest color I came to "coral."



Pondering further, just for the fun of it, I lined up the Sulky threads. Oh - you have to admit - the colors are really nice! But something.... something.... just grates against the thought of using a polyester machine embroidery thread. *Sigh* Am I a fiber snob? I don't think that's exactly it. It's more a matter of the combination. Silk and gold just belong together!



But wow. I do like the colors. I like the purples especially...

I furthered my pondering by stitching over the gold with all three threads, the Soie d'Alger I originally started with, the TESS silk, and the Sulky machine embroidery thread.



The Soie d'Alger is on the left, followed by the TESS in the middle, and the Sulky on the end.

My heart longéd for the right colors in the TESS! I love the look of that fine, flat silk over the gold! And it stitches well over the gold - very nicely! And the fineness of the thread is most excellent for the couching of the gold, varying the distance between the stitches and so forth.

Alas and alack, without the right colors, though, I knew I would not be happy.

I didn't much like stitching with the Sulky threads. I sort of knew I wouldn't. It looked ok, but not that great.

What do you suppose my conclusion was?

Labels: goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, March 11, 2009
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, March 10, 2009
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After setting up the goldwork iris, I began embroidering it in one 15-minute needle and thread session. The first embroidery session was, admittedly, a wash...

When beginning a needlework project - and this is true of any type of needlework for me, whether surface embroidery, counted cross stitch, goldwork, drawn thread work, crochet, even sewing - I find that my initial moments with the project are always the most important. In the first minutes of actually working with needle and thread, I get a real sense of what the project is going to be about. No more theory, no more vague picture in my head - now I know what must be done to make the project develop toward the picture which I imagined for it.

It's also in the first session of stitching that I tend to make mistakes while I feel the project out.

With the goldwork iris, I realized a few things right off the bat.



Here are the supplies I initially wanted to start with: #5 smooth passing thread (2% gold), Tire silk for couching the gold areas, and the darkest green soie d'alger, which would make up the first colored stitches.



Because this was a 15-minute session, I set the timer before cutting threads and threading needles.



I began couching the gold in the lower left corner, working up toward the swirly base of the iris. This looks positively terrible! Anyway, Tire silk is extremely fine thread. I do like it for couching the gold, but...



... compared to the soie d'alger, it is really too fine. I think I'd rather use a thread closer to the size of the soie d'alger. Otherwise, I'm afraid that, down the road, I'll have a warping problem with the piece - the colored threads will take up more space over the gold and push the design out.



Another thing I didn't like: in my first section of dark green over the outline, the green silk is bulging here and there. Soie d'alger is a 2-ply twisted thread, much like DMC cotton. As the thread works in and out of the fabric, the twist can become tighter or looser, and the plies can lay on top of each other (twisting over each other) just as the stitch is settled into its place. In most surface embroidery techniques, this isn't really a problem. It's the natural way the thread works. But in this technique, I don't want any extra bulges! I'll need to pay closer attention to that. A laying tool will help, but... I don't really want to use one!

I'm thinking about going back through my threads to see if I might have some flat silk that I can use instead. I do have a collection of Helen Stevens's TESS, but I don't know if it includes any purples.



In any case, this is the 15 minute session! Whoo-hoo! Doesn't seem like much, does it? I don't like the "angular" look of the gold, and I don't like the stitching.



So guess what I did the next time I had 15 minutes? Right! I'm starting again, with some wiser (hopefully!) decisions. If I can switch to flat silk, I'll continue to work with the Tire thread for couching the gold. If I don't have suitable colors in the flat silks, I'll probably switch my gold couching thread to something thicker - maybe soie 100/3.

I'm pretty sure, so far, that Or Nué is something you have to give a chance. One gold thread couched isn't going to reveal impressive results. Still. I want to make some changes before going any further!

Any advice or suggestions?

For more information on different silk threads, you'll find a few articles that compare different types of silks under Tips and Tricks for Hand Embroidery.

Labels: 15 minutes, Embroidery Projects, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, March 05, 2009
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Is there a better combination in the world of needlearts than goldwork and silk? You'd have to twist my arm to make me believe there is! I'm a sucker for both of them - but in combination, I'm completely twitterpated! Every time I get into a goldwork project, I find I have tunnel vision - I spend the day looking forward to getting back to the project! Well, I've recently set up a small goldwork project, and here's the beginning of it...

The gold in this goldwork project will be gold passing thread. If you're not familiar with what gold passing thread is, feel free to look at a few previous articles: gold passing thread up close, the Agnus Dei project, the golden pomegranate, or my goldwork Christmas ornament from this past Christmas - all of them make liberal use of gold passing thread.

In this technique, which is called Or Nué, the gold passing thread will be couched with colored silk to form a picture. I've recently run a couple articles on Or Nué techniques (Margaret's goldwork flower and Christiana's goldwork peacock feather) if you want to get more of a sense of what the technique is all about.

Here, I'll be going step-by-step through the process of Or Nué embroidery, and I'll tell you up-front, I've only worked the technique a few times, on simple projects. This little iris is more complicated than any Or Nué I've done before, and I will undoubtedly be troubleshooting along the way!

I'm off to a bad start, anyway. Let me show you what I mean...



Here's the design, traced onto tissue paper. It's from 4000 Flower & Plant Motifs: A Sourcebook by McCallum - an excellent book for little motifs perfect for embroidery. I modified the design slightly.



After laying in some (really sloppy!) color using prismacolors and centering up the design, I added in that swashy looking line, because I'm thinking I'll work the gold thread in some other pattern besides just a straight line. I don't think this particular swash is going to be my gold thread guide, though....



The next thing to do was to consider colors of silk. Actually, the next thing was to consider TYPES of silk. I wanted a fine thread, to ensure that I didn't end up with too much bulk over the gold threads, which could distort and push them out if I didn't space them correctly. It was at this point that I noticed that none of my finer threads were available in the same colors - or in any extent of color - compared to my rather haphazard collection of Soie d'Alger. Now, Soie d'Alger is my favorite thread for needle painting (long and short stitch - like this needlepainted iris, which is actually worked in DMC cotton). I found as I was planning out this goldwork project that I was thinking too much in terms of needlepainting. This may pose a problem later - we'll see!



Anyway, I had a good collection of purples and greens in the Soie d'Alger, so that's what I decided to go with.



I selected a palette. I think these are way too many shades of color!! (And I know you're probably wondering about that coral. So am I!)



I'll probably end up using these two purples...



... and these two greens predominantly.



So, colors selected and pattern more or less messily prepared, I headed to my light box to transfer the pattern onto the fabric.

And here comes Mistake #1:



I outlined in black, using a micron art pen. Oh dear. It didn't occur to me until later that I really don't want those harsh black lines on the surface of the fabric. I know that there will be some space between the gold threads - not a lot of space, but some, nonetheless. I don't want any vague black outline peeking through...



And this could be Mistake #2, but I don't know yet. I used prismacolors (soft lead colored pencils) to lay the color in on my fabric. Normally, this would be done with watercolor paints, but .... mine are packed away, and I was over-eager. I tend to think it'll be ok.

Regarding the black line, I'm planning on couching stitches long that black line, so I'm hoping they will be sufficient cover up. We will see!

After I finished transferring the design, I mounted the linen on an Evertite Frame, which have fast become my favorite frames. (I don't have a slate frame that's small enough for this project). Now, my next step is to prepare all my supplies and put everything together in one basket for easy access. Then, I'll set up my Needlework System 4 stand with the frame in it, and have that ready for those 15 minute moments when I can take a few stitches during the week!

So that's my current colored project! I'm still working on the whitework sampler, though not regularly. I'll be dividing up a few days a week for whitework, a few days a week for goldwork now. I did finish my miniature embroidery piece, and will show you some photos of that tomorrow.

What are you up to? Do you have any projects going? Are you blogging progress on any projects? Feel free to share a link to your blog, flickr account, etc., below, so that we can see what you're up to, too!

Labels: embroidery tips and tricks, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, March 03, 2009
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Now that Inspirations Magazine issue 61 is officially out, I wanted to share with you the finish on this goldwork and silk embroidery project that I showed you last October.

Before the photos, the background information: this project was designed by Margaret Cobleigh, who used it as a guild project to teach some silk shading and goldwork embroidery techniques. After preparing the kits for her guild, she had a couple left over, and I am ever-so-grateful that I had the opportunity to procure one!

Margaret also submitted the project to Inspirations Magazine. It's being published in issue #61, which is just out now. You can see a preview of Inspirations 61 on the Country Bumpkin website right now, and you can also see that the kit for The Golden Pomegranate is available for sale. (US readers, if you look at the kit, make sure to change the currency options to US dollars - it makes quite a bit of difference!) If you don't subscribe you Inspirations magazine, you can buy an individual copy of this issue if you want (through Country Bumpkin, and probably through some US suppliers, like Wooly Thread, for instance). If you already subscribe to Inspirations, then you know that you'll receive the complete instructions, photos, and the pattern within the magazine. If you decide to buy the kit and you don't have this issue of the magazine, you'll also need to buy the issue in order to have the instructions.

So that's how that works.

I was first attracted to the pomegranate design when Margaret sent me a photo to show me what she had designed, with the understanding that I couldn't publish the photo, as she was submitting the project to Country Bumpkin. Well, I was besotted! I love everything about this design - I love the colors (the reds are fantastic, and the greens are perfect), I love the goldwork, I love the way the goldwork is arranged and the variety of goldwork techniques, I love (LOVE) the trellis center on the pomegranate, with the beads and spangles... well. Like I said, when I first saw the photo of the project, I was besotted.

Another point that I liked about it - it's not a huge project. It's small (about 6" x 6", I think), so it's manageable in a reasonable amount of time. Margaret's instructions are crystal clear and perfect for someone who wants to try goldwork for the first time. The project is interesting and varied enough for seasoned goldworkers, too.

Anyway, I was happy to get one of Margaret's "leftover" kits... and I started to work on the pomegranate pretty quickly. All told, it didn't take 3 weeks (maximum) to complete it. Keep in mind, that's stitching in the evenings and a bit on weekends - I have a full time job and a life, so I wasn't stitching day in and day out! It was a nice, pleasurable, non-pressured stitching situation.

I had decided before I embarked on the project that I would make it as a gift for my niece, who was married in the middle of November. The pomegranate has been a symbol for ages upon ages of new life - so I thought it an appropriate gift.



I like angle shots - this isn't perhaps the best angle shot, but one of my favorite elements of the design is the pomegranate "crown" filled with chip work.



Here's the pomegranate itself. I love the fact that the stitching is shaded with the understanding of a light source from the top left. Notice how the pomegranate, on the top left, is lighter, and on the bottom right side, the top edge is also lighter? The top left leaf is couched in a lighter green as well. Nice, isn't it?



The trellis interior is really my favorite part. I love the pomegranate seeds (beads), and I'm a sucker for trellis couching. I think it's a beautiful interpretation.



The only part that I had real difficulty with was the vein on the leaves. I didn't remember until after I couched the pearl purl on that it was supposed to be wavy. So I pinched it into a little wave, but it doesn't look nearly as nice as the leaves on the prototype in the magazine!



Finally, here's the frame job. I had it framed in a custom frame, with all archival materials... the frame is slightly over 11 inches square. It's black with a gold crackle (in tiny veins) working through it, but that doesn't show up so well in the photo. It's triple matted, in green, then gold, then a velvet red mat. The triple matting holds the glass well away from the raised gold and the beads.

I was so happy with the way the project turned out that I was loathe to part with it! Apparently the bride loved it, though, so I'm glad did!

And thus ends the story of The Golden Pomegranate.

Labels: finish work, goldwork, Inspirations Magazine, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, January 23, 2009
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, January 14, 2009
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As a follow up on how to use pearl purl, here's another option for this beautiful real metal thread. It still involves couching, but for this technique, you use a colored embroidery thread.

