Retreat 2011 Faculty
Tricia Wilson-Nguyen
Abby Cozzens 1863 Sampler
Jacobean Silk Purl Flower
Jacobean Silk Purl Flower
Crewel: Intermediate Level
Silk purl: Copper wire silk wrapped around shaft to make spring
During the last half of the 1600’s textiles and decorative arts of the Far East influenced the English floral design aesthetic. This is reflected in a more fantastical shape to flowers seen on embroidered cushions, covers, and pictures. Often, these fantasy flowers were embroidered with an equally fantastic thread: silk covered purl. Silk covered purl starts as a copper wire that is wrapped with a filament silk to cover the wire. Then the wire is coiled around a ‘needle’ to make a spring, otherwise known as a purl. Short lengths of the silk covered purl were used to make loops or woven areas as well as couched down in lengths to fill a design area. To help define the shape, a twisted gold thread was often couched around the outline.
This 3” x 4” project includes a lily-like flower filled in with six colors of silk covered purl. Three different ways to apply silk purl will be taught to result in great relief off the surface of the fabric. The flower and its leaves are outlined in 1 ½ gilt twist, a heavy gold thread. The surrounding space is sprinkled with gilt spangles held in place with gilt check purl.
A few accents will be made with gilt sylke twist covered wire to add a bit of extra sparkle to the flower. These gilt sylke twist covered purl will be made in class by the students to better understand the structure of silk purls. Extensive photography of historical examples will be used in class to illustrate the techniques.
Garden of Eden Etui
Small box [about 6” x 4”] intended to look like a book
Tent stitch, gold and silver threads