Nothing highlights silk embroidery thread quite as well as a touch of gold.
When working on a project like this Art Nouveau design that I’ve been sharing with you lately, a little gold outline serves a couple purposes.
First, it brightens everything up!
Along with the sheen of the silk, this bright, liquid gleam of gold flows along with the design lines and really brightens the piece.
Just as the light plays off the silk, it does the same thing with the gold – enhancing the flow and “movement” of the piece.
We’ve already talked about how the color shifts with the silk thread.
And you can see it in the photos above – the pale blue-gray looks different from photo; the greens reflect differently, too; and the corals – they glow like burning embers, depending on the tilt of the frame in the light, the type of light source, and so forth.
The gold shifts, too, but it’s a smooth kind of glimmering movement that flows up and down the design lines, depending on lighting and the angle of viewing.
It’s quite mesmerizing.
The second thing the gold outline does is “crisp up” the outlines. It smooths all the lines out so nicely, tightening up the edges of the embroidery and giving it a very crisp, clean look.
Gold Passing Thread
We chose a single gold passing thread to use for the outlines of the floral elements on this piece.
Gold passing thread is usually found couched in pairs, as a filling. (You can see it at work in this project and in this project.)
But here, we wanted a fine, smooth outline, and I really like the way that the gold passing thread (or wire) does the job.
We’ll be adding just a touch more gold, mostly in the frame of the piece, with a couple accents in chip work.
As that develops, I’ll share the results!
The Hardest Part
Right now, I’m struggling with the hardest part of a project like this (which is intended to be a full kit, available a little later).
What’s the hardest part?
Coming up with a name for it. Any ideas?
Happy Monday!
Call it Gloria, or a touch of gold. or Glorious Spring!
I love this!! Looks very art deco to me. I’d call it “Art Deco Flowers”.
Coral and Emerald dream
Pizazz on Gold
Silk Swirl
Happy Monday Mary !
I am desperate to try this project….it hits so many buttons for me: art deco, silk threads (which I have yet to try but have started to gather for experiments), gold work (same story, something I’m dying to try!) I can promise this will not sit in my “to-do” pile, but will go straight to my hoop or frame!
Names? Golden Flow, Golden Gleam, Floral Gleam, Floral Glitter. Someone will come up with a good name!
Glimmer and Shine
Keep it Art No eau flowers and frame
Oooh it’s looking so good!! The gold outline really makes the silk colors pop! I can’t wait for the kit! ٩(•̤̀ᵕ•̤́๑)ᵒᵏᵎᵎᵎᵎ
Neu Lilies
It’s short, descriptive and a bit of a pun.
Dear Mary
What if you called it “Mesmerizing light”?
Best
Jess
Beautiful!
“The Light of Spring”
Hugs, Aubrey
So very cool. I love it. I’m hoping you’ll do a kit or have a pattern for you Patreons. I’m currently working on a variation using you cornflower pattern. Thank you for all you do to move needlework forward.
This project is beautiful and would be a wonderful learning experience if available as a kit. It would be a stretch and challenge for me but I need to do that sometimes to advance skills. This piece is both very warm and very cool with beautiful curves. I like the name Modernisme, I think the Spanish reference, or name, for Art Nouveau.
Looks lovely!
One of the hallmarks of art nouveau is the sense of movement. I think the gold really helps that. I’ve always liked to outline my embroidery elements to help define the borders. Not all projects need it, but most benefit from an outline. This looks stunning. Can’t wait to see the finish.
Using gold like this always reminds me of cloisonne (enamel work)…. Beautiful design. I AM partial to all things Art Nouveau! But, alas, I am not good at naming! A touch of gold…..
We picked a name! And you’re *kind of* on the same track as I am, Bobbi. Not quite cloisonné, but somewhat close – related slightly. The strange thing is that no one has mentioned it yet, and I’m starting to feel that it might be a bit too floofy… The term is probably not as well known as I thought it was. I guess we’ll see!!
That’s lovely! I am currently adding silver and beads to a blue Brazilian piece I did for my Master Craftsman in Surface. So I am *completely* there with you right this minute!
I love the simplicity and flow of this piece. I’m not quite sure if I’m correct that this is a rose but my first thought for a name for this is Nouveau Rose. If it’s not a rose… ?
Hi Mary, You have outdone yourself. This is gorgeous. Thank you !!! for the info about silk in your previous post and the info about gold outlines in this post. Extremely helpful.
Oh my, sorry about the one-long-sentence end of that comment. I had it separated into paragraphs and didn’t realize they wouldn’t be kept.
This is so beautiful! I absolutely love the use of gold in needlework (although I haven’t yet tried any real gold – just “metallic” threads).
I’ve been enjoying working with silk thread recently (DeVere Yarns silk mostly but I’m hoping to expand my silk treasury this year). The main difference I find compared to stranded cotton is that the silk is more “bouncy” – sort of more stretchy/slippery. But it is worth the effort because it is lovely! In terms of names, a few came to me:
Summer Jewels (because the coral red looks like rubies and the gold is related to treasure/jewel caskets/etc.). Summer Treasures (ditto). Alternatively – Meadow Jewels / Treasures. Or – Summer Brilliants (“brilliants” being a synonym for jewels).
Or – Dayspring Deco (“dayspring” meaning “sunrise, dawn” – related to the red flowers). I don’t know if any of these are good, but I hope I helped a little! I enjoy your posts very much!
Éclat d’or
This is beautiful, Mary. Sorry I don’t have a name suggestion for you 🙁
Gorgeous! I vote for the name “Morris Lilies”, in honor of the Art Nouveau designer William Morris, whose flower motifs this design reminds me of; and because the flowers look a bit like fritillaries in the lily family.
I tried to post a comment yesterday, but it didn’t go through! Anyway, what I was saying is that this is beautiful! I have been working with silks lately (mostly DeVere silk) and it is a little more challenging, but worth it. As for names, here are some ideas: Summer Jewels (because the red flowers are like glowing gems), Summer Treasures, Meadow Jewels, Summer Brilliants (“brilliants” is another one for gemstones), Dayspring Deco (“dayspring” is a word for “dawn/sunrise,” which the color of the flowers also reminds me of).
I can only come up with something silly and pun-y like “La rose en vie” (an inversion of the title of a famous song by Edith Pilaf). But the reference is a bit after the art nouveau era, and while a beautiful rose it is perhaps too stylized to be called a living rose…
Roses and Ribbons?
Floral Glory?
Festooned Floral?
Festive Floral?
Poppies and Streamers?
Popping Poppies?
Not sure what 5-petaled flower it is portraying until you do the center…..
It’s not really a poppy…. It’s just sort of generic. “Generic Floral”?? Maybe not…. LOL!