Artistic embroidery

Much of the ancient work used for hangings was magnificently wrought with a mixture of gold embroidery—as much of the Indian needlework is now done, especially in Japan and China. The royal palace of Jeddo has a profusion of the finest tapestry, wrought by the most curious hands, and adorned with pearls, gold, and silver, and other costly embellishments.

The Moors of Spain have been especially celebrated for their rich and beautiful decorative work; and with them originated the custom of using tapestry for curtains. Mohammed forbade his followers to imitate animals, or insects, in their ornamental work; and from this circumstance, the term Arabesque, which represents their style of decoration, was used to express all odd combinations of patterns from which human and animal forms were excluded.

Gold was introduced into these arabesques with the richest possible effect; and this style of design has never lost its popularity. It is often mixed with other patterns in colors; but the simple richness of an arabesque in black and gold cannot be excelled.

In the Middle Ages the most beautiful gold embroidery was called opus Anglicanum; and this name clung to it whether it was done in England or not. Much of this work was done in the convents, or “shee-schools,” as quaint old Fuller calls them; and besides church vestments, which will be mentioned elsewhere, very beautiful secular robes and pieces of tapestry were wrought in silk and gold.

The richest tapestry was in pieces like large flags or banners; and was a prominent decoration on all occasions of festivity or rejoicing. Ornamental needlework of all kinds was hung from the windows, or balconies, in those streets through which a pageant, or festal procession, was to pass—just as flags are suspended now; and as the houses were then built with the upper stories far overhanging the lower ones, these draperies frequently hung in rich folds to the ground. When a street was thus adorned through its whole length, and partly roofed by the floating streamers and banners above, it must have had somewhat the appearance of a suite of magnificent saloons.

The art of embroidering with gold and silver is very ancient, and these costly materials were often woven into fabrics as well; but the pure metal was then used, beaten into thin plates, and then cut into narrow slips, which were rounded with a hammer and filed to make threads or wire.

The method is exactly described in Exodus xxxix. 3, as practised by the Israelites: “And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen with cunning work.”

Old embroidered robes are mentioned made entirely of these gold threads without any linen or woolen ground. Pieces of embroidery worked with gold were called “orphreys,” from the mediæval aurifrigium or aurifrasium; and mention is made, in the reign of Edward III., of two vests of green velvet embroidered with gold, one of which was decorated with sea-sirens bearing a shield with the arms of England and Hainault. Also of a robe of velvet worked with gold; and an outer garment wrought with pelicans, images, and tabernacles of gold.

An ancient Persian carpet was of silk and cloth of gold sixty cubits square. It was intended to represent a garden; and the figures were of gold embroidery, with the colors heightened by precious stones; the ruby, the sapphire, the beryl, the topaz, and the pearl, being arranged with great skill to represent, in beautiful mosaic, trees, fruit and flowers, rivulets, fountains, and shrubs of every description.

These specimens, however, are things of the past.

MODERN WORK

of this kind is generally used in large and bold designs, where much display and extreme brilliancy are desired.

In these days, instead of the pure metal, silver, or copper wire, gilt is used. Silver threads are covered either with the pure metal, or with plated copper. The Chinese very cunningly use slips of gilt paper which they twist upon silk threads, and with which they manage to produce very beautiful effects.

MATERIALS USED.

Cord, braid, thread, bullion, spangles, beads, passing, etc., are all used in gold embroidery, and in embroidery with gold and silk.

Of these, “passing,” as it is termed, is the finest material of the kind. It is a smooth thread of an even size, and resembles a thin, metallic wire—differing from gold cord in the closeness with which the flattened wire is spirally twisted round the silk, and in being formed of only one thread.

It is used in the same way as silk, the stitch being generally satin-stitch; and the needle should be an ordinary needle with a large eye, and coarse enough to prevent the fretting of the gold as it is passed backwards and forwards through the work.

Beautiful embroidery is wrought by the Turks with “passing” on Morocco.

GOLD CORD.

This is a twist of two or more threads, which are wound around with the flattened wires in a contrary direction to that of “passing”—two, three, or four threads being used for needlework.

Cord is often employed for edging braid-work, or flat embroidery—also for working braiding-patterns. It is also used with beautiful effect as a ground for small, ornamental articles. Fine silk of the same color is best for sewing it on; and great care must be taken, in doing this, not to chip the metal surface, or the silk will show beneath and give the work a broken appearance. The needle should be held as horizontally as possible, and passed between the interstices of the cord—slightly catching up a thread or two of the material it is intended to ornament.

GOLD BRAID.