When you stretch pearl purl, the coils open and it looks even more like a spring. The gold thread (I always have a problem calling goldwork threads "threads" for some reason!) has nice spaces between the coils for couching, and if you couch in every other coil, you can achieve a different and interesting effect.



Although I already showed you this little motif when I was discussing goldwork on a crazy quilt square, I thought it worth while to bring it up again, to demonstrate what you can do with stretched pearl purl, and to show you how it looks next to regular pearl purl.

In the photo above, the last inside circle at the base of the motif is stretched pearl purl, couched in every-other-coil with red silk buttonhole twist. Directly above the stretched pearl purl is pearl purl #3, and above that, pearl purl size #F1.

To use stretched pearl purl, cut about half the length you need for the line you want to cover.

To stretch, grip each end of the pearl purl with your fingernails (well, I find it easiest to use my nails between the last coil or two). Pull gently with consistent pressure from both hands until the pearl purl has doubled in length.



If you have coils on the end that are still closed, either stretch them or cut them off. Make sure that your length of pearl purl covers the line you want to cover, though, before you cut!! Once you've determined that you have the right length (or a little longer, even) than you need, you can thread your needle and get ready to couch.

Silk buttonhole twist worked really well here. You can use heavier threads, too, like Trebizond, or you can use regular stranded floss - but you'll probably need three strands or more for the color to show up well. Thread your needle and anchor it (either using a waste knot, or running it under threads already there). Bring your needle to the front of your fabric at the point you want your line to begin, and stitch over the first "valley" after the first coil. Then skip a valley, and stitch in the next. Continue stitching in every other valley between the coils until you reach the end of the line. Try to end with a couching stitch.

If you need to snip your gold to fit the line, snip it, then take your couching thread to the back and run it under the stitches on the back to secure it.

This is a very simple technique, and makes a really pretty line of gold, accented by whatever color you choose for a couching thread.

Another tip: though I usually will always wax a regular couching thread when I'm working with pearl purl, when I'm using the floss as a decoration (as in this technique) I don't wax the thread. The thread just looks better when it isn't waxed!

So, if you're game for goldwork, here's an easy technique to try!

Have fun with it!

Labels: embroidery tips and tricks, goldwork, hand embroidery information, Hand embroidery stitches, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, January 13, 2009
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The other day, I posted links to an online needlework book on church embroidery. In the book, there are some nice embroidery patterns, but they aren't very clear and they require some adjusting if you want to use them for your own embroidery patterns. One in particular struck my fancy, so I cleaned it up and here it is...

In the book, Church Embroidery, Ancient and Modern, this particular embroidery design is shown as a sample showing how to frame up a piece. It's on page 125 of the actual book (plate 18) and 178 of the PDF.

In looking at the original drawing, the piece looks as if it is worked in silk shading (on the leaves) and goldwork on the undersides of the leaves, outlining the leaves, and on the main body of what appears to be a stylized pomegranate-type design. I don't know what else to call these types of designs - I've seen them listed under pomegranates in different books of design, such as 4000 Flower & Plant Motifs: A Sourcebook by Graham McCallum. If you happen to know if designs like this have a particular technical name, please let me know!

If you click on the design below, you'll get a larger version. I've also included below a PDF link for those who are interested in a PDF version of this pattern.



Free Hand Embroidery Pattern for Surface Embroidery or Goldwork: Stylized Pomegranate (PDF)

Truth is, I really like this little design. I'm itching to start another project, and I think this would be a fun way to combine goldwork with a tiny bit of silk shading here and there. In fact, it could just be a fun goldwork design, without any silk shading... better yet, it would work well in goldwork with some of the couching done in colored silks. Oooooh - the possibilities!

We'll see if this one works into my list of "smaller" projects for this year! In the meantime, if you can find a use for the pattern, I hope you really enjoy it!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, goldwork, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, January 12, 2009
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, January 11, 2009
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Thanks to Margaret Cobleigh for her genius in converting this image of carnations into a design for hand embroidery. The image is taken from A Treatise on Embroidery with Twenty Color Illustrations from Original Models. Art Needlework Series No. 8 by M. Heminway & Sons Silk Company.

In the original book (which you can find online), the carnations are worked in silk in long and short stitch or thread painting techniques. The colors are gorgeous! It would be an exciting embroidery project to work on!

Margaret took the image of the carnations and traced it as a vector image (in Inkscape), so that you could view it with the outline and the colors, or just with the outlines. So I'm going to give it to you both ways here, but in jpg format, so that you can save it to your computer and print it if you like.

It's nice to have the color version as well, if you plan on stitching this project, since it gives you a good guideline for color choices and shading.

You can click the following images for slightly larger versions, and if you want them bigger or smaller, you can resize them on your computer or on a photocopier.

The first one here is the image with the color, though you can also see the outline around the image, and the addition of a few leaves.



And here is the line drawing to trace for a pattern.



Many thanks to Margaret for the pattern!

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, needlepainting, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, December 13, 2008
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Have you tried Treenway Silks? They make a glorious-looking silk thread, hand-dyed, with matching silk ribbon. I haven't tried them yet, but I'm going to! And soon. Here's a little run-down, some links, some photos...

Treenway Silks is a kind of "cottage industry" (as they describe it) located in British Columbia, Canada. They dye silk and produce all different types of silk products for the fiber artist, from silk yarn to silk ribbon to silk embroidery thread. You can read about their products on the Treenway Silks website, which is quite an informative site to peruse!



I came across Treenway Silks through Nordic Needle, actually, and when I saw the colors of their "fine silk cord," I just had to order one skein. Just to try! But then, as those nefarious shopping carts often do, sure enough, they showed a matching photo of the hand-dyed silk ribbon that coordinated with the thread I had just added to my cart!



*Sigh* I am so weak. But it is really beautiful stuff! I can't wait to stitch with it and see how I like it. I'll definitely let you know how it goes.

Besides these ribbons and threads for hand embroidery, Treenway has several other kinds of fibers for needlework. You can read all about them (and even purchase them) on their Embroidery Threads and Ribbons page on their website.

Today's the last day to sign up for my December give-away: Two beautiful spools of Gilt Sylke Twist, along with a few other delightful little needlework items of the season. If you haven't signed up yet, do read the original post and leave your comment (according to the instructions)! I'll announce the winner tomorrow!

Labels: embroidery resources, pictures, ribbon embroidery, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, December 09, 2008
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Here's my run-down on the finishwork on my goldwork and silk Christmas ornament that I made for a swap...

First, I gathered all the supplies I'd need to finish the Christmas ornament: threads, batting (which I didn't use after all), fabric, scissors, etc.



I wasn't quite sure about which fabric to use for the back. I had some cranberry colored silk shantung, some burgandy velvet, and a dusty pink striped fabric. The ornament actually has quite a bit of pink in it!



Next, I took the ornament off the frame and cut off the excess linen.



Next, I measured and cut out two pieces of acid-free mat board. I planned to cover one with the fabric for the back of the ornament, and the other I would mount the front on. Stay tuned, though - I changed my approach on this much later!



Then I cut out the corners on the linen, so that I could fold the linen more easily onto the mat board. I wasn't exactly sure about this whole part, which kind of bugged me.



I didn't want bulk corners, so I trimmed out little triangles, thinking that would help reduce the bulk. Well, of course it didn't work - there was an overhang - so I cut squares out of the corners instead.

I folded the edges under, using a strip adhesive sold for scrapbooking (archival and permanent) to hold the fabric securely to the mat board. To do this part, I put the ornament face-down, and placed the mat board over the back of it. I put the adhesive on all four sides of the back of the mat board, then pulled one side of the ornament up and smoothed it onto the sticky strip on the back of the mat board. Then I did the opposite side, making sure to pull the ornament enough to give good tension, but not too much. Then I did the remaining two sides opposite each other.



It "worked" ... but I wasn't quite happy with it. The point was just to adhere the fabric so that it would remain in place while I stitched the front and back together. But I didn't like the thickness of the top piece, and I really didn't like the fact that the white linen was slightly visible on some sides. I tried to console myself with the fact that the edge would be covered with cording. But it was a lame attempt at consolation. I had to backtrack later. So stick with me, here...



At that point, the front was mounted, though not quite to my satisfaction, and it was time to move on to the back. I debated over fabrics and finally decided on a burgandy-ish scrap of something sort of resembling velvet but feeling more like a stretchy velveteen. Whatever. It worked - the color was right, and though it doesn't have the shine of silk, I think it was more important that the color was right!

Now it was time to go through the same process of mounting the backing fabric.



I cut out the square to the right size, placed the other piece of mat board on it, and glued the edges as I had done for the top of the ornament. I liked the thick back with the mat board much better.



When I put the two pieces together, I was still concerned about the thickness of the top. I just didn't like it. But I forged on! I should've taken a break at that point and thought about it!

My next step was to consider what to use for cording and trim. This, of course, is where the thickness of the piece started to bother me even more. I would have liked to just put a cord around it and cover up the place where the front and back were joined, but golly, that would have to be a huge cord!



I went through my stash to pick out possible threads for cords. I was sure I would have all manner of types of thread and colors suitable for this project. Not so, not so. This is what comes of working from stash. You have to take what you can get! I had a silk chenille (on the right) that looked about right; a soie gobelin that looked about right, and two colors of soie d'alger that are in the ornament.



I tried making individual cords from all of them. I even tried making one big fat cord from several combined, with a gold colored Trebizond thrown in for the fun of it.



But none of it really worked, and I settled, instead, for a plain soie d'alger that I used to couch some of the gold passing on the ornament front.



Then I turned my thoughts to tassel making. For a small tassel, the soie gobelin was really the only suitable thread. The chenille was too thick, and the soie d'alger would end up really fuzzy. The resulting tassel, by the way, stunk, so I improvised something else, which you will see later.

Next, I sewed the front and back of the ornament together, using a regular slip stitch, since I'd be covering that up with a cord, anyway. I didn't like the thickness, especially of the front. I didn't like the fact that so much of the white linen was showing, especially because I knew the cord probably wouldn't cover that up all the way around. Aaaargh! SO...



At this point, I took the ornament apart, took the front off, took the mat board out, and mounted the ornament on a smaller cut piece of white (archival) card stock. The resulting edge of white was still there, but much thinner. That was much better. I sewed it up, then started with the cording.



You can see my silly tassel hanging off here just to the right. I didn't take a full picture of it - I should have, then you would understand better. For one thing, it was just too "pinky-orange" - just a shade off from the colors in the ornament. For another thing, it was having a terribly bad hair day. Soie gobelin is probably not the best thread choice for making a small tassel - it might work better on a larger tassel, where length would give some weight to the threads. On a small tassel, the thread ends flipped all over the place and looked messy and awful. Couple that with the slightly off color, and... well. It just didn't work. I got rid of it.



Here's the cording, after the first round of slip stitching just to get it attached. I used a little piece of gold Trebizond at the top for the hanger, which I ran through between the front and ornament backing, and secured in place as I stitched the cording on.

Next, I addressed myself to the problem of the tassel. I didn't want to leave the soie d'alger twist hanging there - though I probably could have knotted it and left it. It didn't look bad. But I wanted more than that! I actually wanted a Big, Fat, Pretty Tassel!!! (Note to self: plan ahead!!)



Instead, I opted for a tiny tail of little gold beads.

Once I had the beads on, I finished off the threads from the cord by running them individually into the cording (up the sides) and then, I gave the cording one more round of slip stitching to secure it and pull it a little bit more over the white.



My tree's not up yet, so no tree shot!



I suppose that, despite the strange tail of gold beads, she'll do ok! I would have liked a heavier tassel for the finish. This picture above was taken from a weird angle, but the ornament actually does hang ok. I though the tassel would be essential for balance, but I could've left off a tail altogether. The beads look a little... well... I don't know. They look kind of dorky. They have a nice gleamy sparkle to them that goes with the goldwork, but perhaps I should've left them off?

