Gosh, it’s been a year since we finished the first sample stitching on Plique-à-Jour, the embroidery kit I’m going to tell you about below.
Before the first sample project was even finished, we started ordering silk and gold threads to turn it into a kit. It was not until this past autumn that the goldwork threads arrived.
The kit has been a long time coming, but I’m happy to say, we’re ready to launch it!
Plique-á-Jour is an Art Nouveau style embroidery project worked in silk and goldwork threads on a silk ground fabric.
Plique-á-jour (“letting in daylight”) is an enameling process that was popular in the Art Nouveau period. Unlike most enamel, plique-á-jour has no backing behind it, so that light shines through the enamel, brightening it and causing it to glow and sparkle. The name of the project is meant to reflect this play of light. The silk and gold embroidery shimmers and shines and glows and sparkles as light plays across its surface.
The silk and goldwork threads in this project work beautifully together to bring the design to life.
What’s in the Kit?
With eleven full skeins of the highest quality silk and four types of fine English real metal threads – including 15 meters of gilt smooth passing thread, a yard each of gilt pearl purl and gilt fine rococo, and 18″ of gilt bright check purl – plus spangles and beads, the kit is generously supplied with all the materials for stitching the design. You will have leftovers of all the threads.
The design (approximately 5″ x 7″) is pre-transferred on a 12″ x 12″ pearl-ivory silk ground fabric, and a fine cotton batiste is supplied as a backing fabric.
Other necessities in the kit include a full spool of silk couching thread, beeswax, needles, a plunging lasso, and a full-color 29-page instructional booklet that takes you step-by-step through stitching the project.
Incidentally, the beeswax supplied in the kit is one of our “beeswax petites” that we sell in boxed sets here. This is 100% pure beeswax – specifically, it is cap wax that has been quadruple filtered, is beautifully soft and is perfect for coating threads for goldwork. (I love working with good, fragrant, soft beeswax when I’m doing goldwork – it’s such a delicious pleasure!)
Tools You’ll Need
This embroidery must be worked on a frame or in a hoop large enough to accommodate the whole design.
The fabric supplied in the kit is approximately 12″ x 12″ square. The design is pre-transferred in the center of the fabric, and it is approximately 5″ x 7″.
I used an 8″ x 10″ stretcher bar frame (I like Evertite Stretcher Bars) and a 9″ x 11″ stretcher bar frame when sample stitching. You can also use a slate frame, a scroll frame (with the sides laced), or whatever preferred frame you use for your fine embroidery projects. You can use a hoop, but it would have to be large enough to accommodate a 5″ x 7″ image, while holding a 12″ x 12″ square of fabric securely. (Personally, I’d use a frame over a hoop.)
You will also need two pairs of scissors: one pair that’s used for embroidery floss / threads, and another pair that is used exclusively for goldwork threads. This latter pair must be small and sharp, but should not be expensive. Goldwork threads are hard on scissor blades. I use these Rainbow Thread Cutters for goldwork.
Stitching Skill Level
Plique-á-Jour is suitable for intermediate stitchers and beyond. You should know how to use an embroidery frame, how to follow stitching instructions, start and end threads, and other basics of embroidery.
Determined beginners could also be capable of completing the project, if they are acquainted with embroidery basics, if they know how to set up their embroidery work on their preferred type of frame, and if they are comfortable and confident in following instructions.
The silk embroidery consists entirely of a relaxed approach (thoroughly explained) to long and short stitch worked with one strand of floss, and the goldwork is almost entirely couching.
Launch Date & Time
These kits will launch on Wednesday, March 25th, at 10:00 AM Central Daylight Time. (We’re in Kansas!)
They will be available here in the shop at that time.
There are a very limited number of kits. Because of the price point and the slow availability especially of the goldwork threads, I don’t know if we will run this kit again. This remains to be seen.
The kits are $175, which represents the retail cost of the kit supplies plus $20, which covers the instructional materials and know-how.
I believe that the quality of the materials and instruction, the skills that you will learn, the pleasure you will have in stitching the project, and the beauty of the finished piece are worth the investment in this kit!
Keep an Eye Out!
If you would like to add Plique-á-Jour to your stitching repertoire and gallery, keep an eye out on Wednesday, March 25th, at 10:00 AM Central Daylight Time, here in the shop. The listing will go “live” at that time!
See you Wednesday!
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