Types of embroidery. Museum of Gold Sewing (exhibition hall of the factory "Torzhok Gold Embroiderers")

EARLY SAMPLES OF OLD RUSSIAN GOLD SEWING

K.A. Mikhailov

One of the new and status categories of finds at the Rurik settlement near Veliky Novgorod was the discovery of clusters of gold threads that once adorned the ancient Russian ceremonial costume. Collars and sometimes armlets - "handrails" of ancient Russian clothes were embroidered with gold threads or "beating" 1, adorned the liturgical vestments of the hierarchs of the Orthodox Church and the ceremonial vestments of the ancient Russian nobility. After large-scale archaeological research in the 20th century, finds of gold embroidery became a common occurrence during excavations of ancient Russian monuments. Especially often, collars embroidered with gold thread are found during work on ancient Russian burial grounds of the 21st-13th centuries. It may seem that in this series the find of 2001 was only one of many (Appendix II No. 24). The uniqueness of the Gorodishche find is related to the context of its location. Two accumulations of biti fragments were discovered in 2001 during excavations of the upper layers of an ancient moat on the southern edge of the Gorodishchensky hill, the first - in the filling of a log building. The beat was a ball of yellow metal threads not affected by corrosion. Its threads are made from strips of foil wound on an organic base, most likely silk, which has not survived to this day (Fig. 1). The thread thickness is about 0.3 mm. Accompanying finds make it possible to narrow the date of finding the find in the layer to the second half of the 12th century.2 Until now, gold embroidery has rarely been found in the urban layer, and even more so in the dated complex. It seems to me that these circumstances of the find at Gorodishche give rise to once again consider in detail the entire category of such costume decorations throughout the territory of Ancient Rus'.

In the Middle Ages, several technological methods for making gold thread were practiced. It was made from metal (silver, gold or gilded silver) foil about 0.2-0.5 mm thick or from round wire wound on an organic base (Fig. 2-3). Most often, it was wound on a dyed silk or linen thread. Such technology is typical of the early Middle Ages and is often recorded among the finds in Gnezdovo, Shestavitsa, Pskov, on the Rurik settlement and Timerevo. So far, only one unusual sample from Gnezdov stands out from this series, which demonstrates a special technique: the beat in it turned out to be made of silk thread, entwined with the serous membrane of the intestines of an animal and covered with gold amalgam. Fabrics similar in technique for making threads, according to M.V. Fekhner, come from a mound near the village. Rossava and from the tomb of Prince. Andrei Bogolyubsky in Vladimir3. The researcher believed that Spain could be the place of manufacture of such silks. However, gold threads were made in exactly the same technique in China and, apparently, in Byzantium. For example, threads made from animal intestines and covered with gold amalgam were found in the tomb of the Bulgarian king Koloyan dating back to the beginning of the 13th century. . The find from the urban layer, on the contrary, belongs to the most widespread technological group with foil wound on a silk base. Judging by the number of threads, the find may be the remains of an embroidered collar.

Gold embroidery, which adorned ancient Russian church vestments and secular ceremonial costume, has long been one of the brightest components of ancient Russian culture. Dozens of samples of ancient Russian gold embroidery are kept in the collections of Russian museums. Numerous works of researchers introduce its new samples into scientific circulation5. This fund of finds is mainly replenished by archaeologists during the research of ancient Russian necropolises. Until recently, the most detailed archaeological finds of the Old Russian period were considered in the works of M.V. Fekhner, M.A. Saburova, A.K. Elkina, M.O. Novitskaya and some others. According to M.V. Fechner in the 1970s only in the collection of the State Historical Museum there were at least 63 copies of ancient Russian ribbons and collars with gold embroidery. Subsequently, the researcher wrote about 73 fragments of gold embroidery 6. Of these, 37 came from burials in ancient Russian mounds of the 11th-13th centuries.7

golden thread

Rice. 2 Scheme of a gold thread from a round wire wound on a silk base
Rice. 3. Scheme of a gold thread made of foil wound on a silk base

According to my calculations, at the moment, at least 70 geographical points are reflected in the literature and archaeological reports, from which more than 155 samples of ancient Russian gold embroidery of the 10th-13th centuries originate. (Appendix I-II) 8. In addition to the published finds of known origin, the museum funds contain items from de-paspartized collections. For example, in the archaeological collections of the State Hermitage Museum (OAVES) there are at least 7 samples of gold embroidery; in the Chernihiv Historical Museum. V.V. Tarnovsky - at least 22 fragments; in the Department of Archaeological Funds of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine - about 18 samples of pre-Mongolian gold embroidery from archaeological excavations9. A significant part of them remained without documentation. New finds also come from modern excavations in Belgorod, Pereyaslavl-Khmelnitsky, Chernigov, Dmitrov, Veliky Novgorod. The exact number of fragments is difficult to determine, since one and the same object in museum storage can be divided into several fragments, and not all of them could be published10.

Despite the numerous finds of gold embroidery, its earliest examples remain the rarest. For a long time, such an early example of ancient Russian gold embroidery was considered to be a find from the Chernihiv “princely” burial mound Chernaya Mogila, which dates back to the second half of the 10th century. Many researchers note that fabrics decorated with gold embroidery are distributed in ancient Russian burial grounds not earlier than the turn of the 11th-12th centuries. Consequently, the sample of embroidery from the Black Grave lags behind most similar finds by almost a century. Against the background of many later samples of gold embroidery, it looks like a rare example, not related to the subsequent, ancient Russian tradition of embroidery. Is this statement correct?

In addition to 64 sites of finds of ancient Russian sewing of the late XI-XHI centuries. (Appendix II), I became aware of 15 finds of gold embroidery of the 10th century, made of foil and dart wire, round in cross section - biti, from yellow metal that did not corrode (Appendix I). To beat from white metal (silver) has not yet been taken into account by me. The earliest finds of gold threads come from burial grounds: Gnezdovo, Timerev, Chernigov, Pskov. These finds are not numerous and are associated with the circle of early, "retinue" ancient Russian burials.