Overall, though, I was pleased with the final result, though I do think I'm going to have to make a concerted effort this coming year to polish up my finishing skills!

I hope the recipient likes it!

If you haven't signed up for this month's stash give-away, you might want to take a look at it. I've giving away two spools of Gilt Sylke Twist, along with a few other little goodies (not pictured!). The deadline for that is next Wednesday morning, December 10th. If you want to enter, please read the original post!

Labels: Christmas, finish work, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, December 07, 2008
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I've been doing this monthly embroidery stash give-away for 12 months now, and it's kind of fun - I'm thinking about making it a regular feature, rather than a yearly resolution! On top of the monthly stash give-aways, I've sent out many books this year to stitchers and crafters around the globe. Now, I'm giving away two of my favorite things. Perhaps to some of you, this will seem rather limited, in comparison to previous stash contests --- I assure, it's not! The pain of separation is already acute!

The month's give-away is geared towards those who love embroidery, whether you're at the beginner, intermediate, or advanced level. For the beginner, though, the prize requires you to take your embroidery to another level. That is, go beyond "craft." Move towards art. If you have fallen in love with embroidery, then you probably want to take your needlework a bit beyond basic. To do this, materials make all the difference. And, in embroidery, the primary material used is thread.

So I'm giving you some thread in this give-away, but not just any thread.

Gilt Sylke Twist is a relatively "new" thread on the market, brought about by the folks at Plimoth Plantation who are recreating a 17th-century embroidered lady's jacket. If you haven't read about this project, you may wish to visit the Plimoth Plantation blog, The Embroiderers' Story, to see what's going on there. It's fascinating.

Gilt Sylke Twist is a unique thread in today's thread market. It's made up of a core of flat silk wound with a real gold wire. It's a very fine and tiny thread. And it's beautiful! It is suitable for all kinds of embroidery applications. I've worked chain stitch, satin stitch, buttonhole stitch, and others with it, and it's worked fine. So whether you are interested in historical embroidery, crazy quilting, or just regular decorative surface embroidery, you will find this thread versatile enough to suit your style of stitching.

In case you haven't seen it in use, here's my Gilt Sylke Twist Strawberry, which was my practice piece when the thread first came out:



(I blogged about this piece in detail - you can read about it, and the different uses of Gilt Sylke Twist in it - on the Completed Gilt Sylke Twist Embroidery Sample post.)

It's also rather dear, ranging in price from just short of $20 / spool (35 meteres) to about $22 / spool, depending on who's selling it. The cost of the thread may well prohibit some who would like to play with it from giving it a try. The cost certainly limits most stitchers from building a stash of this gorgeous thread.

So whether you've tried Gilt Sylke Twist and just want more, whether you've wanted to try it and simply haven't had the opportunity to purchase any, or whether you have never heard of it, but are a serious budding embroiderer, this stash give-away is for you.

I'm giving away two spools in red and green. Both are the original "redde" and green that came out when the thread first went public. This is the forest green, not the Lincoln Greene available now. I don't know if this green is available anymore. I had heard that it isn't, but that's "needlework gossip," and it may not be accurate.



In addition to these two spools, which are the feature elements of the give-away, I'll include a few other little things, typical of previous give-aways.

But I'm not going to show them to you!



Do you know why?



Because next to this thread, most other embroidery supplies look pretty mundane!

I'm gearing this give-away to stitchers who would actually use this thread seriously - who have a keen interest in embroidery as an art, and who have developed or are developing their skills beyond the basics. That's not to say that beginners can't participate! Sure you can! But if you're really not interested in this type of thread, then do leave the drawing for those who really are, so they have a better chance of winning. Thanks!

This is what you have to do to enter:

Leave a comment on THIS post (on the website, not through the e-mail newsletter), answering the following questions:

Why do you want to win this giveaway? Do you have specific plans for the thread?

PS - (added Friday Evening!) Please be sure to leave your name if you post anonymously!! Thanks!

I'll select the winner on Wednesday, December 10th, at 5:00 am CST, and announce the winner that morning here on Needle 'n Thread. The winner must then contact me to give me a mailing address. If I don't hear from the winner before Friday morning, I'll draw a new winner on Friday.

Participants are welcome from all over the globe - I don't mind international mail!

Thanks for participating!

Labels: Gilt Sylke Twist, goldwork, silk, stash contest

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, December 05, 2008
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I was going to say "finished." But then I remembered it's not finished. I did manage to finish the top of the goldwork and silk Christmas ornament yesterday - and with a sense of silly, premature exaltation, I convinced myself it was finished.

The fact of the matter is, no one would hang a Christmas ornament on a tree while it's still framed up for embroidery. In fact, I think we could safely say it isn't even a Christmas ornament yet.

I still have to assemble this piece into an ornament. That will involve stuffing and backing it (not really stuffing it, but there will be a layer or two of something in there that'll give it some fill), finishing around the edge with a cord (which I still have to make) and adding a tassel (which I still have to make) and something with which to hang it. All of this, I hope, can be accomplished in a couple hours.



Here's the whole front. Finishing off the gold passing was rather a pain. On future similar projects, I will certainly remember to couch the passing thread first before putting the pearl purl outline down. The gold passing couched with the gold (the innermost part of the border) ended up being fairly even all the way around, with the exception of one side, where I found I had to work one extra little bit of passing in to fill the space.

After I put the ornament together, I'll go over it really well with the mellore (a small silver tool used for prodding gold threads) to make sure all the threads are well situated.



I used gold spangles and a red bead in the blank spaces on the inside of the design, to add a bit of sparkle and to fill up the interior space a little bit. I love the way the gold spangles gleam. They really catch the light, but it's hard to catch that on the camera.



The spanges on the ornament are actually two different sizes, though I don't think it's obvious from far away. To fit one up in the corner above the green shapes, I had to use the smallest ones I had (I think a size 18). The corner spangles, then, are pretty small. All the other spangles are a size 14.

I'm going to try to finish this up today, if all goes well. I was supposed to film video stitches today, but two things prevent me: a dark, dismal day (I need sunlight to get good results) and company for dinner tonight. But I should have an hour or so this afternoon that I can devote to the finish work on this project. It always makes me nervous when I cut the piece from the frame, so keep your fingers crossed that all goes well!

Enjoy your Saturday!

Labels: Christmas, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, November 29, 2008
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Among a few of the new treasures I picked out when purchasing (or binging on, if you want to call it that!) embroidery supplies a couple weeks ago were these little packets of silk buttonhole twist.

Silk buttonhole twist looks like a perfect thread for "fun" embroidery. It's the kind of stuff that I know I will like using on projects like my felt needlebook. I purchased these particular packets for an upcoming venture in crazy quilting, and, in general, just to add to my stash and to use when the mood strikes.



This particular brand comes on cards, in 20 meter lengths. The colors are nice, aren't they? They look a bit better and brighter in person, and when you see the threads up close - when you can see the twist - you might even tend to say "oooooo" and "aaaaaah," like a kid in a candy shop window!



I haven't tried stitching with these yet. Size-wise, they look like they might be equivalent to a #8 pearl cotton, or somewhere between a #8 and a #12.



I think these four colors may work pretty nicely together on a Christmas project that I have in mind, too.

The thread reminds me of a smaller, tighter Trebizond (twisted in the other direction), or a little bit thicker Soie Perlee. It looks like the kind of thread that I'd like to have every single color of!! (But then, come to think of it - well. Is there any thread I wouldn't like to have every single color of?)

Have you stitched with silk buttonhole twist? If so, what techniques do you use it for? Do you like it? I'd love to hear what others have to say about this particular thread - and I'm eager to try it myself! I'll let you know what I think of it when I do!

Labels: pictures, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, November 20, 2008
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I've been somewhat short on TIME this weekend, but even if you are, too, you'll probably find the following (brief) online exhibit of a gorgeous piece of historical ecclesiastical needlework awe-inspiring...

This cope is one of the vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece, housed in a museum in Vienna. This particular cope is called the Mantle of the Virgin, about which I wrote a wee little bit a while back.

This vestment is worked in Or Nue - silk over gold threads. The great thing about this online "exhibit" of the Mantle of the Virgin is that you can zoom in on the various sections of the cope.



Check out the folds in the sleeve - and the pearls on the pillar! It's really something else to be able to see these relatively upclose. Of course, I'd rather see the piece in person - but in the meantime, I suppose I'll settle for this way of viewing the vestment!

Thanks, MC, for the link!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, needlework websites, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, November 15, 2008
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Here's a very quick update on my embroidered Christmas ornament in goldwork and silk!

I had to change my mind on one idea because I was short on the metal thread I wanted to use - I'm running short on check purl... you'll see what I mean...



The area between the green and gold twist and the pearl purl (the inside area of the border) was the problem. I wanted to cover the yellow felt there with check purl, like the middle diamond shape. Unfortunately, I didn't think I'd have enough to get around the whole edge, so I reverted back to the idea of the passing thread couched in gold.



I think the gold passing thread couched with the gold silk gives the ornament a nice beveled look, but I really wanted a few more sparkly areas on the ornament. The other disadvantage is that I had already couched the pearl purl - the one wrapped in green silk and the one that lines the inside of the square. It's not the normal order to use when couching passing thread, methinks. The green and gold pearl would've been ok, but having the other edge of pearl purl makes it quite difficult to couch the passing thread. I'm going to have to sink some threads.



You know, I think I might be back to that dilemma - do I want it on point, or square? Oh - don't worry - we won't start that again! It's funny how different it looks in photos. I don't see it from far away when I'm working on it, and can't really get an eye for it, but when I see it in photos, I think I can be a bit more objective.

Maybe. Can we ever really be objective about our own work?

Labels: Christmas, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, November 14, 2008
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The Antique Pattern Library is a real gem of a site when it comes to free online needlework books - it's an on-going effort of many to preserve old needlework books that are in the public domain. If you haven't visited the Antique Pattern Library lately, you might want to take a look at some of their new offerings, some of which I wanted to highlight here.

The books I'm looking at today are compiled by M. Heminway & Sons Silk Company. They're collections of needlework patterns and color plates. In the first book, A Treatise on Embroidery with Twenty Color Illustrations from Original Models. Art Needlework Series No. 8., published in 1910, you'll find in the first PDF a run-down on embroidery in general, with stitch instructions and so forth.



As you move through the four PDF files that make up the whole book, you'll come across patterns for a variety of heirloom-type embroidery projects, as well as some gorgeous color plates of exquisite embroidery.



I love, for example, this box of strawberries! Wow. You'll find instruction on working these projects, too, though the color instructions are directed towards Heminway silks, which can't be had today.



As you continue to browse through this book in the different PDFs, you'll come across one beautiful piece of embroidery after another.

In the other book, Treatise on Embroidery, Knitting and Modern Lace Work, with color illustrations from original models. Art Needlework Series Number 6., you'll not only find some beautiful color plates, but you'll also find the patterns and color / stitch keys for the different pieces of embroidery featured in the book.



So if you've got the time, check out these PDFs. You can download them straight to your computer if you like and browse them later!

A Treatise on Embroidery with Twenty Color Illustrations from Original Models. Art Needlework Series No. 8. by M. Heminway & Sons Silk Co., in four parts:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

Treatise on Embroidery, Knitting and Modern Lace Work, with color illustrations from original models. Art Needlework Series Number 6. by M. Heminway & Sons Silk Co., in five parts:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V

You can also find them on the Catalog Listing on Antique Pattern Library (scroll down to the M's). While you're there, take time to browse all the other offerings - or at least bookmark the page so you can visit it frequently when you're in the mood for inspiration!

Thanks, Margaret, for the heads-up on these discoveries!