This is a kind of plaited lace, made of three or more threads. There are various qualities and makes, suited to different purposes, and great judgment is required in their selection. When it is to be used on velvet, a round, full, close make should be chosen.

It may be bought of various widths; and as a general thing, the less gold there is about it, the cheaper it is, and the more liable to tarnish. Mosaic, or copper-gilt, is the least expensive, and also the least durable.

BULLION.

This is a very rich and effective material—being made of a fine wire so exquisitely twisted, that it forms a smooth, round, elastic tube, which may be cut with scissors into the necessary lengths.

There are three kinds of bullion: rough, smooth, and checked—all of which are frequently used together in the same piece of work. When a large letter, for instance, is to be embroidered in bullion, after it is traced, the surface is raised with cotton, and the bullion cut into pieces of the proper size; then three stitches might be made with the smooth, two with the rough, and two with the checked; then, again, two with the rough and three with the smooth; this would form a kind of pattern, and add very much to the richness of the letter.

Short pieces of bullion can be introduced into patterns worked with gold thread to great advantage—two or three of them in the cup of a flower, and in various other ways. To fasten them on properly, take the stitch (the needle being threaded with gold-colored silk) lengthwise of the bullion, through the twist—this causes it to lie flat on the foundation.

Stars of every form may be made in this way: they are extremely brilliant. The centres of flowers are often formed of bullion; in that case, however, the stitch does not pass through the twist its full length, but is shorter—so that the middle of the bullion is depressed, and the extremities elevated; or the stitch may be passed through both ends of the piece of bullion, and being drawn rather tight, a slight prominence, or expansion, will be given to the middle. Either method has a beautiful effect.

SPANGLES.

These are small pieces of silver or other metal, gilt or plated—cut into various forms, though usually round—and with a hole in the centre through which the silk is passed that fastens them to the work.

It is not easy to secure them properly, and at the same time to conceal the means by which it is done. The only way to accomplish it is to bring the silk from the under side and pass it through the small hole in the centre of the spangle; the needle is next to be passed through a very small piece of bullion, and then put back through the hole again. This does away with the unsightly appearance of a thread across the spangle, and makes it more secure.

Spangles were once extensively used in decorative work, to give it richness and glitter; but now they are chiefly used to ornament fringes and tassels, and other Masonic paraphernalia. Their value depends on their brilliancy and color, and the amount of gold used in their gilding.

Spangled fans are very showy; and black satin or black tulle is a good foundation for showing them to advantage.

GOLD THREAD.

This belongs more particularly, perhaps, to “the art of sewing in golde and silke;” and “a robe of Indian silk thickly wrought with flowers of gold” was certainly a gorgeous object. Another robe was adorned with roses of gold wrought with marvellous skill, and bordered with pearls and precious stones of exceeding value.

Various materials are used as foundations for embroidery in gold thread: crape, India muslin, or some kind of silk, being usually preferred as giving the best effect, and displaying the rich devices to the greatest advantage.

The thread used should be fine and even in texture; a little care in this matter will make the work comparatively easy. Satin-stitch is the one generally used; and if the material to be embroidered is transparent, the pattern is laid under the foundation, and the outline traced in white thread.

In working a slender flower-stalk, the running thread of white should be omitted; gold thread should be run in, and then slightly sewed over with another thread of gold; this will give a spiral appearance, which is very beautiful.

In using silk with gold thread, it is best to use silk of one color—a variety of colors tending to destroy the harmony of contrast. Green and gold have always been close friends, and silk of a bright green mingled with the gold thread has a very rich effect. Gray and gold, black and gold, and many other combinations might be mentioned; but a green branch or sprigs embroidered in silk, with flowers formed of gold thread and bullion, is as pretty a one as can be made.

In working crests, however, or coats-of-arms, in which gold thread is much used, the heraldic arrangement of metals and colors must be faithfully followed. In such cases, the silk must be of as many colors as in the arms when properly emblazoned; and great care must be taken in working devices in imitation of arms, never to place a metal upon a metal, or a color upon a color.

In some very rich Indian work lately seen, the ground was of gold thread worked in spirals—the rich colors of embroidery silks laid on this made it perfectly dazzling.

India muslins are sometimes worked with a gilt or plated sheet of very thin metal cut into strips, or any shape wanted, with scissors. Tinsel is an imitation of it, and it comes in various colors.

Gold beads and gold and silver fringes are more or less used. These all vary greatly in size and quality, and are valuable according to the amount of gold used in their manufacture.

Silver thread, cord, or braid, is more likely to tarnish than gold, and is not so rich-looking. There is, besides, embroidery silk of a decidedly silver white, which produces almost the effect of silver thread or cord.