For example, in the Gnezdovo burial ground, a golden thread was found in seven burial complexes. Of these, six belong to the same type of burial rite - burial chambers. For example, in a burial under mound Ts-301, archaeologists from Moscow State University discovered a fabric woven with gold threads, sewn from several pieces of silk 39-40 cm wide. Based on the characteristic weave of threads, the fabric can be attributed to the “summit” or samitum / samitum n type. In the grave, the cloth lay along with other remnants of clothing in a separate birch bark tues13. From complex No. 97, which is the result of the gathering of an SI engineer. Sergeev from several burial complexes, there are three fragments of a golden thread14. The thread is made of foil wrapped around an unpreserved organic base. Judging by their state of preservation, thread fragments can be attributed to the embroidery of a ribbon or galloon from a corpse. In the chamber from mound Ts-198, a braid was embroidered with gold thread on the headband or scarf of a buried woman1S. According to researchers, in the mound Dn-1, a gold thread decorated the braid from galloons, which were sewn onto a men's caftan with mushroom-shaped brass buttons16. There are references to the fact that fragments of a golden thread were found in the Gnezdov mounds Ol-30 and Pol-76 17. The second find of a golden thread from the cremation is associated with a large “princely” mound from the excavations of V.I. Sizov. In previous publications, traces of a gold notch on the plates of a helmet from a barrow are mentioned. Upon closer examination, the notch turned out to be fragments of a gold thread made of foil twisted into a spiral, which had already stuck to the helmet on the funeral pyre. Judging by the surviving fragment with three parallel threads about 1.5 cm long, they decorated a ribbon or lace from the upper, “ceremonial” clothing of the buried. Probably, on the funeral pyre, part of the clothing from the inventory was pressed to the helmet. As a result, a piece of embroidery stuck to the dome of the helmet and was mistaken for its ornament18. A similar find was made in Chernigov. There, sewing with gold thread decorated the clothes of a man buried in the large “princely” mound Black Grave. Judging by the excellent state of preservation of the Chernihiv cloth, it was placed in the grave on an extinct funeral pyre19.

After Gnezdovo, the most representative collection of gold embroidery is presented in five burials of the early Old Russian burial ground Timerevo. Fragments of yellow metal threads were found in the cremations from mounds Nos. 285,295,297,348,38220. In mound No. 382, ​​yellow wire was found, which was used to decorate the braid on the cuffs of the sleeves. Fragments of ornaments from the collar of outerwear made of wire wound on an organic base, as well as a round button made of the same material, come from the same burial. The wire is round in cross section, about 0.3-0.5 mm. In mound No. 385, researchers found fragments of wire that decorated the braid on the clothes of the buried. N.G. Under-shivinai M.V. Fekhner mention the finds of braids made of silk and metal threads in mounds Nos. 263-P, 422, 424 21. Silk braid with gold threads was used to decorate not only the hem of the sleeves and collars of clothes, but also the edges of women's headscarves. For example, a headdress from kurgan No. 348 was decorated with weaving from gold threads.

Probably, fragments of beati from Pskov can be attributed to the same group of early examples of ancient Russian gold embroidery. They come from burial No. 1 (74) from the Trupekhovsky excavation I. This trulo position refers to the oldest Pskov necropolis and dates back to the end of the 10th - beginning of the 11th century. Judging by the significant number of threads (yellow foil wound on an organic base) and its location on the skeleton of a buried man, a significant part of the clothing was covered with embroidery22. This is a rather rare example, since usually narrow strips of braid on the collar and sleeves were decorated with gold embroidery. Rare examples of finds of ceremonial clothes with such embroidery are associated with prestigious aristocratic burials from the chamber in Jelling (Denmark), with the burial in the Black Grave mound, the burials of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky or the Bulgarian ruler Koloyan23.

Among the early examples of gold embroidery are the remains of "brocade" - embroidery from a headscarf from Kiev burial No. 123. This burial chamber with female inhumation was found next to the walls of the Church of the Virgin of Tithes in Kiev. A necklace of carnelian and silver hollow beads with a filigree ornament, an Arabic dirham, as well as a characteristic burial rite allow us to date it to the second half - the end of the 10th century and

During the time that has passed since the publication of M.V. Fechner, the circle of finds of early samples of gold embroidery and analogies of these finds has somewhat expanded. We know that many women's and men's ancient Russian costumes in the X century. decorated with silk braid with metal threads. Most of them were silver. However, a small part of these embroideries was decorated with gold threads. Most of these threads were made of silk wrapped in thin gold foil. These early finds are associated with the cemeteries of Chernigov, Gnezdov, Timerev, Pskov and Rurik settlement. There are 15 finds in total, which date back to the 10th century.

Analogies and origins: In the early Middle Ages, the Franks were among the first in Europe to use a gold thread as a decoration for ceremonial clothes. The most famous finds of gold embroidery are associated with the royal tombs of representatives of the Merovingian royal dynasty in the cathedrals of Saint-Denis near Paris and Cologne. In them, gold embroidery was found in the burials of noble women, apparently, relatives of the royal family. In the first burial, embroidered braids adorned the cuffs of the cuffs of the silk tunic of Queen Arnegunde, in the second - the forehead part of the headscarf or the cover of the nameless girl buried in the royal tomb25. Following Merovin-i "i, one of the earliest finds of metallized braid 111 are Anglo-Saxon braids with gold threads from the 11th 6th-7th centuries. According to M. Müller-Wille 11 a number of other researchers, the burial rites of the Wendel era, the composition of the grave goods of the royal burials of Scandinavia, Anglo-Saxon Britain and the Continent are closely related and copy patterns common to all. , the style of ornaments that adorned precious objects and household utensils, and the funeral costume.Most likely, the barbarian nobility copied samples of embroidery and jewelry of the Roman, and then the Byzantine Empire, where expensive samples of fabrics decorated with gold threads were distributed.