Labels: needlepainting, online needlework books, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, November 11, 2008
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It's been a while since I've mentioned progress on my silk and goldwork hand-embroidered Christmas ornament! Don't worry - this isn't an example of one of those projects that went to pot shortly after take-off! Sometimes, that happens, and often, when I make a mistake, I'll have a hard time really getting back into a project. But the minor mistakes I've made on this little project have all been pretty positive, so I've been chugging along on it still. Here are some photos for you...

Last time we touched upon the embroidered Christmas ornament, I was not liking (and then I was liking) the orientation of the center design, especially the red satin-stitched areas with the lattice work on them. Many good people gave my heaps of great suggestions on how to improve it. I think, before all is over, I will take up the suggestion of changing the orientation of the lattice work.

At this point, I'm just pluggin along on the couching around the outside edge. I'm using #5 gold passing (2%), and working around in a bricking pattern, using shades of a cranberry red silk.



The most tedious part of the ornament so far has been this outside edge. Oh, woe is me. Never, ever start a project without enough of the needed supplies on hand. My original intention was to work this entirely from stash, and so far, I have been able to keep that resolution! But it's been hard! I'm taking every tiny measure I can think of to conserve thread as I go, including not carrying to the next area of the same shade. I'm using tiny stitches to anchor each piece of thread... and it's getting... really.... t-e-d-i-o-u-s.



This is a very wobbly looking corner. Dang.



The other way I managed to stretch my thread stash in these colors was actually to use more shades than I intended. Originally, I was going to use two shades of this silk, but as I ran out of the darkest shade, I moved to one shade lighter. Then, as the second darkest shade started dwindling, I moved to one shade even lighter, and used less of the dark shade. So I'm ending up, in all, using four shades of cranberry, which may actually end up being five shades by the time I'm finished!



The bricking goes from dark and close together in the corners to lighter and farther apart towards the middle stretch on each side. Some of my bricking isn't perfect. Oh, wait. Most of my bricking isn't perfect!! But don't try to talk me into taking it out.... Please....



I think I have about three more double lines of couching to do to fill this area. Here's hoping the thread lasts. If it doesn't, I'll come up with "something," though I haven't the foggiest idea what.

My plan is to continue with the gold passing, even on the yellow felt (we'll see - I'm having second thoughts), but to couch that in gold thread so that the gold looks brighter. I would divide the two areas of passing with a wrapped pearl purl (a new technique I learned when working on the goldwork pomegranate), which I would like to sit up above the passing area a bit, so I'll work that on top of the lines, I think.

Then, there's chipwork to add still, and sequins and beads and then I'll think about the back. But right now... I gotta get that edge finished!!!

You'd think, knowing that I have to get that edge finished, I'd just go finish that edge, right? Right!

Wrong. Right now, I'm heading to the studio to lay out some designs for towels-turned-tea-cloths-and-basket-liners that I'm making as Christmas gifts. One design I'm going to use is this corner embroidery pattern of leaves and flowers that I'm going to blow up to make about a 3" or 4" deep edge. That'll be fun. The other design I want to work on today I'm adapting from a book - it needs to be enlarged and repeated and elaborated upon. I hope to be able to share it with you, once I figure it out! It's kind of "folky" in an Italian-pottery sort of way.

That's what I'm up to - the rest of the world seems rather quiet. What are YOU up to these days as far as needlework goes? Are you preparing holiday projects? Doing any finish work? Just having fun with your needle and thread? If you've got pictures online - on a blog or flickr or whathaveyou - feel free to post a link to your current project and tell us something about it!

Labels: Christmas, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, November 05, 2008
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I love it when a plan comes together! Guess what I picked up from the framer yesterday? I'm very excited! It's the goldwork & silk pomegranate that I've only written about in bits and pieces. Still, I'm just so thrilled with it, that I must show you a picture of sorts!

I'm still bound by the fact that this project hasn't been published yet, so I can't show you the full finished piece. But I'm so darned excited that the framing came out so well that I can't help giving you another snippet of this goldwork and silk pomegranate designed by Margaret Cobleigh.

Do you ever take your work to the framers and just flounder on choices? Sometimes, I know exactly what I want and it all comes together in a matter of seconds. But other times, I take forever to decide, and then I leave with a kind of buyer's remorse, certain that the choices were all wrong.

But this came together quite well. I went for a triple mat and I framed the piece under glass. The frame is a nice frame. It's black and smooth and clean, but it has tiny veins of gold working through it. You can't really see the gold in the photo, though... but it's there - it's subtle, just "enough" to really tie into the pomegranate piece.



The inside mat next to the embroidery is a perfect shade of green to go with the leaves. I like having a dark outline around a piece, especially when the fabric is lighter. The middle mat is gold. The top mat is a fabric mat in a deep cranberry-ish red, matching the pomegranate. It's linen-like in texture.

I really was a bit nervous about the choices on this one, but I was pleased as punch when I picked the piece up. It's a wedding gift for my niece (less than two weeks away!), so I'm glad the frame job came out so well!

After picking up the project, I had to duck into the grocery store. Right in front of me as I headed towards the produce section was, ironically, a magnificent display of pomegranates. Oh, yes! I found one with the crown still intact, and brought it home to celebrate.

Don't they just look swell together?!

Labels: finish work, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, November 02, 2008
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Anne sent along the following little masterpiece that she embroidered - it's an icon in a modern style, worked with Japanese techniques. Take a look...

The original picture that inspired Anne's embroidery is found in the John Paul II Center. The icon is a modern rendition of the Good Shepherd. The bold lines and bold colors are really enhanced by the techniques used in stitching. In fact, I can't imagine the picture painted. The embroidery just "fits" it, if you know what I mean.



Here, the piece is still mounted on the frame. The colors are so vibrant, aren't they? I love the red and the blue background.



Here, you can see the work a little closer. The two stitched elements that really grab me are the red robe (the honeycomb stitching in flat silk) and the wool on the lamb. Now, I would try to explain how the wool is done, but the truth is, although Anne described the process to me, I can't figure it out yet because I haven't had the opportunity to play with it. But I want to! I love that wool. While you're looking at it, check out the expression on the lamb - startled, to say the least. He's caught!



And here's the piece, in a very nice frame job.

The piece is certainly brilliantly stitched, isn't it? The stitching is so precise, the bold lines are so perfectly caught, and the colors are so vibrant - overall, a pleasing combination of technique and color.

Thank you so much, Anne, for sending along the photos!

If you have a project you want to show us, do feel free to contact me, and I'll send you my e-mail address so you can send pictures of your masterpiece along. Personally, I like seeing what others are doing out there in the needlework world, and it sure serves as inspiration for the rest of us!

Labels: needlework pictures, pictures, readers embroidery, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, October 21, 2008
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After considering the hanging direction of my Christmas ornament, I finally realized I wouldn't know for sure whether it would look better square or on point until I finished the green shading. So I finished the green shading, and started the goldwork, then made one of those Moaner Mistakes...

My original concept for this ornament, as mentioned before, was to hand embroider a diamond-shaped Christmas ornament that would hang from the tip of the diamond, and be finished at the base with a tassel. You can see the original drawing of the pattern in the post where I was musing over different projects in planning stages.

Though I didn't plan much beyond the initial design, I had in mind an ornament that would combine silk shading and goldwork.

Thinking Through the Embroidery Design

Originally, the four diamond shapes around the center of the ornament were to be silk shading in deep reds, raised on felt. But when I started, I discovered I liked satin stitch better for those. Then, once I got the satin stitch in, I found I liked the ornament turned as a square better. So I polled readers about it, asking which direction they liked better, and I think the majority said they liked the ornament hung on point - but many also agreed that the inside diamonds looked better turned. Well, it was too late to re-design the layout, so I decided to forge ahead through the green silk shading to see if it would make a difference in the look of the ornament.



Once the green was in, I was back to liking it on point, as a diamond shape overall, despite the direction of the little red diamonds within. I think it all panned out ok.

I suppose this isn't the most "professional" way to go about working up a project - this trial-and-error, not knowing where you're going for sure before you start, type approach. But I like undertaking projects this way, because there's more discovery along the way. I really had no idea how the red and greens would look together in the design. But I find I like them!

Haste Makes Waste

Once the greens were finished, I was itching to start couching on the pearl purl around the green shapes! I couldn't wait (I thought) to see what the whole effect of the gold around the green would look like!

BUT - perhaps it was the late hour... perhaps it was my overeagerness... perhaps it was mere carelessness...

I made a mistake. One of those "ooooooooh nooooooooo" mistakes. Just as it happens, you realize exactly what you've done, but it's all so quick, in such an instant, that the fact and the realization of the error all come into being at the same split second...



There it is. In trimming the gold purl pearl, my scissors grazed the edge of my satin stitching, and (I thought) cut through several threads.

In fact, it grazed the threads, and cut halfway through two of them, but not all the way through either. Still, it wouldn't do - that needed to be repaired before I could rush into the rest of the gold.



I examined from all angles, and realized the mistake wasn't really noticeable. But the problem was actually the threads - they wouldn't survive the test of time if they began Life on an Ornament already damaged. So ... on to the repairs.

Repairing the Satin Stitching

The first thing I did was carefully snip off the lattice.



Then, using the eye of the needle, I separated the threads that were damaged, to see if there was any way I could pull just one or two threads to the back, and fill in with a couple new stitches.



As I pulled the threads carefully out, though, I realized it would be a matter of complete removal.

On the top of the work, I ran my scissors carefully under all the satin stitches on this one diamond, perpendicular to the direction of the stitches, and cutting the diamond right in half.



On the back, I did the same thing, but I had to be much more careful, because I had ended and begun threads from other parts of the motif in the threads on the back of the diamond. After snipping just the red diamond threads, I carefully plucked out the satin stitching with tweezers.

Tweezers, by the way, are a necessary tool in any embroidery work basket!



I managed to get all the threads out with minimal damage to the felt. The front looked ok, but...



... the back was a Whole Nuther Question!

These were the threads that were anchored in the back of the satin stitching, and it was important that they return to their anchored state, so I was pretty careful with them!



It didn't take too long to satin stitch the diamond again.



Once I got the lattice back onto the diamond, I charged into couching the rest of the pearl purl. Once the gold outline was on, I was sold again on the notion of the diamond shaped ornament!



I love the look of the gold with these colors of silk!

A Lesson for Hand Embroiderers All

What have I learned so far on this project?

1. Don't try to make decisions on a design until you get it to the point where you can really "see" it.

2. Haste makes waste. I was dying to get to the next step of the project, and, because I wasn't as careful as I should have been, I had to pick part of the stitching out and start over again, using up valuable thread and valuable time. Take things slowly and pay attention to detail - in the long run, it'll save you time!

3. But - everyone makes mistakes. As Shakespeare put it, "Roses have thorns, silver fountains mud. Clouds and eclipses stain both moon and sun, and loathsome canker lives in sweetest bud. All men make faults..." At some point, we all have to take out stitches! So instead of dreading taking out the stitches - or allowing a mistake to hault us in our tracks so that we don't go back to the project (that's hard to overcome - I find I'm always put off a project when I make a major mistake!), consider the picking out just part of the project. Picking out is, in a sense, an integral part of embroidery - at some point, even the best needleworkers pick out their stitches and re-do. It's all part of the process... and mistakes are part of being human.

Heh heh. That's the philosophical me - but don't think that, at the time, it didn't irk the heck out of me!



NOW - what do you think about the diamond / square question at this point? Do you think the diamond works better overall now? What's your take?

Labels: Christmas, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, October 19, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, October 18, 2008
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I have two needlework projects in various stages of planning right now. One is a Christmas ornament and the other is the Long and Short Stitch sampler. Let me show you what I'm doing, discuss a bit about designing, and then tell you where I'm going next.

If you're like me, designing your own needlework project is a bittersweet sort of adventure. The sweet side is the satisfaction - it's nice to design and execute your own work, from scratch to finish.

