Here's the next applique-in-waiting to be attached to the robe. It's silverwork on silk gauze, dyed, and backed with linen. 3 3/4" x 2 1/4". Another rose, as you see.
Up to a few minutes ago it was mounted on a linen piece, with raised areas done by soaking with pebbles and rubber bands. It still has a linen support, and I'll whip stitch around it with silk thread to reinforce it before I attach it to wherever it ends up on the robe..
The rest of the linen will find a home somewhere I expect.
The difference between the silverwork and the goldwork is that a lot of my gold threads are real gold, given me by a goldwork teacher who could see I was serious and couldn't afford this very pricy thread. Gold doesn't tarnish so it won't change. Silver does tarnish and can't be cleaned, so the lovely stitching turns black in no time. So this thread is silver-colored only, not the real metal.
I love this little piece. I was stitching it at a stitch-in-public event and several people decided to take up, or resume, embroidery, when they saw it in progress. It's appealing.
I explained how I'd designed it and how they could too. That's surprising to folk who think of stitching as predesigned by someone other than the stitcher. You can definitely design for yourself, if you want to.
This is couching, where the metal thread lies on top of the fabric, secured by tiny stitches.
In this design I made the stitches invisible to emphasize the silver, but you can introduce color into couching threads, to shade the motif, as I did with those leaves and acorns. It's slo-mo painting with thread.
My sister, a quilter, describes it as drawing with a needle.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's it.
DeleteWhat a beautiful silver rose. You said the silver thread isn't really silver, but is the material that looks like silver ribbon actually silver? I'm guessing not, but you've got me curious. And is it a ribbon? a chain? or something else?
ReplyDeleteThe couching thread is invisible, it's silk. The silver thread you see on the surface is synthetic so it can't tarnish.
DeleteThe silver thread is a kind of metallic material wrapped around a synthetic thread core. It's flat, so as to lie well.
DeleteI always found it interesting how many different ways couching could be done, and so many different materials! This is a pretty piece and I do like the background. I just realized - you are not going to be able to wash this robe are you?
ReplyDeleteIt's an artwork, so no. It could be worn but it's not intended to function as ordinary clothing.
DeleteCouching can be done two ways -- surface, as here, and underside, which is for vestments heavily couched with gold thread, to make them flexible. It's a lovely process to work.
The silver thread rose is charming against the rosy background.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering about the wash-ability factor too so was rather relieved to hear that it's not really meant to be worn.
ReplyDeleteI was a bit surprised at the question. It hadn't occurred to me that you'd wash a jacket. Maybe dryclean or whirl in the dryer to knock off dust and lint. But I'm always glad to get questions that hadn't occurred to me.
Deleteahhhh - obviously you're not like me and manage to goober pretty much everything onto the 'continental divide'. Just sayin'
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