The next heyday of gold and silver embroidery in the North of Europe is associated with the Viking Age. Finds of gold braid are mainly associated with sets of inventory from the burials of Denmark and Central Sweden. Firstly, in Hedeby - the largest trading center in Jutland - a braid with only gold embroidery was found in three female burials of the middle of the 10th century. These turned out to be burial chambers Nos. 188/1960, 2/1963, 5/1964 from the Sydebrarup burial site, which is located south of the city rampart. In two of them, the length of the braid reached from 63 to 80 cm, with a width of 1.2 cm and a thickness of the thread itself of 0.2-0.5-0.8 mm26. In other parts of Denmark, gold threads that adorned clothes were found in the female burial No. 4 of the Fürkart burial ground (second half of the 10th century), in the chamber from Hvelinhö (second half of the 10th century), in the burial of the first half of the 10th century, in the burial mound from Ladby and in the burial chamber from under the church in Jelling (second half of the 10th century)27. In the last burial, a golden thread adorned the entire outer clothing of a man buried in a chamber. Archaeologists have found more than 500 fragments of gold spirals from threads, which were located throughout the entire area of ​​the chamber28. Also, gold threads decorated the details of the clothes of a man buried in a chamber from Mammen (970/971). Of the eight burials listed, two - Jelling and Ladby - are considered to be the burial places of representatives of the highest nobility - members of the royal house.

In Viking Age Scandinavia, the most significant number of burials with gold embroidery comes from the Swedish burial ground of Birka, where in 16 chambers gold thread was used in braid, braids, embroideries and various decorations of clothing (burials No. 524, 542,551, 557, 561, 643, 644, 731, 735, 736.750, 791.824, 832, 844)29. A golden thread decoration was found in the burial complex of the Skopintul burial mound from Adelsö. A braid made of gold and, apparently, silk threads was found among the inventory of the royal mound Gokstad, Norway30.

Anna Krog believes that such a massive and simultaneous distribution of gold embroideries and imported fabrics on the territory of the Danish state is connected with the political events of the second half of the 10th century. Under King Harald Sinezub and his successors, Denmark was baptized, and its elite experienced the strongest cultural influence from the Empire. Through the court of the Ottons, Byzantine cultural influence spread into the Scandinavian environment. Ceremonial court clothes with embroidery or braid of gold thread appear, according to A. Krogh, along with the spread of Christianity31. It should be noted that in a number of female burials with gold embroidery, traditional Scandinavian outerwear with metal brooches disappears. It is replaced by a long cape trimmed around the edges with gold braid. A cloak with a similar braid also comes from a male burial in Mammen. It is interesting to note that the first finds of ancient Russian gold embroidery also echo the mentioned Scandinavian finds. They were found in two large burial mounds, the rite of which is undoubtedly associated with the North of Europe and the high social status of the buried, as well as in eight burial chambers, i.e. monuments similar to chamber burials in Denmark and Birka.

According to M.V. Fekhner, most silk fabrics were brought to the territory of Rus' from Byzantium or from Spain. Probably, indeed, most of the old Russian headbands, handrails, capes and collars, embroidered with a beat, could be imported. At the same time, many researchers believe that a significant number of gold embroideries were the works of local, ancient Russian craftswomen. The basis for such ideas was, for example, the reports of the chronicle about the opening in Kyiv in 1086 of a school for teaching gold embroidery; deposits with Russian embroidery of the XII century. on Athos and some technological features of Old Russian embroidery.

At the end of the X-beginning of the XI centuries. a gold thread with an admixture of silver, twisted with silk, was actively exported from Baghdad to Egypt as a commodity. The cost of such a thread was 20 times higher than the cost of L2 gold. Based on this information, it can be assumed that not earlier than the end of the XI century. along with finished fabrics and embroideries, gold threads themselves could also get into the territory of Ancient Rus', which, in turn, were used by local craftsmen. In the previous period, the types of ornaments, the manufacturing technology of ancient Russian yulot sewing did not differ in any way from the Scandinavian samples of the Viking Age. Apparently, Scandinavian and Old Russian gold embroidery came from the same foreign source.

If we look at various types of work with a needle from the point of view of their effectiveness, then, undoubtedly, the first role belongs to embroidery, made with gold or silver threads and usually called "gold sewing".

In the 17th and early 18th centuries, this easy work flourished mainly in Spain, Italy, France and Germany, where gold embroidery was used in this era for church decorations and vestments.

Since the 18th century, only those persons for whom it has become a profession have been engaged in this work. In private houses, however, it was very rarely practiced, because everyone was afraid to try their art in work, which, in the opinion of the time, required at least nine years of preparation in order to achieve perfection.

But since from some time they began to very willingly combine several genres of embroidery in one work, and, on the other hand, gold is used in artistic works along with other materials, then, naturally, they became more interested in sewing with gold. Now they are engaged in it even where women's needlework is only a simple entertainment.

We hope that with the help of our drawings and explanations, female readers will not need to study for five years, a period that is still required in the craft workshops of some countries.

The effect of sewing with gold depends on the various methods of covering more or less convex motifs with metal threads. In addition to gold and silver threads, "tire" threads are currently used, consisting of a gold thread and another, colored: cream, red, blue, green or black. Thus, you can diversify and enliven sewing.

Material.

For gold embroidery, a background made of strong and durable matter is required. Usually for this purpose they take different varieties of silk, velvet or brocard, but you can also take cloth or leather, depending on what the work is assigned to.

Butt.

For the execution of the sewing itself, we can first of all recommend fine gold and fine silver D.M.C., which are available in the following numbers: No. 20, No. 30 and No. 40. To make the contours of the pattern stand out better, its motifs are sheathed around the edge with a golden cordonne D.M.C. The golden D.M.C. tire, which has five shades, is used when you want to revive the effect of sewing with gold using colored threads.

To imitate Turkish sewing, there are special threads - Turkish twisted cord D.M.C. No. 6 and No. 12.

Depending on the type of stitches that they want to make, in addition to gold and silver thread, you also need a silk thread to secure the first two.

Silk floss D.M.C. and Persian silk D.M.C. it is used when, over metallic threads, they want to make stitches of a different color, sharply different from gold or silver.