The bitter side is that it can be somewhat intimidating. First, there's the question of "What"? I often suffer from writer's block at the designing table. That's why I think it's a good idea to doodle, and even to keep track of your doodling in a sketchbook or journal. Before doodling, you might want to get the juices flowing. You can flip open books and take some inspiration from what you see, or you can go outside and see what's weird and wonderful in Nature. Somehow, you want the juices to flow, but at some point, you have to get it down on paper.

If you were taking a writing course, you'd be told to "brainstorm" or "list" - just plain start writing down anything that comes to mind, in order to get ideas out. For designing a project, the equivalent is doodling. Start doodling.

Once you have an idea, there are other intimidating factors to designing your own piece of needlework. There's the question of "acceptability." Sure, I like it - but will anyone else? Then there are the "professional" questions to take into consideration, too: form, order, line, color, texture - all that kind of stuff. For some people, that comes second nature. For people who are artistic, those questions may not pose a problem. For me, they do pose a problem, so I generally end up ignoring them, at least at first. My work probably suffers for that...!

If you're interested in designing your own embroidery piece, you might want to check out a helpful article titled "Taking the Fear out of Designing" by Sue Stause. I think it's a helpful, interesting, and informative article, though I probably don't do everything she suggests. (My work probably suffers for that, too...!)

I'm not a professional designer - as I've mentioned before, I'm a hobbyist, not really an "artist." I'm not formally trained for designing, drawing, color selection, and so forth. So, being the average Jane Doe when it comes to this type of thing, I just sort of work out things that I think will work out. And then I tweak and polish, just like a writer does with a rough draft.

After various doodles, this is what I've come up with for a long and short stitch sampler.



I suppose it looks a little more complicated than it is supposed to be. That's another fault of mine, when it comes to designing. I tend to go overboard instead of adhering to the KISS - Keep it Simple, Stupid - rule.
The concept was to arrange, in seven stages, different levels and approaches to long and short stitch shading, progressing from geometric shapes to natural elements, following in order of level of difficulty. The whole thing is 8" x 8", and each element is generally within the 1 - 1.5 inch range, so small enough to stitch in (hopefully) one sitting.

The next project I'm working on is a Christmas ornament. I oscillated between using someone else's design and making up my own, but the latter finally won out. This was a project that drew a blank for me for a long while. I knew the look I wanted, but couldn't figure out how I wanted it to come across. Many doodles later, I think I've settled on an idea, but I think there will be a lot more tweaking to come.



The ornament will be a combination of goldwork and silk shading. There's still a bit of tweaking to do there.

The next step on the Long and Short stitch sampler is to work on color ideas. This particular project is not really a "wing it" sort of project since I want to use it for instruction. It'll take a lot more time at the design table.

For the Christmas ornament, though, with the basic shape in place, I'm actually ready to set it up for stitching. I know that sounds rather silly, considering I haven't exactly figured out what I'm going to do where, but... that's ok. I have enough of an idea that I can wing on this small project.

Do you like to design your own embroidery projects? Or would you prefer for someone else to do the designing for you? If you do like coming up with your own designs, how do you go about doing it? What's your favorite designing medium?

Any suggestions and tips are always welcome - not just for me, but for others out there who may have that deep down desire to design, but who are too intimidated to go for it! Maybe you know something that will help the rest of us!!

Labels: Christmas, embroidery design, goldwork, needlepainting, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, October 11, 2008
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I think I mentioned in my carrot post that, among my present line-up of needlework projects, I've got a small goldwork project I'm working on as a wedding present for my niece.

I can safely mention the wedding present thing, by the way, because no one in that branch of the family would ever even think of looking at my website....! So don't worry that I'm giving away a surprise!

Back to the project...

As I mentioned before, I'm not able to blog about the whole goldwork project right now, or even show you complete pictures. But I wanted to show you a technique that I've never used before, that I learned while working on this particular project. I think the resulting look is really beautiful - perhaps you'd like to try the technique, too.



See the edge on the embroidered area there? Nice, isn't it? This is a "non-traditional" goldwork technique. I've seen it before, but never used it, and didn't really know what it was all about. But it's simple, and I think it's ever-so-pretty - but then, I'm a sucker for gold and for anything that looks like a twist!



Incidentally, I was already working on this project when the A-Z of Goldwork arrived. They describe this technique in detail in the book, and some variations on how to work it. I'm just going to cover one here.



You start with a piece of pearl purl - this is a hard metal thread wound in a tight spring. Usually, when you couch it, you couch with gold-colored couching thread, slipping the thread between the coils in the spring. Pearl purl makes a beaded-looking outline, and it's very pretty. It's also very stiff and very hard, so make sure you're using scissors assigned only to cutting metal threads! This is pearl purl #1.



Stretch the pearl purl to about twice its length. Now, pearl purl won't return to its original twist once its stretched - you can't un-stretch it. To stretch it, grasp the two outermost beads on the cut of pearl purl you're stretching, and pull with an even tension.



Here, you can see the two pieces next to each other - the original pearl purl on top, and the stretched pearl purl below it.



Then, take your floss. Here, I'm using four strands of Au Ver a Soie's Soie d'Alger. Strip the floss in the normal method and put it back together.



Leaving a length (about an inch) of floss hanging off the end, wind the floss around the stretched pearl purl, so that it tucks in between the gold. This part's actually really easy - it just slips right into where it belongs as you turn the thread. It may be tempting to just hold the pearl purl in your finger and roll it, allowing the thread to work into the grooves of the twist, but I noticed this twists up the thread quite a bit. It looks better if you do the twisting with the actual thread, not with the gold.



Continue wrapping the thread around the gold until the whole piece of wire is wrapped, and leave a tail of your floss at the end. I actually just left the whole length of floss at the end. It gave me something to hold onto while couching, so I didn't have to touch the gold much.

Couch the pearl purl / floss combo onto your project using the same thread used to wrap the coils. Use one strand. I couched at each wrap, so that the thickness and look of the wraps was even all around.

Alternately, you could use the large bundle of thread as your couching thread (or one piece of perle silk or cotton), and couch between each stretched wrap on the pearl purl. But I tried that, just for kicks. It's easy enough, but it seemed easier to me to get full coverage - a complete "look" - around the pearl purl by wrapping it first.



So - there's an easy and really pretty edge treatment for your future goldwork projects. I'm sure lots of embroiderers out there into goldwork already knew about it, but, for those that didn't - like me, you can delight in a new technique!

Don't forget that tomorrow morning, I'm drawing a winner for Trish Burr's book. If you haven't commented on that post yet and would like the opportunity to win a book on needlepainting by one of today's foremost designers in threadpainting / crewel embroidery techniques, do check out the book give-away and leave a comment answering the question posed in the post.

Labels: embroidery tips and tricks, goldwork, needlepainting, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, September 18, 2008
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Now that I finished the embroidery on "Breath of Spring," and with the busy school year underway, I want to line-up my next needlework projects so that I don't have to focus so much on set-up, and so that I always have a "carrot." You do use needlework as a carrot, don't you?

For me, needlework is absolutely a carrot - it is my inducement to get myself to perform (whether household tasks, job-related activities, whatever) so that I can embroider with a clear conscience. Basically, I do what I have to do so that I can do what I want to do. That's not to say that everything besides needlework is drudgery; on the contrary, I like my job and I like doing other necessary things that relate to normal living. I always find, though, that if I have a goal (get this done now so I can do that later), I work with more energy and focus.

Do you want to know what my carrots are right now? Well - here they are:

First, I'm working on a goldwork project - a small project that's a lot of fun so far. I'm giving it to my niece for her wedding in November. I would like to have it finished by the end of next week, which isn't impossible. I've done all the silk shading, and now it's just a matter of the goldwork.



This is a picture of part of the project. I can't blog the whole thing right now, as the project isn't really "mine." Once it's published, I'll show you my finished work and tell you about it at length. But don't you love the colors so far?



Here's a little shot showing you how a vine is narrowed using gold passing thread. The vine is originally two pairs of passing thread (gold passing thread is generally couched in pairs). Then, about halfway around, I plunged one thread (half of a pair), and then a bit later, another thread, to narrow the vine to only one pair of passing threads. I think the designer was ingenious with this little touch.

After this is finished, I'll move on to beginning my Pelican.



This is the piece that I bought the threads for on my recent shopping venture. It's painted on 18 ct. canvas and the whole thing will be worked in tent stitch. The canvas was designed and painted by Judy of Possibilities, etc. I've had it for a while, and had every intention of starting it last spring, but, amazingly enough, I never had a chance to go shopping for threads until just a few weeks ago.



I don't plan to stitch the whole piece in one sitting. (Oh, no kidding??) Actually, it's going to be an on-and-off piece, for something to stitch on now and then, between projects and whenever I'm on a needlepoint roll. I don't think I would enjoy glutting myself entirely on tent stitch for months until this is finished. I'm looking forward to working it.

My next little project is going to be BABY BOOTIES. I'm excited about this one!!!! I'm going to make a couple sets of little baby booties out of wool felt (I think I'll try some different lining ideas, though - like lining them with flannel, or, for cold weather, perhaps fleece?). They'll be embroidered, of course, and I hope they turn out cute. I've got a pattern set from McCall's (pattern #2867).



I've also found some cute patterns online. I especially like this Bitty Booties pattern from Heather Bailey Designs (PDF). You'll find it on her blog Hello My Name is Heather.

I've also been in the process of designing a really ambitious project.



It's ecclesiastical embroidery and will feature mostly silk shading and goldwork. The design is still in the works, and it's really l-a-r-g-e. I still have some sketching to do on it, like finishing the angels in the arm of the cross:



My plan is to break the design down into workable elements that will be appliqued together onto the main ground fabric. This is a whole new adventure for me - at least on this scale. I'll definitely be keeping you posted on this project's development. If I flop or just give up, you'll be the first to know!

For light work this winter, I've got a couple of Tanja Berlin's kits still - the squirrel and a bird, I think. So it's likely I'll set those up for stitching.

And between these projects, for more immediate purposes, I'd kind of like to make a stack of Christmas cards before the end of November rolls around. I'm thinking about getting some kids together - or at least a couple of my nieces - and doing a kind of group card-making session or four on Saturday afternoons.

All this is fun stuff and really exciting to me. But the reality is that, as much as I'd like to have all these projects underway with a certitude that I could finish them this winter, I know it will not be likely that I'll get them all done. Oh, the ecclesiastical piece will take years, I know. But it's nice to have stitching goals for the fall and winter months, even though I know that my real job is going to be taking the bulk of time. Still, I do plan to stitch, and stitching always makes a Really Good Carrot for me. If I do my work like a good girl, then I can settle into some serious needlework!

Is embroidery your carrot? Do you make up stitching goals for yourself? If you do, how many projects do you have on the burner? (Or at least stewing in your head?) In short, how do you go about planning and executing your stitching adventures? Maybe if we share ideas on this, we can all become more efficient with our time and our approach to our projects!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, needlepainting, needlepoint, needlework pictures, organization, personal, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, September 13, 2008
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I am so excited about the new A-Z of Goldwork with Silk Embroidery recently published by Country Bumpkin! So excited, in fact, that just thinking about it gives me goose bumps! I want to tell you all about it, and tell you what I especially like about it!

This past summer, Country Bumpkin released a new book in the A-Z needlework series: A-Z of Goldwork with Silk Embroidery. I have lots of goldwork books - lots and lots, actually - but this one catapulted itself to the top of the list with the first read-through. When I first saw it, I was infatuated with it - but after reading it thoroughly twice, I think it's True Love!



First of all, like the other books in the A-Z series, this book is full of photos - over 650 step-by-step photos on different goldwork techniques and silk embroidery techniques. The bulk of the book is goldwork, and the instructions are written and photographed in a way that makes what is a more complicated embroidery technique accessible to practically any level of embroiderer.



