Tudor and Stuart Goldwork Masterclass – Spot Sampler Progress
Heavy Chain Stitch
I’m only adding a few stitches at a time to the Spot Sampler, partly because I want to take my time, and partly because I’m rather keen on the Christus Natus Est panel at the moment and seem to spend most of my daylight stitching time on that.
I was a little disappointed with this Heavy Chain Stitch when I worked it, because it seemed rather thin and attenuated. I tried using my laying tool to keep the loops open and reduce the abrasion of the yarn, but since the laying tool is a sharply-pointed piece of metal, it presented its own hazards. I might work the other leaf of this pair in the other thread to see whether it creates a different effect.
More On The Sampler
The two stitches shown here are the Up and Down Buttonhole Stitch variations. In the alternating variation, I realise now I look at the close up, I forgot to include the “return” or straight stitch across at each level. Yet another stitch to re-do in the margins!
The bar at the top is Diagonal Half Guilloche Stitch, and it looks much tidier at the proper size, rather than in close-up!
My heavy chain was awful and I picked it out and redid it with a different weight of gold thread. I was happier with the second attempt and contemplated doing that one over again–but realized I’d probably have to restitch the leaf itself because the silk would have gotten fuzzy with a third try.
Maybe heavy chain looks better when it’s not squashed into such a narrow space?
Great stitching. I like it all!
Itis looking good but you have to stop tempting me with this sampler.
Can one still purchase real gold leaf coverd thread these days?
I used some on terracotta coloured velvet once, years ago. It looked so good.
Lovely to do a sampler like that. Silver too?
the chain stitch in the top image looks fabulous to me, especially laid on the moss green.
Your stitching continues to amaze me!
It’s the sort of piece you can easily work on little by little whilst getting on with other stuff. I agree with Karen – the heavy chain stitch looks beautiful.
[…] added a second row of cable chain stitch around his ear, and worked a single large roundel of spiral trellis stitch to embellish it. The spiral trellis is a very thread-hungry stitch – I think it used four or […]