Device.

The most necessary device for sewing with gold is a very strong hoop for stretching work on them (see Figure 267). In addition, for some kinds of stitches, you need a shuttle or fork for winding threads, a very thin awl and a box with compartments for the butt.

Shuttle (Fork).(Fig. 288).

The shuttle, which is also called a fork or bobbin, is a tool of hard wood, 23 cm long, used to wind metal threads and guide them during work so that they do not deteriorate from contact with hands.

Rice. 288. Shuttle or fork. Decrease magnitude

First, wrap the stem and part of the fork with a double paper thread of D.M.C. pearl, yellow or gray. This winding ends with a loop, to which a gold or silver thread is attached, then winding it around the rod. Most often, the thread is wound on the shuttle twice.

(Fig. 289).

With the help of this tool, a hole is made for the needle, piercing with it the place where the stitch should begin or end.

Rice. 289. Schilze.

The awl consists of a metal handle into which an ordinary needle is screwed.

If the fabric is very soft, then you can do without an awl, but in brooch fabrics, in plush, in leather, and in general in those fabrics where every unsuccessful stitch leaves a mark that disfigures the work, you must first pierce with an awl the place where the stitch should be made.

Material box.

They cut out as many compartments in a board or in very thick cardboard as, according to the calculation, different types of stock are needed, since this work uses not only gold or silver threads, but also beads, beads of various shapes, sequins and leaves of various sizes and a matte or shiny gimp .

Already for one rigmarole, several branches are often needed. It is cut into pieces of various lengths, depending on the pattern that they want to execute, and pieces of the same length are placed in one compartment. The bottom of the box should be lined with a thick fleecy cloth.

On such a shaggy lush background, the material lies motionless, not rolling or crumbling, and the needle, penetrating more easily into a soft background, is lighter and picks up individual parts of the butt.

Preparatory work.

Whatever the type of embroidery with gold and whatever the fabric on which the work will be performed, first of all, it is necessary to strengthen some piece of matter in the hoop, like a lining. Then the fabric to be embroidered is sewn onto this lining, and it is pulled as tight as possible.

Having drawn a pattern on the fabric, you can directly start embroidering in those types of work that do not require laying, that is, in all types of flat sewing.

For patterns that are to be embossed, bulging, you must first make the flooring, as explained in the chapter on sewing with satin stitch, for Venetian sewing, fig. 150 .

For this work, soft, slightly twisted threads are used, such as D.M.C. embroidery threads. and darning thread D.M.C. (see note at the beginning), yellow or gray (see also fig. 295).

Instead of flooring, you can use patterns cut out of cardboard or leather. But since such cutting requires special attention and accuracy, we better recommend hand-embroidered flooring to our readers. It is much easier and done faster.

Different types of sewing with gold.

According to the type of execution, the following types of sewing with gold are distinguished:

• 1) Chinese sewing.
• 2) Sewing on the background of twine.
• 3) Sewing stitch.
• 4) Sewing with smoothly lying threads.
• 5) Sewing fantasy with sequins and gimp.

Chinese sewing all those types of sewing are called in which motifs are covered with gold or silver threads lying next to each other, attached either noticeably or imperceptibly by means of "over the edge" stitches, made with silk thread of the color of a metallic thread or another color.

Sewing on a background of twine.

In this type of sewing, metal threads are passed over a mat made of twine. Just like in Chinese sewing, the thread is fixed "over the edge". Both of these types of sewing require very little stock, since the threads that form the metal layer lie only on the front side of the work.

Sewing stitch.

Stitching is the type of sewing with gold, in which all parts of the pattern are covered with smooth stitches passed through the fabric. In this work, therefore, the thread also runs along the wrong side of the work.

These first three types of gold stitching can be done with or without covering, depending on the pattern and motifs to be filled in.

Sewing with smoothly lying threads.

This sewing requires a layering. A metal thread is passed back and forth over this covering, and each time it reaches the edge of the pattern, it is attached with a stitch of silk thread, which is passed over the fabric. For this work, a shuttle with threads wound on it is used to make it easier to guide the latter.

Fantasy work with sequins and gimp.

When it is impossible to devote a lot of time to sewing with gold, then it is made with sparkles and gimp. Beads and colored stones are often added to this. But even in real gold embroidery, there are parts of patterns made by fantasy sewing. Every time we see such a mixture of sewing types in our models, we give an immediate explanation of the various stitches.

Rice. 290.
Border from sewing with gold
twisted cord and sequins

Rice. 291. Filling
little flowers
for the border fig. 190

Gold border with twisted cord and sequins.(Fig. 290, 291, 292).

This border, taken from 18th-century embroidery, represents a type of gold embroidery in which the whole effect depends on a thick twisted gold cord, inconspicuously attached to the background.

It is necessary that the contours be made without interruptions, as in our model, because if you often have to pass a thick cord through the material, you can easily spoil it and the whole general appearance of the work will suffer from this.

Having drawn a pattern, outline its contours with a golden cordonne D.M.C., skipping between each turn of the cord an imperceptibly silk stitch "over the edge".

At the beginning and at the end of each row, a cord is passed through the fabric, for which it is threaded into a needle to embroider the desired thickness.

Having circled all the contours with a golden cordon, they trim the inside of small flowers with separate sparkles. They are attached with a small piece of string sewn in the middle of the sequin, as seen in fig. 291.

Rice. 292. Execution
leaf vein
for the border fig. 190

The execution of leaf veins requires more attention. Having attached the first sequin with a stitch, they release the needle very close, grab the second sequin and a piece of gimp and stick the needle again into the hole of the first sequin. Thus, the second sequin will half cover the first.

They do the same with the third and fourth, and, continuing in this manner, make veins of sparkles, as is clearly seen in the figure (Fig. 292).

Red stones, scattered separately in all parts of the border (in the middle of the patterns), are attached with two stitches of red silk thread, passed through two holes made in the stone (see Fig. 291).

This wide border is suitable for decorating surplice, chasubles and other ecclesiastical accessories.