What I especially like in the book:

1. The section on starting and finishing: there's a thorough going-over of different techniques for applique. The book details how to work the embroidery (for example, on a linen ground) then cut it out and apply it to ground fabric. This is really helpful, especially if you're interested in historical needlework or ecclesiastical embroidery. The photo instructions clarify different ways of achieving a professional finished edge.... very, very nice! I love this section.

2. The book covers thoroughly different methods of padding - another area of great use to the historical or ecclesiastical embroiderer. Padding over card, felt, and other material (such as string) is covered thoroughly.

3. Step-by-step pictures of S-ing with purls over pailettes... and S-ing in general.

4. Clear photos (and options) for couching twists.

5. And wow - a pretty thorough section on Or Nue, with side boxes of excellent tips for mastering this exquisite technique.

6. A thorough section on goldwork filling techniques.

7. A thorough section on different ways of working with purl - including all types of fillings and different stitches that can be worked with purl.



The book is full of information besides the above points, but those are the topics in the book that I like best.

There's a section at the front of the book that covers the different types of metal threads, as well as the tools necessary for goldwork. I've found this information in other books, too, but hey - it's nice to have all the needful information in one book!

Scattered throughout the book (in true Country Bumpkin fashion) are stunning examples of goldwork - photos that will make your mouth water!



In the back of the book, there's a nice design gallery, with instructions for the various projects featured there, from a beautiful golden butterfly, to a strawberry pincushion, to the gorgeous flower border that's featured on the cover of the book. There are several other designs and projects featured here, and they all have patterns, supply lists, and instructions. It's a great section for finding a good goldwork project if you're just delving into goldwork, or for getting the inspirational juices flowing, if you want to design you own project.

There's also a nice index in the back of the book, which is always helpful.

The section on silk embroidery covers the basics of silk work as it would be combined with goldwork - so you get individual stitches (reminiscent of stitch instructions found in other Country Bumpkin publications), and you also get techniques, such as silk shading. This is just a small section of the book, though, so don't expect in-depth information on techniques like thread painting. You'd find better information on that subject, for example, in the A-Z of Thread Painting, or in Clare Hanham's Beginner's Guide to Silk Shading. Still, the section in this book is useful, and it fits, because it addresses the typical types of silk embroidery often found with goldwork.



A little glitch in the book: on pages 10 and 11 there's a little editing problem. The instructions for making a velvet board (for cutting your metal threads) are repeated under the heading "how to prepare a sling" (for plunging threads). So the sling instructions aren't there, but Country Bumpkin has posted the instructions for making a sling for plunging threads on their website, if you're looking for them.

Final analysis: Golly. I love this book. It's at the top of my Favorites List! If you're considering venturing into goldwork for the first time, this is the book to have. If you've ventured into goldwork, but want to expand your knowledge of the art, this is the book to have. If you're an expert at goldwork... ok, fine, maybe you don't need it! But... it's a pretty darned good book for reference, I think.

Where can you find it?

You can find it through Country Bumpkin, but if you're in the States, the shipping is a bit pricey. Look for it in States through Wooly Thread. I'm sure there are other local needlework shops that will carry it, too, so ask your needlework shop if they have it or can order it for you.

I think this book is a good investment, if you have even the slightest interest in this type of embroidery. If I could combine all the enthusiasm that I've ever felt for individual books all together into One Big Gush of Enthusiasm, this would be the book I'd do it for!

If you don't have it yet, get it - or put it on your Christmas list!

Labels: book review, embroidery resources, goldwork, Inspirations Magazine, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, September 11, 2008
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You'd think that, in my endeavor to reduce my embroidery stash by giving little snippets away each month in my "stash contests," I'd refrain from adding anything else to it, right? Last week I went shopping.

And I bought THREADS!! Whoooohooooooo!

But I don't consider them stash. I'll tell you why...

I define stash - needlework stash, fabric stash, crafting stash - any kind of "stash" - as those supplies that build up from years of collecting because Someday I will use them.

Stash is essential to serious hobbyists who indulge frequently in their hobbies. Stash can be a source of inspiration; it can also be a source of innumerable headaches.

"Where do I store all this?!"

"I'm running out of space!!"

"I've got to Get Organized!!!"

I bet you know what I'm talking about!

Stash is build up. It is stuff we buy that we don't need "right now," (but we might some day). It's that new silk on the market we just want to try. It's the book that catches our fancy that we might work a project from [later]. It's that gorgeous piece of fabric that would be perfect for _______ (when I get around to it). It's that little accessory that isn't entirely necessary, but gosh, wouldn't it be nice to have? It's also that leftover thread from that little project... you know, the one where you bought enough thread to wrap around Texas, just in case they ran out of that dye lot?

Stash, I think, makes the hobbyist feel secure. Isn't there a certain sense of ownership when you think of your stash? And don't you like the idea of knowing that, at a moment's notice, you can pull out something that will give you the delight of creativity in the midst of the travails of everyday life?



Oooh. Loooooook. Threeeeaaaad.

I went shopping on Saturday and I bought some threads. The bulk of these threads are not stash - they are for immediate use on a current project, and it is likely that there won't be any leftovers to add to the growing mountains in my cupboards. So you can't have any of these threads! ... yet.

When I thread shop, I'm at a huge disadvantage, and I think a lot of readers have this same problem. For specialty embroidery supplies, most of my shopping is done online. I can't see the threads or feel the fabric. Colors are rarely accurate when seen through a monitor. Thread weight, size, twist, sheen - these are things you can't determine while sitting at your desk staring at a screen. So when I do venture the two hours one way to the closest needlework shop, I take my time and sort out threads, matching them to my fabrics and project design. But I also end up buying threads that I "hope" are what I want for the project at hand, because at least with these threads, I've felt them.



The time I spend in the shop may get annoying for shop owners (I would hope not, because I also spend a lot of money in their shops!), but it is really important to me in those circumstances to spend the time well, to make sure I get what I need, and not to feel pressured into buying the wrong stuff.



Sometimes, I buy one color of two different types of threads (like I did with the blue you see above). I take both home and try the different choices, actually stitching them on my project or on a scrap. I pick the one I like best and then I place the order online....

And that brings me back to stash. Guess where the thread that didn't work ends up?

Eventually, I will show you this project. I think there's only one person out there in Needlework Land who could guess exactly what project these threads are for - and I don't know if she's reading this!

Oh, yes. Before I forget. I did buy some other stuff. You know, they had this silk I just had to try.... and one of those pretty magnets that I just knew I'd use... someday. Oh, and that Ever-tite frame. Not the one for any particular project - you know, the one for just in case?

Labels: canvas stitches, needlepoint, pictures, silk, threads, wool

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, August 28, 2008
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Despite wear and tear, this is a gorgeous piece of ecclesiastical needlework. In fact, most of the wear and tear, from a distance, isn't noticeable - but when you look closely at the piece, you realize that there are parts that really need attention if it is to continue in use.

Christiana has undertaken the formidable task of repairing this cope hood so that it can be used again. I thought I'd show you some photos she sent along. I never tire of studying this type of work up close - the details always amaze me!

So this is a hand-embroidered element mounted on the back of the hood of a cope, which is a garment (like a cape) used in liturgical ceremonies. The image on the back of the cope is a representation of the Trinity - God the Father, the Holy Ghost (the Dove), and God the Son (the Lamb of God, or Agnus Dei).



Here's a view of the whole piece of embroidery.



This is a close up on the face. I love examining faces. Look at the difference between the face from far away (in the first photo above) and the face close up. Who would've ever guessed there was a red line down the side of the nose and above the eyes?



Here's a close-up on the crown and nimbus. It looks like the goldwork here is in very good repair, as you can see in the photo below:



But as you travel downwards in the design, the need of repair becomes more obvious, as seen below:



You can see the loose gold threads around the feet of the lamb, and the red cording hanging down (visible in the first picture above as well). You can also see in this photo - if you look in the colored folds of the garment - that some of the line stitching is loose there.



Here's the face of the lamb up close. I have to agree with Christiana - I love the way they did the wool! You can see on the left side of the nimbus (halo) one of the threads tweaking off.



And I think this is great! This is Christiana's set-up for repairing the cope hood. First, she had to separate the hood from the lining, picking out by hand all the little stitches in the fabric around the hood (which is cloth of gold - not an easy task!). Then she had to contrive a way to mount the piece so that she had both hands free to work, without mounting it in anything that would damage the fabric or the embroidered piece. She's using a frame her dad made for her, which she's wrapped in fabric to protect the cope hood and also, I imagine, it provides a bit of friction to keep the work in place. She clamped the sides of the frame together to hold the piece while she works, keeping an even tension on the piece, but not so tight that it's pulling anything that's already stitched.

By the way - yep, she's stitching through the cloth of gold on which the piece is mounted. Talk about sore fingers!!

Keep up the good work, Christiana! I can't wait to see the finished product! (I wish I could see it in person!)

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

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, August 26, 2008
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I thought I'd share with you some photos of a piece of ecclesiastical embroidery that was given to me because it is in such a poor state of repair that it can no longer be used. Despite its lack of functionality, it serves as an interesting piece for study and for ideas.

This piece is a processional canopy, once used for outdoor processions. A combination of age, use, storage, and probably some kind of weather damage have all made the canopy unusable for liturgical purposes. The embroidery and the designs on it are nice, though, and it's a good source of ideas on design and technique.



To give you an idea of what the canopy looks like overall, it's set up here over a large office table. All four of the side panels are embroidered with a round center medallion, which is surrounded by angels and lilies.



You can see here the overall design of the side panels - the center medallion, an angel kneeling on each side of it, and a branch of lilies entwining itself behind the angels and up towards the center medallion.



The piece is worked on gold colored silk, and the top edge of each panel is red silk, embroidered with wheat ears.



Around each center medallion is a grape motif embroidered in shades of gold. The Agnus Dei in this center piece is rather simple - notice that there's not a whole lot of shading. It's more or less an "outline" piece, filled in with appropriate colors to make the overall picture.



You can see some shading on the hooves and on the bottom of the belly on the lamb, and that's it. The wool is worked in Chinese knots.



This is the green side angel. The colors are very soft.



The wings are the boldest part of the angels.



Here you can see two signs of deterioration: the obvious deterioration of the fabric, and the lack of stitching in the hands, which are fading away somewhat!



The faces of the angels (and the hands) were painted apparently, and then lightly stitched over at the chin line and hair line. The hair is worked in split stitch.



On the left side of this panel, the pink angel (with surrounding fabric) is in much better shape.



The halo (or "nimbus") is worked in very long straight stitches, somewhat far apart. The whole halo is lined with two layers of cording, the inside one in a coral color and the outside one much darker in brown. This contrast on the outside of the piece makes the whole image more visible from a distance.



One of the lilies on the vine - with a good indication of the poor state of the ground fabric.



As far as images worked on the piece, this one is in the worst state. The thread is wasted away, and the whole image looks as if it is washing away. The overall shading of the image is very nice, though, with the lighter inside area, rather than seeing it embroidered solidly in red.



The lettering around the outside is embroidered in satin stitch.



The lilies are not stiff and formal, but rather loosely conceived. They remind me more of the tiger lily than a regular lily, except in their color.



The lilies are outlined in a pinkish-coral color, with a very little bit of soft shading in green, and the rest of the inside is worked in white.



Each panel is topped with an edge of red silk, on which are embroidered single (large) wheat ears.



The wheat is very simply embroidered in satin stitch for the kernels, and long straight stitches for the "hairy" tips. The shaft is couched twisted cord.



Each medallion has a "frame" of grapes embroidered in shades of gold. The stitching is worked in satin stitch and a long and short stitch on the leaves that is reminiscent of crewel work. The thread used on the grapes around the medallions, on the wheat at the tops of the panels, and on the lettering around the medallions is all of a heavier stuff than the threads used on the angels and other images.



