Gold n' Stitches

Hoppin' to it

I have finally finished writing up the instruction for my Golden Lotus design. Now that the instructions are done,  I am concentrating on the second in the lotus series – On Golden Pond.

My last post described the process of making the gilt edged detached petals for the lotus flower.  I have since started to work on the surface embroidery.

 

I statred with the foundation work, applying the lily pads of silk dupion.  They have been fused to the base silk fabric using Mistyfuse ™.  It is a very fine fusible web, ideal for working with fine fabrics.  It doesn’t stiffen the fabrics excessively and the fine structure of the web means there isn’t any telltale results left after fusing.  It is great for fusing layers of organza!

Next came the layers of felt for the lotus flower. 

As you can see, once I started applying the threads and wires,  I have jumped all over the place.  I did some initial planning on what threads and wires I would use where, but was keen to see what the overall effect would be.  Thus there are lots of bits started and unfinished.

For the smaller lily pad I have couched Gold 376 couching thread from Benton & Johnson.  This thread has gold coloured synthetic strips wound around a cotton core. It is a very pliable thread and it is easy to manipulate into the tight corners.  I have used a silk thread, Matilda’s Own Daruma Silk Colour 149, for couching.  The thread is 50 weight, not quite as fine as the YLI silk threads that are commonly used for goldwork.  The Matilda’s Own silk is made is Japan and come in 60 colours.  They are distributed by an Australian company and are readily available here.  I use them for my embroidery as well as needle turn appliqué and paper piecing for quilting.  I like them a lot – they are fine, reasonably priced and high quality.

 

Today I plan on working on two smaller lily pads that will appear above the lotus flower and finish the long and short stitches on the flower.

I am using Madeira stranded silks for the long and short stitch.  The decision to use Madeira threads was really based on the availablility of colours.  They are also quite reasonably priced.

Oh - and I have started doing some online entry level studies in Financial Services and hope to do a bit of work on my next assignment too. My embroidery seems to have been put on the back burner and I am missing it greatly but I am trying to make it of equal priority.  So much to do – so little time.  Ah well we can only but try!

Hope you all have a great day.

Goldwork Buttons

I'm back - sorry it has been so long .  Life has gotten a little more hectic since I returned to work and the weather here in Queensland is so hot & humid .  Unfortunately this isn't great weather for doing goldwork!

But I did find a little gem I thought I would share - well actually it is a couple of little gems.

I almost forgot we had them in the store where I work until I was looking for buttons the other day.

Here they are - Gold Embroidered Buttons!

The buttons are self cover shank buttons - you know,  the kind where you cover them with your own fabric.  The embroidery has been worked on black velveteen prior to covering the button.  I have had the magnifying glass out scrutinising them to see how they have been worked.  I didn't have the heart to pull them apart - the Quilters Storesells the large buttons for AU$6.10 and the small buttons for AU$3.90.  But it wasn't the cost of the buttons that stopped me from unpicking one but the thought of the minuscule amount the embroiderer was paid!

The buttons have been embroidered using super pearl purl for the surrounding circles and rough purl for the flowers.  A fine gold coloured thread was used to stitch the gold wires in place.

The silver embroidered buttons are a little more ornate in their design.  Again Super purl and rough purl have been used with the addition of beads and jewels and bright check around the blue jewel.  I really like the contrast of the silver and jewels on the black velveteen. 

The embroiderer has used the technique called 's-ing' to create an effective decorative line next to the pearl purl outer border.

I doubt that the metal wires used in these buttons is gilt or sterling silver however they have not tarnished with time.

I know one thing for sure, if I was the embroiderer paid to make these buttons I would make very little money as I am not a very fast embroiderer!  In fact I am sure it would be less expensive for me to buy the completed buttons rather than buy all of the materials to make them AND THEN sit and embroider them. 

Thank you for these little gems whoever you may be!

Awesome Stuff

I have been following Mary Corbet's progress on her scrumptious crewel work rooster project on Needle n'Thread, and while browsing the internet for goldwork inspiration came across this amazing goldwork rooster by Tanja Berlin and just had to share it with you.

This project is not for the feint-hearted, it took Tanja 48 hours to create!

The rooster is featured on her Work In Progress page. There is a series of clear photos demonstrating her progress as the rooster is worked as well as information on the threads and wires used at various stages. I love the effect created by the different textures and colours of the wires on the feathers.

There are 18 other projects on the Work In Progress page. 

