Goldwork

I've had a lovely day learning to do goldwork.  It's what adorns alter cloths and church vestments. It's very ornate with a high bling factor.  I wasn't sure this was the skill for me but I really enjoyed it and am pleased with what I've done so far.  I think I've another couple of hours work until it's finished; it's a very slow process for a beginner.

The tutor was Jane Drummond,  highly skilled in goldwork and textile conservation.  I talked to her about the possibility of incorporating goldwork into a less traditional setting and she was very enthusiastic about the ways it could be used.

Jane had worked hard putting together little kits of the materials we needed and had even stuck the silk to calico with bondaweb and traced the pattern for us.  She gave us clear instruction about how to do this for ourselves and it involves cuttlefish!

It's a good job we didn't spend time on the prep because no one finished the embroidery before the 4.00 pm deadline.

The pattern we used

After one exhausting hour

Various sorts of gold thread are laid onto the fabric and couched on, sometimes with coloured thread. 

The wonderfully named pearl purl, cord and twist , T69 and Jap no12 were a plunge into the unknown.  Talking of plunging that's the term used for forcing the gold through the fabric. It makes a quite unnerving ripping sound.





At lunchtime I had to go and buy some 3.5 reading glasses!

This is where I got to by 4.00pm

This is the finished piece.  Unfortunately when I pressed it the bondaweb went a bit bumpy. Gold work isn't  something I would pursue enthusiastically in its own right but it is another useful skill I can incorporate into my work as appropriate.