In the close-up on the lily, you can see that the embroidery doesn't actually fill the shape. Instead, long lines of long split stitches are worked in twisted silk, with spacing enough between the lines to see the ground fabric. The spacing is not there due to disrepair. It's the way it was embroidered!



The stamens on the lilies are satin stitched at the tips of the couched gold cord (which is the same gold cord used on the wheat shafts).



This is another one of the four images inside the medallions on each side of the canopy. Note the green leaf at the base of the medallion, on the left.



Here's another one of the same green leaves.

At some point in the canopy's history - before it was absolutely not usable - someone obviously tried to cover up the deteriorating fabric by adding these little embroidered leaves to the ground fabric, trying to work them into the design as best as they could. They don't really fit the design, though, as they are too bright. The leaves were probably themselves salvaged from another larger piece of ecclesiastical embroidery!

You can also see, in the lower left of the photo, that a piece of fabric was attached somehow over the original ground silk. I'm familiar with ecclesiastical fabrics available on the market today, and that particular pattern is about the least-expensive, most widely available synthetic church fabric. I don't know what the person was thinking! But I suppose it was just a desperate attempt to try to keep something that was beautiful in use for as long as possible, before it was time to shelf it completely! *Sigh*



And another shot of those leaves....

So, there's the canopy. I'm glad to have it - it's given me some good ideas for embroidery, and being able to examine it very closely has given me a little insight into the needlework and assembly techniques used on these types of pieces.

If you have any questions about anything in the pictures, don't hesitate to ask!

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

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, July 20, 2008
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Today, I suppose I shall go a little off-topic, as this item is not really related to hand embroidery. In fact, there's not an embroidery stitch on it! But fabric and embellishment with fabric fall into the same realm as hand embroidery - somehow - so I thought I'd stretch the niche a bit and show you some photos of a little treasure I came across as I was going through my mom's things this weekend. It's a menu. Really, it's a food menu.

Umpteen years ago, my Mom went to Hong Kong to see my Dad, and while they were there, they went to Gaddi's Restaurant in the Peninsula Hotel, where the menus were embellished with a fabric applique of a Chinese lady. I thought I'd show it to you for two reasons: 1. it's fabric applique; and 2. I think it's pretty!



The cover of the menu is very simple, in fact. The lady stands in the middle, adorned in her silk native-looking costume, and holding a menu. A really large turquoise tassel dangles down the left side, and a little bit of script indicates the name of the restaurant and its location.



I suppose the face is probably silk screened, but I don't know for sure, so I stand to be corrected by anyone who might know! The silver embellishment on the lapel and the gold in the hair look like some kind of foil.



The fabric of the costume is shot through with silver in a floral design, and a red cord hangs down the lady's side, arranged carefully and pinned neatly with another gold foil ornament.



Simple red script names the restaurant and location.



The inside is not quite as pretty as the outside!

I think this lovely little figure would be fun to copy, either as an embroidery pattern or as an applique. It'd probably be neat to fix it in another setting, too, combined with stitches and other embellishment.

But I don't really have the heart to take the menu apart!

Labels: embellishments, miscellaneous embroidery musings, personal, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, June 08, 2008
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Ecclesiastical embroidery is one of my favorite categories of hand embroidery - I love the combinations of goldwork and silk and shading seen in old samples of hand embroidery worked for the beautification of churches. I was cleaning out some picture files to make space on my computer, when I came across these photos and thought they would be appropriate to post today as good examples of figure embroidery, goldwork, and silk. I hope you like them!

These are two examples of different representations of the Sacred Heart, worked in gold metal threads and silk. The embroidery is perhaps not the finest ecclesiastical embroidery I've seen, but there are some notable points to both pieces.



A front view of this image does not show it off well, in my opinion, but there are elements of it that I think are really exquisite. For example, the effect of "light" around the Sacred Heart is very nice. Also, I like the gold on the robes. But the image looks better, I think, when seen from the side, which is curious.



This is the same image from the side. I think the face is more appealling from this angle.



I think the eyes are beautifully worked. Close up, they are even more impressive.



The image is set on cloth of gold, which is enhanced by a pattern worked in gold purl.



This is a different image of the Sacred Heart, and it is, in my opinion, not quite as nice as the one above. But the techniques are completely different. In the image above, the robes - in fact, the entire figure - is embroidered. In this image, the figure is made of appliqued fabric, which has been stitched over where shading is desired, to give the "look" of embroidery without the labor-intensiveness of hand embroidering the entire image.



The face on this image is solid flesh colored fabric. The shading is achieved by stitching darker flesh tones only where shading is desired. Sometimes, such pieces would actually be painted. The details of the face, for example, would be painted onto silk. The shading was then achieved primarily by the paint, and lines of stitches would be added to enhance the shading. But on this particular piece, the background of the face is flesh-colored silk which is not painted.

Anyway, I like looking at pieces like these to determine techniques and to get ideas. I hope you enjoyed seeing the photos!

Have a great weekend!

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

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, May 30, 2008
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I love receiving mail - you know, the kind that really comes in the mailbox! It's always a thrill to come home from work to find something waiting, and yesterday, I received some embroidery threads! Well, combine the whole notion of Real Live Mail with Embroidery Threads, and you can imagine how delighted I was!

Paula Hewitt sent me along a wonderful little card of samples of embroidery threads. They included threads manufactured by Colourstreams, Cascade House, and EdMar. And they're all gorgeous! Thank you, Paula!



The first thing that struck me about the Colourstreams was - strangely enough! - the colors! They are really beautiful, vibrant colors!



All the threads on the left side of the card are by Colourstreams. They have names like seascape, Marrakesh, water nymph, Monet, faded rose, nasturtium, verde, and meadow - and all the names fit!



Water nymph, for example, features tones of stunning ocean blues.



Some of the Cascade House threads are stranded silks. The stranded silks remind of YLI embroidery floss in size and twist. They are soft, with a nice sheen. There's also a Lamé silk - it's a pearl silk with a small filament of gold running through it.

The EdMar threads are a twisted rayon used often for Brazilian embroidery, but suitable for other methods as well. They have a nice sheen to them, and are characterized by the "boingy-ness" of rayon.

Colourstreams and Cascade House are produced in Australia. While Colourstreams has a few US distributors listed, Cascade House seems to be sold solely in Australia.

I haven't stitched with any of the threads yet, but I'm excited to try them! It's true, and you all know it, so I'm not ashamed to proclaim it - I have an infatuation with fibers. One of my upcoming Big Projects is to work up some photo comparisons of different threads, similar to my comparison of twisted silks and flat silks. However, one thing I'm going to do first is procure a better set-up for photographing threads up-close. I also want to provide stitch samples using the threads I compare.

I think it's nice to see a thread before buying it - and to get opinions on how well it stitches up. But really, when it gets down to it, the touch is always the sell point for me!

Thanks again, Paula, for feeding my "fiber infatuation"!

I'll keep you all posted on what I do with these! In the meantime, I hope to have some serious needle 'n thread time this evening, so I can give you an update on my current projects - a couple underway, and the initial stages of a big needlework project with a short deadline.

Labels: embroidery resources, pictures, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, May 28, 2008
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As promised, here's the rest of the embroidery project I started last Saturday.

This is an embroidered prayerbook cover I made for my niece for her First Communion, which she made on Sunday. I also posted the pattern for the embroidery, if you are interested in adding it to your pattern collection.



The bud is worked in a light and medium coral-pink. I used silk (Soie d'Alger by Au Ver a Soie) for all the embroidery, with the exception of a little bit of Gilt Sylke Twist around the cross and on the crown.



The flower is worked in three shades of purple, in long and short stitch, with French knots for the centers. (Emma picked out the general colors, by the way. "I think the flower should definitely be.... PURPLE!")



Three shades of green were used on the leaves, also worked in long and short stitch.



This is the complete cross with the flowers. I worked the vine in stem stitch - two rows, one dark and one medium. The little dots at the ends of the curls are worked in satin stitch.



The date is worked in tiny stem stitch - it's smaller than it looks here. The largest letters are about half an inch high. In order to keep your stem stitches looking neat on text this small, you need to make very small stitches, and it really helps to use a laying tool to hold the thread up and ease it in place, especially when working tricky spots like tight corners.



Here's the finished, assembled cover. It's assembled just exactly like your typical text-book covering technique: folding the long sides in, then the short sides, and slipping the cover into the sleeve that's formed. Then I used white thread to stitch the edges together, so that it fit snug on the book.



I was going to make a hand-made twisted cord out of matching floss, but I didn't have enough floss, and it was too soft, anyway. I was afraid a loop of the cord might get snagged, with would pull the whole thing out of whack. So instead, I used buttonhole stitch all the way across the top, creating a kind of stem-stitch looking line right on the outside edge.



At first, I thought buttonhole would look a bit casual, but I like the look of it. You can see the sewing on the flap. Not ... so ... neat!



And the little kiddo herself (minus her head - gosh, I wonder what I was focusing on?), in her hand-embroidered First Communion dress. Speaking of floche (well, we were a few days ago, weren't we?) the embroidery on this dress is worked in floche, with little pearls as accents. The dress has been used now by 5 girls in the family over 16 years - it's just as beautiful as ever, and the embroidery is flawless! I'll give you some close-ups later on, if you're interested.

So, there it is. Success. Now, onto other projects.... as soon as I catch up on incidentals! It's amazing how much can slip when we get engrossed in an embroidery project, isn't it?!

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

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, May 06, 2008
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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, embroidery books, goldwork, Inspirations Magazine, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, May 02, 2008
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You remember cramming for tests, right? Well, I'm cramming an embroidery project! I started this project this past Saturday, around noon. I have one week to have it finished - doable? You bet!

The project is an embroidered book cover for my niece's prayer book. She makes her First Communion this Sunday. (I'll show you her hand-embroidered dress once it's pressed and ready...) I thought I'd whip up a little book cover for her prayer book before this coming Saturday evening - after all, it's just a little book, with a little cover.

The only possible obstacle that I may have overlooked was ... the work week!?!

I started by finding a design. I could draw one - takes time - or I could flip through the designs I have. I flipped. I quickly realized I would need something long and narrow as opposed to short and wide, so I limited my looking to the overall shape of the design, and then eliminated choices from there. I needed something relatively simple that I could stitch relatively quickly, and that would appeal to my niece.



The fabric of choice - should it be white Italian silk (thick silk - satin), or linen? I settled on linen for washability. I'm using a piece of Alabaster Angel by Legacy - NICE stuff!

Then I pre-shrunk the fabric. While it was going through the stages of pre-shrinking linen, I took out graph paper and the prayer book and drew up the pattern for the cover.

I sought a piece of white cotton for a lining behind the linen, as the prayer book has a black cover, and I didn't want that to show through. I pre-shrunk the cotton as well.

Then while the fabric was drying, I transferred my embroidery design to tracing paper. I drew the design with a fine micron pen, then turned it over and traced the back of it with a pencil.

When my fabrics were almost dry, I ironed them to crisp (as in, stiff and wrinkle-free, not burnt!!). I added a couple layers of starch on the linen to make removing any pencil marks easier.

I removed a thread on each side of the linen to mark the size of the pattern (makes cutting easier and square when finished) and basted in the width of the cover of the prayer book.



I took the embroidery design (on the tracing paper), centered it up, and used a ball-point pen on the right side of the design, pressing hard enough to transfer the pencil lines on the back of the design onto the fabric. It worked perfectly. Then I took an extra-fine (.005) micron art pen, and drew in the lines on the linen with the pen.

I framed up both the lining and the linen - but I didn't frame it super-tight. Just enough to give a little tension without pulling on the linen.



I picked out my colors - the cross and crown will be gold, the vines green, the flower will be a range of purple, and the bud will be a light and medium shade of salmon-pink.