 

The needle painting  projects include progressive photos of long and short stitch workings.  I found the pictures showing how Tanja divided the various elements of her the needle painting into sections and directional lines particularly insightful.

 

Wow, I'm speechless!!!!

Thankyou Tanja for sharing your exquisite workings with us.
 

Floral Glove Needlecase

I have enrolled in the Thistle Threads Online University course for the Floral Glove Needlecase.  I am so excited, I just can't wait for my goodies to arrive.

I had previously purchased a Silk Covered Purl Variety Packfrom Thistle threads thanks to a tip of from Mary Corbett at Needle n'Threads.  The sample pack contained 1 yard of multicoloured silk covered purls.  These new threads are copper wire wrapped with filament silk and then coiled over a mandrel into a purl.

I haven't used them yet but just had to have some for future use, especially when I found out they were a limited production line.  I notice that one of the colours has already sold out!

While I was ordering the purls, I browsed the Thistle Threads site and signed up for their newsletter and when the newsletter about the online classes came through I just had to sign up.

Three things appealed to me about the classes.

1. It is on-line!  I have been searching for on-line goldwork classes for ages, having emailed the UK embroiderers guild, who referred me onto Tracy Franklin but with no luck.
2. The project uses a number of threads I haven't used - lizardine and gilt bullion, threads which are rarely used in contemporary embroidery. The emphasis in the project is on the use of the gold threads and wires rather than the surface embroidery.
3. The project was inspired by 17th century professionally worked gloves of the Stuart era. I can't wait to absorb myself in this piece of history and experience the techniques used in this era.

And just in case I thought I might have missed out on anything in this project, I have also enrolled in the Tudor and Stuart Gold Master Class which incorporates 28 metal thread stitches in three projects.  This project starts in April and looks very challenging. Take a look - there is a 3 1/2 minute video which showcases the projects and gives an example of the animated stitch library.

I am really looking forward to sharing my "adventures" with you as I progress through these projects.

 

Attaching gold threads to the edge of detached stumpwork petals

I had a request to put together a tutorial for attaching gold threads to the edge of stumpwork petals.  I had mentioned this method in a previous post.  This method can be used for attaching various goldwork threads to the edge of detached petals.  In the example shown I have used gilt smooth passing thread No 6 and filled the petals with Anchor Marlitt Stranded rayon floss.

Work the detached stumpwork petals. 

The gilt passing thread is applied while the petal is still in the hoop.

Thread a no 12 crewel needle with clear monofilament thread and secure the tread at the back of the petal.  (I have used a single strand of gold tread in this example so that you can see the thread as it is being worked!) Bring the needle up through the first buttonhole stitch between the button hole beading and the covered wire edge of the petal.

 

Lay a piece of the passing thread along the buttonhole beading leaving a 2.5 cm (1”) tail.

Take the needle down over the passing thread and through the same hole where you brought the needle up.  Continue couching the passing thread in this manner every 2 mm (1/8 “).

 

When you have couched all the way around the petal secure the couching thread at the back of the petal.  Cut the passing thread, again leaving a 2.5 cm (1”) tail.

 

 Cut out the detached petal.  I like to work from the back so that I can see the stitches used to attach the gold thread.  This way I can avoid cutting any by mstake.

I just love the Kai Ultra Sharp scissors for this job.

 

 

To attach the detached petal to your main fabric, Insert a large needle e.g. yarn darner, through the main fabric at the point where you intend to position the petal.  Push the needle down until just the eye is above the fabric.  Thread the wire tail of the petal through the eye of the needle and the hole created by the needle. 

Gently pull down from the back.  Pull the needle all the way through.

Reinsert the needle into the same hole as above and thread one of the tails of passing thread into the eye and pull the needle through to the back of you work.

Repeat for the second tail.  Secure the wire and threads on the back of your work.

Happy stitching. PS sorry some of the pictures are a bit blurry - I'm a better embroiderer than I am a photographer.

On Golden Pond - Gilt Edged Detached Petals

Yesterday I decided to edge the detached waterlily petals for On Golden Pond with Gilt Pearl Purl.

Here is how it is done.

Place your selected fabric for the petals in a hoop and tighten until drum tuight.  Trace the petals onto the fabric.

Stretch a piece of No 1 Gilt Pearl Purl to 1 ½ times its original length. 

Measure the distance around the petal and cut a piece of the stretched pearl purl the same length. Cut a piece of fine gold coloured jewellery wire (I used 26 gauge wire) 5 cm or 2” longer than the pearl purl.  Now thread the jewellery wire through the hollow centre of the purl.