Butt.

Golden Cordonne D.M.C. and silk floss or Persian silk D.M.C. dull red.

Rice. 293. Golden Butterfly
and silver embroidery
Chinese genre. Golden
chinese sewing,
fine
gold thread D.M.C.

Butterfly made of gold and silver embroidery, made with Chinese stitching.(Fig. 293).

According to the manner of execution and the genre of the pattern, this butterfly can serve as a type of any Chinese gold embroideries.

All motifs are embroidered with double gold or silver threads, which are tacked with "over the edge" stitches of silk threads of different colors, which softens the shine of the metallic threads and gives them a very special reflection.

The sewing performance is explained in fig. 296 and 304; there our readers will find detailed explanations of all the details. Here we confine ourselves to listing the colors used for this drawing.

The body, tentacles and legs are embroidered with gold and brown silk; eyes - gold and black silk.

The main parts of the large front wings are also made of gold with red silk; the small part of the wing on the right is made of gold and orange silk, while the left, lighter part is made of silver with green silk.

The lower left wing is embroidered with silver and green silk, the right wing with gold and orange silk. The continuation of the wings in the form of a tail is made of gold and silver with purple silk. The cups on the golden wings, in the middle of them, are made of silver with green silk; the mugs on the silver wings are of gold with orange silk.

Before you start embroidering a butterfly, you need to carefully study the pattern in order to apply metal threads in the desired direction.

This butterfly serves to complement the plots or can be scattered in several copies over the background in the Chinese genre. You can also embroider it separately for a small pad, for a cigarette case, pincushion, fan, etc.

Butt.

Fine gold and silver D.M.C. No. 20, silk floss D.M.C. or Persian silk D.M.C. faded lilac, bright blue, myrtle green, copper red, black, faded red and rusty brown.

Fig.294.

Border made of gold and silver stitching.(Fig. 294, 295, 296).

Rice. 294 is copied from an old embroidery of the 17th century and can serve as an example of gold stitching.

As already mentioned in the introduction to this chapter, this sewing with flat stitches is performed with metal threads, most often on the flooring or carved figures.

The flooring is made of thick soft paper. We recommend the special floss D.M.C. No. 14, attached with over-the-edge stitches on extra-thin embroidery paper.

After you have covered the design with several layers of floss - the layers are made narrower as they get taller - you should smooth out all the roughness of the flooring with simple stitches "forward the needle" from D.M.C. darning paper.

After that, the entire motif is covered with flat stitches, but in the opposite direction to that in which sewing with gold will go (see Fig. 295).

Rice. 295. Execution
bedding for
border fig.294

Rice. 296. Execution
stitching and
stems for
border fig. 294

Thin parts of the design are covered with D.M.C. darning paper only. On top of this flooring, golden embroidery is performed in the same way as sewing with white stitching (see Fig. 296).

It is good to take very thick needles, because they prepare rather wide holes for the metal thread and this avoids damage to the fabric, which is often very fragile and delicate.

On our border, fig. 294, small leaves, buds and thicker parts of the serpentine line are made with fine silver for D.M.C. embroidery. No. 20; as you can see in the picture, all the stitches in gold or silver are made at random, and straight lines are found only in a border that is embroidered in gold.

To make it easier to make very straight strips, instead of laying, stick a strip of hard cardboard.

The stalks and curls are made of two parallel gold threads, attached with "over the edge" stitches.

Where a small twig or stalk departs from the main rod, first one thread is drawn to the end of the stalk, then it is bent back from this end and carried again next to the first, so that it seems that the twig is made of a double thread, as seen in Fig. 296.

Butt: Fine gold and silver for embroidery D.M.C. No. 20, special floss D.M.C. and darning paper D.M.C. rusty yellow and pearl grey.

Rig. 297. Sewing border
a line of gold "tire"

A border made of sewing with a line, filled with golden threads "shine".(Fig. 297).

With the exception of the rings that connect the individual parts of the figures, all the motifs of this border are stitched with a line from the gold "tire" D.M.C.

Due to the special softness of this kind of thread, they are especially suitable for such sewing with gold, where the rich effect of gold thread is further enhanced by the colored threads that make up the tire.

On our border, the pattern of which is copied from an old embroidery of the late 17th century, all the nuances of a golden tire are combined.

The large curved leaves are alternately blue and green, the calyces are ecru and the small leaves are red. Only the dark lines on the sides of the drawing are done with black.

Small motifs, the nuance of which we have not indicated, are embroidered alternately with one or another of the five colors listed above.

All this gold bus embroidery is made without laying. The stitches are more or less skewed, depending on the motif to be covered.

On the other hand, small relief rings are made very convex and embroidered with a thread, as explained in fig. 305.

This genre of sewing, in which the work is easier than in previous models, is very suitable for finishing toiletries and for items used to decorate rooms.

Butt: Golden "tire" D.M.C. ecru, black, red, green and blue, D.M.C. special floss, D.M.C. darning paper. rusty yellow and gold thread.

Rice. 298. Gold and silver ornament
sewing, embroidered with flat stitches
against the background of "string"

Ornament of gold and silver embroidery with flat stitches on a background of twine.(Fig. 298,299,300,301,302).

We here give a sample of twine sewing and sewing with smooth or flat stitches. This method requires less stock than stitching, since, as we said above, the metal threads always remain on the right side of the work.

Leaves of three petals are made with smoothly laid threads of fine silver for embroidery D.M.C. No. 30, taken twice; their execution can be seen in Fig. 299. This genre of sewing is done on cardboard forms, which anyone can make himself.

After the drawing is reduced to white cardboard, all shapes are cut out with a very sharp knife. The edges must be smooth. Then these forms are glued onto the fabric with carpentry glue.

If the embroidery is made of gold, take yellow cardboard. If you need strips of cardboard, rather long, then they are also fixed with separate stitches on the edge, and smaller motifs, such as, for example, small leaves, are simply stitched onto the cone of the leaf with a stitch. (See figs. 299 and 300).