And then I started stitching. I had a good chunk of time on Saturday evening to stitch (it took me a couple hours to get the project set up), a little bit of time on Sunday afternoon, and a few hours late Sunday night. I managed a little stitching on Monday evening, and a couple hours on Tuesday. The picture below shows progress through Sunday afternoon (a few hours of stitching).



Will I finish before Saturday? I do believe I will! Now I wish I had chosen a more complicated pattern! It's going pretty fast, actually.

I was glad to find a use for the gilt sylke twist on the project - but then I remembered I chose linen for washability. Ut oh. The GST will most likely get wet. I outlined the cross in the gold GST, which helped even up some of the lines (cheating, I know!) and I'm contemplating using it on the crown as well.

I'll keep you posted with finished pictures. I'm going to make a matching corded trim, so I'll show you how I do that. It'll either be kumihimo, or I'll just make a twisted cord by hand. And I'll try to take sensible and instructive photos on assembling the piece over the book!

Have you ever crammed a project? Do you perform better or worse when you're embroidering under pressure?

Wish me luck!

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

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, April 30, 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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My Gilt Sylke Twist playtime is rapidly coming to a close. Here, I've got pictures of the embroidered leaf to the left of the strawberry, and the main stem, which is worked in heavy chain stitch.

I've actually progressed a lot further on this little embroidery adventure, but I've fallen behind with taking pictures. The good thing is I'm almost finished. The bad thing is I haven't taken step-by-step photos of every part of the process as I planned. I need to remember to store my camera in my embroidery basket!

Anyway, I really like working the heavy chain stitch with the Gilt Sylke Twist. I think the stitch and the thread go together perfectly for creating thicker stems.

This is the main branch of the strawberry project:



I mentioned before that I re-worked the stem stitch on the original little branch running left of the strawberry down through the first leaf. Here 'tis:



The stem stitch works fine with this thread! I worked it up the middle of the leaf to the main branch, and it came out much better than the first time I worked the stem stitch with the thread.



The leaf is worked in long and short stitch, except the turn-over, which is worked in satin stitch. I'm not so keen on the leaf. I think it was a mistake to outline the whole thing in the dark green stem stitch. I wanted it to stand out a bit. Well, the turn-over's too big and thickish looking, anyway. But oh well - it was practice... and overall, I like the whole piece.

It's kind of weird to see three different-looking leaves on one stem! But I guess that's part of the fun of embroidery - you can pretty much do whatever you want!

So that's the latest on the strawberry, but I'll get some shots of the finished piece as soon as I complete that top leafy thing that doesn't look like a leaf.

As far as the blossom goes, I tried three different approaches. I did manage to take a photo of the attempt at a kind of long and short variation with the GST on the blossom - right before I clipped it out! Then I thought I'd use a padded satin stitch and work the petals in coton a broder, like you would for white work. It looked terrific - if it were on a piece of whitework, that is! It just didn't blend with the rest of the motif. So I snipped that out, too (I don't think I photographed that...) I finally settled on typical long and short stitch with regular stranded floss, in ecru and pink, with some shoots of pink GST up the center of each blossom. That turned out better! So, photos of that later!

And, finally, today is my birthday, and I got the greatest gift from my dear, darling sister.... which I will photograph and tell you about as well! Of course it's embroidery related!

I hope you all have a jolly day, and that you get a chance to spend some quality time with your needle 'n thread. I intend to!

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

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, April 08, 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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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, April 01, 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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Here's another photo of beautiful embroidery work from a reader... Thank you, Anne, for sending along this photo!

Anne has been working through the phases of Japanese Embroidery. These pansies are her Phase VII project, and now she's moving on to Phase VIII.

I think you'll agree with me that this is another stunning example of what's going on out there in the needlework world! The pansies are gorgeous, and the silk - wow, it shines!



It would be really, really hard to pick a favorite flower out of that bunch. I love the blue and white one!

Check out the edges on the flowers - although the photo isn't a close-up, you can see how perfectly smooth the edges are.

Nice job, Anne, and I'm so glad you sent the photo. Pansies are cheery flowers - perfect for this greyish day that needs a bit of sunshine!

I love seeing reader's work. It's great for inspiration, and it's also just plain nice to know that embroidery and the needle arts are still very much alive today. If you have a photo of your work, do send it along! Contact me to let me know if you have something you'd like to show the rest of us!

Labels: needlework pictures, pictures, readers embroidery, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, March 29, 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 Sunday, March 16, 2008
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Thanks to Joey, I have two snippets of the red gilt sylke twist from the Plimoth Plantation 17th century jacket project. All I can say is ---- WOW.

This embroidery thread is exquisite. I could never have been prepared for the surprise, though, when I actually saw it. It's much, much tinier than I expected! It is an absolutely fine thread, tiny, about the size of a heavy duty quilting thread. I don't know how to measure the actual size of a thread, so that's the best I can do in comparison.

The Gilt Sylke Twist is a bit stiff (because of the gold) but not super-stiff. The red is gorgeous - really beautiful. This is the thing: I wound a snippet around a little stick to see how it might look satin stitched. I think... I think it would look stunning!

Although I was taken a-back at the fineness of the thread, I have to admit that I think I like it even more, having seen it, than I did just having seen close-up photos.

Here's a shot of the Gilt Sylke Twist next to a single strand of DMC cotton, so you can get an idea of the size.



I've already got a little "savings fund" set up for purchasing some of this thread when it comes available to the general public. I'm looking forward to its release! (In case you couldn't tell!)

Labels: historical needlework, pictures, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, February 23, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, January 07, 2008
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...but not by me! If you are interested in embroidery (historical or otherwise), costuming, or textiles in general, you might enjoy looking into this fascinating project underway at Plimoth Plantation.

In November of 2006, the Colonial Wardrobe & Textiles Department at Plimoth Plantation conceived the plan to re-create a piece of 17th century clothing to display in an upcoming exhibit highlighting the "personal adornment" of folks way back in the 1600's.

The plan developed into creating, entirely by hand, a faithful reproduction of a 17th century embroidered jacket. After much research and fine-tuning, the folks at Plimoth Plantation put the plan in action, inviting embroiderers from all over to participate in the work. And what a work!

They have been faithfully blogging the process since May, 2007, and their blog, The Embroiderers' Story, is full of fascinating reading and delightful images, inspiring to anyone interested in historical needlework. It is a story, really, of seeking and discovery, driven by the motivated members of the textile department at Plimoth Plantation. To follow the progress from its beginning to now, visit the May archives of the Embroiderers' Story and scroll to the bottom of the page here. The post titled "In the Beginning" sets the stage for the rest of the story.



The pattern for the body of the embroidered jacket is the Laton Jacket, on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, which they have "cross referenced" with another jacket at the museum, item 1359-1900 (at the V&A).



The second jacket is the one from which they adapted the embroidery design. It's very pretty!



The textile department made up sample embroidery kits which were made available to embroiderers from all over, the costs of which helped finance the project. Taking the samples that were worked and sent back to them, the textile department matched up embroiderers of similar skills to work together on the jacket. The embroiderers meet at the Plimoth Plantation and work on the jacket.

Some excellent pictures of the nature and progress of the work can be found on flickr, where one of the embroiderers has posted heaps of pictures from her visit to Plimoth Plantation to work on the jacket. You can see some gorgeous close-ups of the embroidery, as well as some great shots of the whole work set-up at the Plantation.

The predominant stitch used on the jacket seems to be buttonhole filling, worked inside a foundation of reversed chain. In addition, there's a swirling motif of what looks like braid stitch worked in gold thread. A little trim of metal bobbin lace tipped with spangles adorns the jacket, and spangles speckle the whole jacket - some 2,000 of them! You can see excellent instructions in PDF files for the reversed chain and the buttonhole filling, as well as the trellis stitch, if you go through the July Archives of the blog. This is also where you'll find the bulk of the story about drawing and transferring the embroidery design to the pattern pieces - WOW. What a work!

Finding needlework supplies that are available today and similar to the ones used in the 1600's cannot be easy! The search is chronicled in The Embroiderers' Story.

The Embroiderers' Story is an exciting story, I think! It leaves the reader in awe of the coordination and work that must be going into this magnificent project! I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on the progress of the piece, and hopefully, someday, see it in person!

Labels: historical needlework, Jacobean embroidery, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, December 13, 2007
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Most of my embroidery patterns that I have used for special projects are drawn by hand on tracing paper. I just got a new toy, though (a Wacom Intuos3 tablet), and my plan is to convert some of my hand-drawn embroidery patterns into cleaner digital images. Well, I'm no graphic artist, let me tell you! But I thought I'd share my first attempt. It's not so great, but it's a neat pattern that I've used, so I even have photos of this particular one worked.

I embroidered this stole several years ago. The pattern is an adaptation of a motif on a very old vestment, part of which I sketched, altered, and then adapted to my project. I like the stylized flower / pomegranate thingy, even if my sister does insist they look like something out of Little Shop of Horrors!

Here's the pattern, worked in silk on silk. Mostly it's worked in satin stitch, although some parts are stem stitch filling. If you've meandered through my whole website, you may have already seen this! If not, you'll find links to close-ups of the rest of the flowers on the stole and to a whole image of the embroidery on the gallery page.



And here's my first attempt at drawing something on the tablet. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be! It's takes some getting used to, but it's fun, so I'll stick with it and hopefully, I'll improve with time and practice!

But, in the meantime, if you want this pattern to play with and to adapt to your own project, feel free! Right click on it to download it to your computer. You can scale it up or down in a photo editing program, or you can use a copy machine. The image is flipped, by the way. The picture above is from the right side of the stole - the pattern is drawn from the left side! I just realized that! Sorry!



For all you graphic artists out there, I can't help but admire your skills! It must take perseverence at this kind of thing to get good at it! I don't know any of the tricks for working with these kinds of images, so if anyone has any links or suggestions or anything, I'm all ears!

Have fun with the pattern!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, November 04, 2007
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If you've been keeping up with the silk work sampler I'm ever-so-slowly working on, you might want to see my latest addition, which I don't like, and which is coming out at the next opportunity!

I finished the leaf worked in split stitch (it's the one on the right) and decided to launch into the third flower.

One drawback was that the stitches were supposed to run horizontal in each petal, towards the center line down the petal to create a "voided" meeting area. Well, I figured to get the full effect of the void, if the stitches met anywhere else, you really wouldn't notice the voided line down the middle - or it would end up looking too sectioned off.

So I thought I'd just change the tones of red as I worked down the petal, creating horizontal layers of color, and forgetting about the "shape" of the color (rounded arches of color in each petal.)

And so I set about to do that, and this is the result:



I don't like it one tiny bit. If the color change were more gradual, it probably wouldn't be that bad. But in order to get a gradual color change, I'd have to split the Japanese silk and work in a few strands of the lighter shade as I worked down. Um... I've done that before, with the sky in my Agnus Dei.... it takes a bit o' time, if nothing else. I don't want this project to be frustrating, because I'm afraid if it reaches a high frustration level, no one will finish it!

The other problem is that the straight horizontal lines, when worked around the circle of the flower, would really look angular, which wouldn't really match with the rest of the sampler.

So I'm going to pick that silly looking petal out and go back to the arched color changes.

You may wonder why it's a big deal to go horizontal on this flower, when we worked the other one vertical. Well, it's a matter of seeing how the light catches on the stitches, depending on the type of stitch and the direction of stitch.

For example, you can see a difference between the two leaves - yes, they're the same colors, but they look slightly different, because the light plays off of them differently. The one on the right is worked in small split stitches while the one on the left is worked in longer long-and-short stitch.

Well, when I get around to picking the thing out and re-attempting it, I'll let you know how the alternative works. In the meantime, I seem to have contracted the Creepy Crawly Crud (sinus / bronchial stuff), so embroidery's not on my list of priorities - actually, the only thing on my list is BED!

Labels: guild, pictures, silk, silkwork sampler

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, September 10, 2007
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