Two Women Atelier
GALLERY
BEADWORK
This technique is more than simply sewing white or coloured pearls on a piece of fabric: it is the art of embellishing an object. Whether you wish to embellish a collar, hide a defect or a seam, add a fringe to a scarf or simply create a cushion, you are limited only by your imagination and the beads at your disposal. This technique is often mixed with another one such as silk shading or goldwork.
BLACKWORK
The blackwork technique is characterized by its monochrome nature which allows to multiply the shading effect that can be achieved in two ways: the density and variety of the patterns with the thickness of the thread, which can be sewing thread, wool or embroidery thread.
Because of the sophisticated degrees of shading it offers, blackwork is popular for portraiture as well as for reproductions of etchings, pencil or ink drawings and photographic subjects.
CANVASWORK
Canvaswork is often overlooked as a creative embroidery: it is surprising how much details can be put into a piece, so almost any design can be adapted to this technique, be it a delicate landscape or a bold abstract design. Anything that will fit in the eye of a needle and through the holes of the canvas can be used, such a stranded cotton, wool, silk ribbon. There are so many different kinds of stitches that can create an incredible piece of art work.
CREWEL WORK
Although it is commonly thought as a woven tapestry, the Bayeux Tapestry is in fact the oldest surviving example of crewelwork. At the beginning, only monochrome colours were used, but it became more and more colourful. This technique reached its peak in popularity during the reign of King James VI of Scotland (King James I of England and Ireland, 1603–1625).
Only worsted wool is used in this technique on a solid fabric, often linen (the word “crewel” is derived from the English word “clew”, meaning a ball of yarn).
GOLDWORK
The impressive goldwork is embroidery with metal thread. Most civilizations used this embroidery technique on their clothing because of its warmth, its universal appeal and to emphasize their elevated status.
Metal thread work is such an intriguing part of embroidery for several reasons, not only for the allure and the glamour it evokes, but also with all its links to the cultural, political and religious aspects of society.
The type and size of metal thread chosen, the directions in which the thread is stitched, the colour of the thread used to hold the metal thread down, create a delicate shift in the way the textile reflects the light and can become more than a simple embroidery piece.
SILK SHADING
The art of silk shading dates back as far as the second century B.C. and is still very alive today. This technique known under different names such as needle painting and “English work” is basically a blend of colours and long and short stitches. Always impressive to look at, it gives us a means to reproduce subjects such as faces, animals and flowers, just like a photo would.
APPLIQUÉ
MISCELLANEOUS