Leave a tail at each end of the purl.

Starting at the base of the petal lay the start of the pearl purl at the base of the petal with the wire tail extending past the base.

Couch the pearl purl around the outline of the petal, making a stitch over every second or third purl.  Remember the petals will be cut out so it is important that all of your stitches are within the outline of the petal!

When you have finished couching the outline and have returned to the base of the petal again, lay the wire tails together and take two stitches over both wires at the same time.

Now fill the petal as desired. When you have finished stitching the petals Do Not remove your work from the hoop.

Before cutting out your petals, the edges are sealed with glue.  Yes, GLUE! Choose a PVC glue that will dry clear. Most PVC glues are white in colour but dry clear so it is advisable to read the labelto check it will dry clear.  I have tried three different ones – PVC wood glue, acid free craft glue and tacky glue.  They all work equally well.  The acid free glue is preferable if you are intending to create an heirloom piece.  If you have trouble getting the acid free glue, try scrapbooking stores as they have a good variety of acid free products.

 

You will need to make the glue thinner in consistency before applying it.  Squeeze some PVC glue into a small glass jar that has a tight seal.  Add enough water to reach the consistency of pouring cream (yum, makes me think of strawberries and cream).  Seal the jar and shake well.   Once this is made up and sealed will it will last indefinitely and you will have it on hand when needed.  I find it very useful if I happen to accidently snip a thread when cutting out stumpwork pieces.

Using a fine paint brush, firstly paint the muslin around the outside edge of the petal, flattening the bristles of the brush so that they get in under the edge of the pearl purl.  If you happen to get a little on the pearl purl, don’t be too alarmed as the glue will dry clear.

Now turn the hoop over and apply the thinned glue along the row of couching threads used to couch the pearl purl.

Allow to dry and apply another 3 or 4 coats of glue, allowing each coat to dry before moving onto the next coat.

When the glue is dry, cut out the petals in the same way you would for stumpwork pieces.

Enjoy.

On Golden Pond

A couple of years ago I designed and stitched a frog on a lily pad. 

While I was quite happy with it, I always felt that it needed something more.   It needed a waterlily and a bug, maybe a dragon fly.  Also, I wasn’t 100% happy with the background fabric I chose. Also, I have learnt alot since I stitched this little fellow.

I recently finished stitching Golden Lotus, a project I designed in late 2009. This was the inspiration to redesign my frog on a lily pad.

So  to work.  I have taken design elements from both projects, tweaked them a bit  and combined them into one project  - On Golden Pond.  Thank goodness for computers and CorelDraw Graphics Suite – it makes redesigning  so much easier!

I have started on the waterlily.  I know I am working back to front, as I haven’t even traced the design onto the main fabric,  but the waterlily is the bit that has my head spinning – what technique will I use to edge the detached petals.

When I stitched the Golden Lotus I used felt padding to raise the petals up.  This time I have decided to pad the background petals of the waterlily and add detached petals for the front petals to create greater dimension for the flower.

The decision for filling the petals was easy - long and short stitch, using Madeira Stranded Silk in 3 shades of cornflower blue.  However finishing the edges took a little more consideration.

One thing I have decided is that I want to edge the petals in gold thread or wire.  In the past, I have used two different methods for edging detached elements with gold wire/thread.  The first method was on the Flying Fishclass I undertook with Avril Ambrose De Haviland. Here we used No 2 Gilt Pearl Purl.

 I also incorporated this method in my patterns - Jacobean Tulips and  Bird of Paradise, as well as these little brooches.

The second method was on the Persian Peony Tile class with Jane Nicholas. 

With this method the petals are made firstly by stitching button hole over fine covered wire to create the edge of the petal and then filling the centre of the petal as you would for conventional stumpwork detached elements.  Gold passing thread is then attached to the buttonhole edge using clear monofilament thread.

I finally decided to use the method used in the Flying Fish.  It is much quicker to stitch and gives a distinct gold outline.

Tomorrow I will show you how it is done!

New Year = New Projects

Happy new year to all.

My resolution for the year is to laugh more, stitch more and spend more time with friends and family (luckily most of my friends are also avid embroiderer’s and quilters!).

I managed to fulfil one of my holiday commitments – Finish off my Jane Nicholas project, Persian Peony Tile. 

I thoroughly enjoyed stitching this project, not just for the beauty of it but because it provided many of the elements I look for in a project i.e. new and varied techniques, the use of a variety of threads, wires and embellishments, and a challenge. 

