Part 1 - Opus Anglicanum:
Attached: pdf of my report on Opus Anglicanum. A late addition to my report... A sketch of King David from the Jesse Cope (front cover of the V&A book on English Medieaval Embroidery) to show split stitching pattern for creating features in medieval embroidery.
Attached: pdf of my report on Opus Anglicanum. A late addition to my report... A sketch of King David from the Jesse Cope (front cover of the V&A book on English Medieaval Embroidery) to show split stitching pattern for creating features in medieval embroidery.
Part 2 - Couching with metallic threads: Descriptions and photographs of my metallic threads samplers. Click on link to open the pdf document.
Examples of Hand and Machine Couching
Part 3 - Underside Couching: I tried underside couching with Passing Gold Thread and waxed cotton floss by hand with a silk top fabric and light weight calico backing. It was extremely fiddly to ensure the couching thread comes up and goes down in exactly the same place to allow the metallic thread to pull through to the underside. Have spent about an hour on one small line on my letter P sample (see below) I decided not to spend more time on this section. I tried a second sample with a piece of canvas on the rear of the silk, but this was no easier.
For the machine stitching samples I used a Lurex yarn in the bobbin and machine thread on top. Working with wrong side of fabric upwards, this was more successful. Straight stitch was easily achieved so I could draw some patterns onto the wrong side of the cloth to stitch around. See below for the grid pattern and the spiral I was able to use some of the pre-set decorative stitches on my machine.
Synthetic metallic threads of today are much more flexible than the pulled gold threads of the medieval period, and there is a greater variety of types, thus we don't have such a need for underside couching and can use surface couching to great effect with hand and machine stitching.
