Fig. 248. Embroidery in flattened gold wire and purl.
Lay down as many cords as are necessary to give the design the requisite thickness, in many cases up to 8 or 10 m/m. in height, taking care to lay them closely and solidly in the centre, and graduate them down at the sides and ends. When you have finished the foundation, edge it with a thick gold cord, such as Cordonnet d’or D.M.C No. 6 and then only begin the actual embroidery, all the directions just given, applying merely to the preparatory work.
Only four of the many stitches that are already in use and might be devised are described here. For the pattern, represented in fig. [248], flattened gold or silver wire is necessary, which should be cut into pieces, long enough to be turned in at the ends so as to form a little loop through which the thread that fastens them down is passed. Over each length of gold or silver wire small lengths of purl are laid at regular intervals, close enough just to leave room for the next stitch, the pieces of one row, alternating in position with those of the preceding one.
Plaited stitch in gold purl on a cord foundation (fig. [249]).—Distribute the stitches as in the previous figure, substituting purl, for the flattened gold wire, and covering the purl with short lengths of gold thread of the same kind. All these stitches may be worked in gold and silver thread, mixed or in the one, or the other alone.
Fig. 249. Plaited stitch in gold purl on a cord foundation.
Scale stitch worked in gold thread and purl on a cord foundation (fig. [250]).—Begin by covering the whole padded surface with gold or silver thread, then sew on short lengths of purl, long enough to cover six or eight threads, 2 or 3 m/m. apart, as shown in the engraving. These stitches in dead gold purl are then surrounded by shining or crimped purl.