The silver thread is taken in half and wound on a shuttle, then a strong silk thread is threaded into a thick needle, which is made even stronger by rubbing it with wax.

After attaching silver and silk at the very top of the leaf, embroidery begins.

Rice. 299. Leaf
flat stitches,
embroidered in double thread
for ornament fig.298

Rice. 300. Leaf
flat stitches,
embroidered in one thread
for ornament fig. 298

The silver thread is laid across the form and fastened on the other side with a stitch stitch, then (and always with a shuttle) the silver threads are guided back to the first side, again secured with a stitch, and continue in this way to cover the whole form, as shown in fig. 299.

The small thin ends are embroidered with a flat seam, the so-called "gallop", which is also visible in the picture.

Where the leaves are connected to the stems, these ends are made when the stem is already embroidered; this is necessary in order to better hide the junction of the stem with the leaf, since they are both embroidered in a different manner.

In our drawing, the flower petals are made in a single golden thread, with flat stitches over the shapes cut out of yellow cardboard. (See fig. 300).

The thick stems of the flowers and the leaves extending from them are made of fine silver for D.M.C. embroidery. No. 20; the baldric between both branches is made of fine gold for D.M.C. embroidery. No. 20, in a double thread. All this came out on a twine.

For this work, before embroidering with gold, the whole design is covered with horizontal stitches spaced at some distance from each other.

These stitches are made with rather thick twine or twisted cord, and gold is already embroidered over them. On fig. 301 shows how to arrange the twine.

Such a "string" is called a thread for D.M.C. points. No. 15; these threads are still made for greater strength. This twine is sheathed with a pattern, as shown in the figure.

Fig.301. Location
twine for ornament
rice. 298

Fig.302. How to strengthen
silver threads over
twine for ornament
rice. 298

After that, they take a double gold or silver thread, laying it along, across the twine, and attach it every two stitches of the twine with a silk stitch, tightly pulling the silk thread, which is taken in the appropriate color.

When they reached the end of the motif, they lead the thread back, and the silk stitches in this new row are made each time not next to the previous ones, but between them.

In order to convey the shape of the pattern well, you should start embroidering along the very middle of the twine flooring and then fill in first one side, and then the other. (See explanatory figure 302). In large drawings, you can make beautiful patterns of backgrounds by using a different arrangement of these stitches in a line.

A separate ornament is often used to decorate pillows For pins or blotters. If, however, such ornaments are scattered over a large piece of matter, then whole panels and carpets are obtained, as well as various church decorations, lambrequins, stripes, etc.

Butt: Fine gold and silver for embroidery D.M.C no. 30 and 40, twisted gray silk and thread for dots D.M.C. No. 15, orange.

Rice. 303. Background with a border,
embroidered with gold and silver
in Chinese genre by background
twine, flat
stitches and with a cantle

Background with a border of gold and silver embroidery in Chinese style with flat stitches, on twine and with a gimp. (Fig. 303,304,305).

This pattern is copied from a very rich Italian embroidery of the 17th century, consists of several genres of gold embroidery and shows well the varied effect of various stitches.

Rice. 304. How
fill out the sheet
background fig. 303

In the description of the previous drawings, we have already explained how to perform various types of sewing. Now it remains for us to show how sewing is done on a motif without laying, with a double thread, that is, golden embroidery of the Chinese genre.

Explanatory pic. 304 depicts a sharp leaf embroidered in this way. To get a well-pointed ending, start the sheet on one side, lead the outer thread to the end, and the inner one a few mm short of it, then bend both threads and return back.

Double threads are attached with stitches in a line, spaced more or less from each other, depending on the thickness of the threads. For stitches take thin silk.

Thus, the entire sheet is filled, placing silk stitches one between the other, and not next to each other. When you need to fill in very large motifs, you can diversify the pattern itself by placing silk stitches in some particular order.

Sewing with a cantle is more difficult. After the motifs are covered with a thick layer of flooring in the manner shown in fig. 295, a very thin silk is threaded into a very thin needle and released right at the very edge of the motif.

Then, small pieces of gimp are cut off, corresponding to the width of the motif that is being embroidered, such a piece is captured on a silk thread, a needle is stuck in the opposite side of the motif and again released to the first side, as shown in Fig. 305.

Rice. 305. Sewing
rigmarole for
background fig. 303

If the length of the gimp piece is well calculated, then it will neatly cover the width of the motif. Persons who are not familiar with this work experience some difficulty at first when cutting off pieces of gimp, but they will soon get used to this technique.

In the border of Fig. 303 upper rounds are embroidered on twine with fine gold thread for embroidery D.M.C. No. 30; outer petals - thin gold for embroidery D.M.C. No. 30 flat seam in one thread. The inner petal is covered with gold thread, and the small folded leaves are covered with silver thread.

The large leaves of the background are made of fine silver for embroidery D.M.C. No. 20; roundings - from thin gold for embroidery D.M.C. No. 20.

The leaves and roundings are embroidered with Chinese stitching. Small leaves are embroidered with flat stitches in fine gold for embroidery D.M.C. No. 30 in one thread. The relief decorations, printed on our engraving in light, are covered with a silver thread. All other lines and curls are made of twisted gold cord - D.M.C. cordon, sewn with inconspicuous stitches.

Then they sew on the cordonne, and after all this, the rigmarole, because this is the most delicate part of the work. This beautiful and large design is intended for church decorations, but its narrow border can also serve to decorate various gizmos.

Butt.- Fine gold and silver embroidery D.M.C. No. 20: Fine gold for embroidery D.M.C. No. 30; gold cordonne D.M.C.; matte, gold and silver thread; twisted silk, gray and dull gold; thread for dots D.M.C. No. 15; special floss D.M.C. and darning paper D.M.C. rusty yellow and pearl grey.

Rice. 306. Background from fantasy sewing
gold, braided
bobbin galloon and
sequined leaves

Background from fantasy embroidery with lace braided on bobbins and sequined leaves.(Fig. 306).

Start with small rosettes made of glitter, and first attach eight leaf glitters that make up the outer circle. Each leaflet is sewn with two stitches in a line, passed through two holes at the ends of each leaflet.