The finished piece measures 16.5 cm (6 ½ “) by 11 cm (4 ¼ “).

Over the holidays, we had my two step daughters with us for 2 weeks, so there wasn’t much stitching going on and I was starting to feel withdrawal symptoms.

While I was stitching my Persian Tile, I was thinking about my next project and itching to get started.  And the perfect day dawned – a very wet rainy day – perfect for being indoors with needle and thread.  So today I began my new project – On Golden Pond.  But more about that tomorrow.

Before I leave this post I wanted to respond to a comment left by Carol-Anne Conway in relation to couching Or Nué style.  Thank you for the insight into the goldwork couching in Karahana.  I was very interested to read how you untwist and retwist the imitaltion jap when you turn the sharp corners.  I have not used this technique for turning or seen it mentioned in my goldwork books or come across it in any classes.  I will certainly give it a go in a future project.  Unfortunately, I don’t think this technique would be possible with the gilt passing thread as the gilt wire is very fine and very closely wound around the cotton core so it is quite stiff. As you have said, the flattened nature of the gold wrapping of the Jap makes it flexible and lends itself better to untwisting along the length of the thread.

I untwisted some of the Kreinik Imitation Jap No 7 (on the left),and gilt passing thread (centre) and placed them next to a single strand of Au Ver A Soie D’Alger (on the right).  I only included the Soie D’Alger to give an idea of the thickness of the other threads.  I hope the picture shows how these two gold threads differ in materials and thickness.

PS This piece will measure approx 7cm (2 3/4") by 15cm (6") when completed.

Or Nué - Filling the Gap

Merry Christmas to you all.  Hope you had a relaxing and safe festive season.  It was lovely to get away but I didn't get done as much as I thought I would.

The Or Nué piece has been occupying my thoughts and what little time I have been stitching.  Two of the circles have finally come together.

I couldn't wait to fill in the little gap.  The angle where the circles met was to sharp to bend and turn the passing thread so I had to dovetail the passing thread.

I started on the outside edge of the piece and worked as far into the corner as possible with the green silk.  I then cut the passing thread leaving a 2.5cm (1") tail which I took through to the back of my work.

I find it is easier to sink the thread to the back by unraveling the gold thread off the cotton core of the passing thread prior to taking it through to the back. I stop unravelling the gold thread about 2mm's from where I intend to sink the thread to make sure none of the cotton core shows through. 

Once the angle between the two circles became a little wider I then was able to bend and turn the passing thread.  The gilt passing thread is well suited to this method. It is made by by winding a flat, very thin piece of wire around a thread core in a spiral manner and produces a thread that is quite stiff and not fluid.  Consequently when it is bent it tends to hold its shape fairly well until couched in position.  A pair of tweezers with a fine point are very useful to bend and turn the passing thread.

It is quite a challenge concentrating on getting the corners right as well as creating the shape of the leaf.  As you can see by photo below, there is one stray stitch, which happened to be the last green couching stitch.  I can't live with this so will go back and "reverse stitch"(unpick) this little bit and redo it. 

 I am sure with more practice I can improve this technique.  I have been reading the posts on goldwork from Carol Anne Conway's blog Threads across the Web getting a few tips.
 Her work is exquisite  - just looking at the amazing execution of her piece titled Karahana inspires me to keep going.

 

'Tis the Season - Stocking in Goldwork

I don't usually spend alot of time making Christmas decorations - probably because they only come out once a year.  However this year I was feeling very festive and got to stitching the Golden Holly Stumpwork as well as a goldwork Christmas stocking for those very special little gifts.

Apologies for the quality of the photo - I am working on the laptop computer and working with what we have with us on holidays.

I have worked the body of the stocking on burgundy cotton velveteen with cream cotton velveteen for the band of the stocking.

When I was planning the design and choosing the threads and wires, I had to keep in mind that the piece would eventually be a soft flexible piece rather than a rigid framed embroidery.  So I chose goldwork threads that would withstand some handling and flexing.  For the scrolls I chose gilt twist and silver Jap, Pearl Purl No1 and silk thread for the flowers, plus beads and pearls and flat sequins secured with bright check chips.

I was happy with the choices of threads and wires.  However, as I used velveteen for the background fabric, I found it rather bulky when it came to attaching the band to the stocking.  As a result the band didn't sit as flat as I would hve liked.  Next time I will allow more fabric at the seams to compensate for the bulkiness.