Threads Across the Web: February 2025

Sunday, 23 February 2025

Introduction to Tudor Embroidery - Finished

The five finished samples were combined into a single display. The background was quartered with the Ecclesiastical Flower Motif, the Berkeley Grape Vine, the Goldwork Rose, and the Bacton Marigold in each of the four corners, and the Broiderers’ Crown Roses on a roundel of black velvet in the centre.

Various metallic threads were combined to conceal the joins between the fabric grounds. A flat gold was threaded into a coil of fine gold wire which was then overstretched and flattened. This was positioned and couched over the join. Different weights of lizarine were then couched along each side of the flat wire. Only a small segment of the looped wire remains visible creating a subtle effect against the flat wire.

The ribbed silk faille used for the Bacton Marigold corner was gorgeous but you only had to look at it and it frayed. This meant that I needed additional embellishments to cover the join between the faille and the velvet … and I had to stitch very gingerly to prevent further fraying.

The central roundel was treated in a different way. The flat wire was crimped and carefully coaxed around the curve. This was outlined with gilt brilliant twist – a two-ply cotton thread that is covered with a thin gilt strip.

I learned a lot on this course and it only served to heighten my interest in historical embroidery.

Happy stitching!

Sunday, 16 February 2025

Broiderers' Crown Roses

The final motif on the Tudar Embroidery Sampler uses techniques found on an extraordinary extant embroidery studied and reproduced by Cythia. It is perhaps befitting that this exquisite “crown” belongs to the Worshipful Company of Broiderers.

Cythia gave a lecture on her studies, together with detailed photographs of every aspect of the crown, and a detailed description of her reproduction. In October 2023, I was able to see both the original and the reproduction (and a second extant crown) at the Guildhall Art Gallery’s Treasures of Gold and Silver Wire exhibition.

Like the Ecclesiastical Flower Motif in the first sample, the elements are stitched onto linen that will be cut out and applied to the velvet background. They are stitched in stages, building up layers of silk and metallic threads. The first layer is a satin stitch foundation using silk.

Over this flat metallic threads are first attached perpendicular to the foundation and then secured and embellished with silk couching stitches.

On one of the flowers another layer of metallic threads, this time passing thread, is applied and couched. Variations in the couching patterns and/or using various shades of silk for the couching, creates different effects.

The elements are finished with an outline of coiled wire.

When finished, each element is glued before being cut out and applied to the background. The stems, including the central vein on the leaves, are stitched directly onto the ground.

I really enjoyed stitching these flowers and I think they are stunning! I will definitely be revisiting this style of embroidery.

Happy stitching

Sunday, 9 February 2025

Or Nué Beetle - part 2

Continuing in the vein of revisiting unfinished stories … Or Nué Beetle - part 1

My beetle would be somewhat different from Arleen’s model so I had to invent some of the elements, such as the thorax and the head. So far as I could remember, these were also enamelled on the brooch that had inspired my design. It was somewhat fiddly filling these tiny shapes with or nué but it did not take very long to complete.

The next thing I had to work out was how to make my beetle not just three-dimensional but free standing. For this, I turned to Beetle Juice by Amy Mitten for inspiration. I created a frame for the body from which the legs extended. These I covered in Hedebo stitch. I then padded the body before applying silvered leather both on top and underneath. Once I had cut the body away from the calico foundation, I covered the join with silver pearl purl.

I had to work a lot of things out to make my or nué beetle just the way I had imagined. I am really pleased with how he came out. I entered him into a local art show. When they asked what he is called, my husband immediately responded Ring, so Ringo he is!

Thanks to Arlene, Amy Mitten, and an unknown enamel artist for the inspiration.

Happy Stitching!

Sunday, 2 February 2025

Fanciful Story, Chapter Seven - I've Got You Covered

Some of the stitching on this project was challenging but I rarely find stitching daunting. I relish learning new techniques and working with new materials. The finishing process is less my forte and often takes me outside my comfort zone. I have mounted several of my embroideries for framing and am relatively comfortable with that process. Fanciful Story is a book cover which is something that I have not done before.

The first issue I encountered was that the dense stitching had shrunk my carefully measured surface area. I needed to make some small adjustments to get everything to fit.

The first step was to separate the pages from the cover of the supplied book in order to lave the embroidery around the cover in much the same way I would cover a mount board.

I needed to adjust this a couple of times to allow the covers to close around the pages (because of the shrinkage I mentioned earlier). When I was finally happy with the fit, I pasted in new end papers. For this, I used a hand-marbled paper that I had purchased several years ago. At the time, I was looking for marbled paper for a different project but I could not resist this flame marbled paper. I was very happy that the scale of the marbling and the colours were a perfect fit for this project.

Recovering the book was extremely challenging and tested my patience but, in the end, it was worth persevering.

The End.

Happy Stitching

PS: Fanciful Story is one of a series of limited-edition Heirloom Embroidered Ornaments designed and sold by Rachael Kinnison of Diamond K Folk Art.

Threads Across the Web