To achieve the correct arrangement, first two vertical leaves are sewn on, then two horizontal ones, and finally four oblique ones. After all, round sequins are sewn in the center.

When all the rosettes are ready, they sew on, as imperceptibly as possible, a galloon with a pico, dividing the background into diamonds. It is good to first baste this galloon onto the fabric with large stitches to make straight lines easier.

In view of the ease of execution of this pattern, it can be used for sofa cushions, veils, trimming dresses and other toiletries.

Butt.- Fine gold for embroidery D.M.C. No. 40 and sequins, round and leafy.

In 2014, in the Benois Wing there was an exhibition “You are beautiful in all your outfits, darling” (female folk costume in Russia of the 18th-20th centuries). The elegant clothes of wealthy townswomen and peasant women of the 19th century were presented. A special place at this exhibition was occupied by the products of Novotorsk craftswomen, made in the first half of the 19th century. The exhibition made an indelible impression. And this was one of the reasons why I wanted to visit Torzhok. See what kind of a fabulous city this is, along which beauties dressed up like princesses walked around. And I also really wanted to know why only the residents of Torzhok had the right sleeve of the shugai longer than the left, which has never happened in other cities of Russia.

They write that the art of gold embroidery and morocco work originated in Torzhok as early as the 13th century. The art of gold embroidery brought the city wide fame and glory. Orders for embroidery came from everywhere, landowners came, preparing a dowry for their daughters. Muslin dresses with gold thread, lace capes, frills, scarves, tablecloths, boots embroidered with gold and silver - everything was in demand.

A.N. Ostrovsky, who visited Torzhok in May 1856, wrote: “Torzhok has long been famous for the production of goats and morocco, and in this respect is second only to Kazan and Moscow ... Previously, gold embroidery flourished in Torzhok; so, in 1848, 500 craftswomen were engaged in embroidering shoes and boots - now this industry has significantly decreased ... The work of things is durable and beautiful, but the price is not high due to the insignificance of the requirement: I paid for two pairs of shoes, one of multi-colored morocco, the other of velvet, embroidered in gold, 3 rubles in silver.

So, on Thursday, April 21, at 11:40 we left Gruzin and at about 12:20 we went to the museum at the Torzhok gold embroidery factory.

On a tour of the museum, we were told that the girls began to prepare a dowry for themselves from the age of nine. Clothes were embroidered with silver and gold threads. When the girl grew up, she had gentlemen or companions. The more gentlemen, the better. Such behavior of girls was encouraged. It was believed that if a girl has no gentlemen, then this means that she is not interesting to anyone, not needed. When relations with one of the gentlemen became closer, such a young man became a “subject”.

A.N. Ostrovsky: “Girls enjoy complete freedom: in the evening, on the city boulevard and through the streets, they walk alone or accompanied by young people, sit with them on benches at the gate, and it is not uncommon to meet a couple who sit embracing and have sweet conversations, not looking at anyone. Almost every girl has her own gentleman, who is called an object. This item is subsequently made, for the most part, by the girl’s husband ... The way of life of married women is completely opposite to the way of life of girls: women do not enjoy any freedom and constantly sit at home.

The museum presents only products of the Soviet era and modern ones. Therefore, first I would like to recall what was presented at the exhibition in the Russian Museum. Moreover, in the wake of that exhibition, I had questions that I hoped to get answers in this museum.

Women's holiday costume. First half of the nineteenth century. Shugay - damask, fringe; skirt - brocade; kokoshnik, scarf:

Women's holiday costume. First half of the nineteenth century. Sundress, shugay, scarf.

For residents of Torzhok, the right sleeve of the shugai is noticeably longer than the left:

This unusual cut, when the right sleeve of the shugai is noticeably longer than the left, was noted by F.G. Solntsev, who in the 1830s sketched women's costumes from different provinces of Russia, and he recorded this feature of the clothes of the residents of Torzhok. The employees of the Russian Museum cannot explain why this was necessary. So I was hoping, what if they know in Torzhok. I asked about it. The guide was very surprised and said that in Torzhok the sleeves were always the same length. I didn't argue.

Solntsev's watercolor clearly shows that the girls have the same length of arms, but different sleeves. And in this watercolor, you should pay attention to the headdress.
New winter outfit:

Such a headdress is called "Tver ukrut". How the “ukrut” kept on his head, the employees of the Russian Museum also cannot explain. At the exhibition, it was fixed on the head with rubber bands.

Women's holiday costume. First half of the nineteenth century. Shirt, sundress, shower warmer, headdress "Tver ukrut", handkerchief.

But after all, the girls somehow wore a wrap, which somehow kept on their heads and did not fall off. How did they do it? After the question about the sleeves, I was too shy to ask about the wrap.

“The subject of special care for everyone who wore a rich Novotorzh outfit was white muslin sleeves for sundresses and muslin aprons. For them, they did not spare gold and literally filled the entire upper part of the sleeves and the bottom of the aprons with the so-called “beating” (Davydova, 1914).
In the summer they also wore ukrut, only instead of scarves they put on a veil:

Soul warmer. Late 18th - early 19th century. Golden embroidery on silk:

Soul warmer. Late 18th - early 19th century. Gold embroidery on silk, beat, galloon, fringe:

I think that if no one knows for sure about sleeves and wraps, then you need to come up with some kind of tale, compose an exciting story, so that it is definitely about unhappy love. You read what they write on the Internet about the coat of arms of the city, about fire cutlets, you just wonder. The question is, why are sleeves and wraps worse? Why were they ignored? I can't think of anything other than greensleeves. But, I think, there will be talents, they will come up with something.

Tapes. XIX century. Velvet, gold embroidery, fringe:

Pouch. Silk, cotton.

Handbag. XIX century. Golden embroidery on silk, golden lace:

Wallet. Golden embroidery on silk:

Pouches. XIX century. Golden embroidery on velvet.

