Goldwork is one of the most prestigious and technically demanding forms of hand embroidery. The craft of embroidering with metal threads has a history stretching back thousands of years, and the techniques used today are remarkably similar to those employed in medieval workshops.
What Makes Goldwork Special
Unlike most embroidery, goldwork threads are rarely passed through the fabric. Metal threads are either too rigid, too fragile, or too valuable to be treated like regular embroidery thread. Instead, they're laid on the surface and secured with a finer couching thread.
This fundamental constraint shapes every aspect of the technique, and gives goldwork its distinctive character.
Materials
- ●*Metal Threads**: The main categories are:
- ●Passing thread: A fine metal strip wound around a core thread. Can be couched or (carefully) passed through fabric.
- ●Pearl purl: A tightly coiled wire that looks like a string of tiny beads. Couched in place.
- ●Smooth purl: A fine coiled wire, cut into short lengths and stitched like beads (called "chips").
- ●Rough purl: Like smooth purl but with a matte texture.
- ●Check thread: A faceted metal thread that catches the light.
- ●Plate: Flat metal strip, couched in geometric patterns.
- ●*Supporting Materials**:
- ●Yellow felt or card for padding (to raise the metal threads off the surface)
- ●Waxed linen thread or fine silk for couching
- ●String for high-relief padding
- ●Beeswax for strengthening the couching thread
- ●*Fabric**: Goldwork is traditionally done on silk or velvet, often backed with a firm cotton to give the metal threads something to grip.
Basic Techniques
- ●*Couching**: The foundation of goldwork. A metal thread is laid on the surface and a finer thread is brought up from below, passed over the metal thread, and returned to the back. The couching stitches can be placed in patterns — brick, basket weave, or spiral.
- ●*Cutwork (Purls)**: Lengths of purl are cut and stitched down like tiny tubes or chips. Different purls give different textures: smooth for shine, rough for matte, check for sparkle.
- ●*Padding**: Layers of felt, card, or string are applied to the fabric before the metal threads are worked over them. This raises the goldwork above the surface, creating dimension and catching more light.
- ●*Or Nué**: A specialised technique where coloured silk couching stitches over gold thread create a painted effect. Used for figurative work and considered one of the pinnacles of the embroiderer's art.
Getting Started
Goldwork requires an investment in materials and a willingness to work slowly and precisely. Begin with a small sampler that introduces couching, simple purl work, and padding over felt.
Goldwork has been at the heart of Hand & Lock's craft since 1767, from military badges and ceremonial regalia to couture. If you would like to learn with expert guidance, the School runs regular goldwork courses and webinars.