Kazan province was a major center of shoe production. Women's, children's and men's boots, shoes were made of colored morocco - soft, finely dressed leather. Sewing techniques “in a wheelbarrow”, a kind of leather appliqués, became widespread throughout Russia, they were also adopted by craftsmen from Torzhok.
In Torzhok in 1848 up to five hundred craftswomen were engaged in embroidery of shoes and boots. Shoes intended for the townspeople were sewn from the finest colored morocco; it was also decorated with gold embroidery.

Boots. XIX century. Saffiano, gold threads, gimp, sewing "in a wheelbarrow" and according to the map:

Boots. First half of the 19th century. Embroidery with gold threads on morocco:

Children's boots. XIX century. Master Stonemason. Saffiano, rigmarole, sequins, gold embroidery:

Shoes. First half of the 19th century. Master Stonemason. Leather, silk, gold threads, sequins, gold embroidery:

Shoe (one survived). End of the 18th century. Leather, silk, sequins, rigmarole, gold embroidery according to the map:

For the coronation of Alexander II, gold embroiderers embroidered the costumes of the royal family, the uniforms of the retinue and the dresses of the ladies-in-waiting. Thirty craftswomen were summoned to the capital to embroider coats of arms.
Over time, fashion changed, which led to the fact that from the middle of the 19th century, gold-embroidered products began to be replaced by cheap goods. The gold embroidery business rapidly declined, which caused concern for the Novotorzhsky Zemstvo. In 1882, at the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition, gold embroidery and lace were a huge success. Workshops and schools were organized in Torzhok to preserve the fishery. Gold seamstresses and lace makers were united under the zemstvo council, in 1894 a handicraft department was created, headed by Dmitry Dmitrievich Romanov (Mitinsky landowner). With his participation in 1899, an educational and demonstrative gold-embroidery workshop was opened at the department. D. D. Romanov collected samples of ancient embroideries, in 1911 a museum was created at the workshop, albums with local ornaments were published.

In 1923, a vocational school was organized, in 1928 - the Torzhok Gold-Embroidery Artel named after A. March 8.

Gold embroiderers use the old method of sewing “in attachment”: a metal thread is not passed through the fabric, but is attached to its surface with transverse silk threads.
To make a stitch, you must first pierce the base with a needle or awl. Sewing is one-sided, the gold thread is always only on the front side. In the other hand, the craftswoman has a second needle with a silk thread, with which the golden thread is fixed.

The method of sewing “on the map” was mentioned above, which became widespread in the second half of the 18th - first half of the 19th century. "On the map" - that is, on a lining of birch bark or cardboard. This is a blind one-sided seam, made with dense parallel stitches on a backing made in the form of pattern details and attached to a fabric base:

Now the following threads are used at the factory: tinsel - copper wire, gilded silver-plated 5%, wound on a nylon thread; gimp - lacquered brass wire, twisted into a spiral; gimp - copper wire, gilded silver plated 5%, twisted into a spiral; floss - cotton 100%; sewing threads for connecting tinsel, gimp (lavsan + cotton); embroidery threads - viscose 100%, polyester 100%, silk; metallic threads - polyester thread entwined with metallic thread.

We were told that one kilometer of thread has a mass of one kilogram.

For embroidery, about two hundred different stitches are used.

The drawing of the future product is first transferred to tracing paper, on which the contours of the drawing are pierced with a pin in ~ 2 mm increments to obtain small holes. Then the tracing paper is placed on top of the material for embroidery (velvet, silk, leather, etc.), and spread on top with a mixture of kerosene and tooth powder. Particles of this mixture through holes in the tracing paper fall onto the material, leaving dark dots of the contour on it, along which they are embroidered. In the two photos above, such dark dots of the contours are visible.

Drawing of the panel "Tourists". In the figure, the numbers indicate the types of seams that are used for this product:

Seams: 1 - forged seam; 2 - soft attachment in 2 strands of twisted tinsel; 3 - forged-twisted seam in 2 strands of twisted tinsel; 4 - a woman's seam through 2 threads of tinsel; 5 - "goose" seam in 2 strands of twisted tinsel; 6 - twisted-forged with attachment through 3 rows in 2 floss threads at a distance of 0.5 mm; 7 - attached in 4 strands of tinsel, twisted one side; 9 - attached in 4 threads of tinsel, twisted in 2 directions; 11 - attached in 6 strands of tinsel, twisted in one direction, etc. In total, 19 types of seams are used in the “Tourists” panel.

Ready product:

Craftswomen work on such hoops:

Now there are two workshops in production. In one, they embroider on a hoop, in the second on typewriters:

The museum has three rooms. One hall is dedicated to the Soviet era, the history of the factory, there are many photographs.

Panel "In a single family", 15 republics:

Another room displays works that have been donated to various famous people around the world, private collectors, government and Orthodox institutions.
It is difficult to take pictures in this hall, because most of the panels are under glass, which either glares or reflects.

Embroidery looks voluminous:

Pushkin, surrounded by heroes of fairy tales, travels from Moscow to St. Petersburg:

Znamenskoye-Raek:

Holidays in Torzhok:

In the first hall, you can admire items of clothing, pillows, bedspreads, boxes.

Vintage sewing:

Modern sewing:

Gold embroidery is the oldest type of needlework. Initially, the design on the fabric was embroidered with gold or silver threads, later they were replaced by cheaper gilded threads, which contained only two to three percent gold. Therefore, decorative sewing began to be called gold, and not gold.

The art of embroidery with gold threads originated in the East, it is believed that it came to us more than a thousand years ago. Gold embroidery reached its heyday precisely in Rus', in the 15th-16th centuries.
The secrets of craftsmanship were inherited from generation to generation, and not every craftswoman could master the art of complex embroidery. From the second half of the 19th century, gold embroidery became a folk craft, artels of embroiderers were created. Belts, morocco shoes, women's clothing, headdresses are embroidered with gold threads, products are embroidered to order and just for sale. In monasteries, church items are embroidered with gold. The best embroiderers decorated ceremonial clothes for the royal family with patterns.

Several varieties of gold embroidery techniques are known., but everything is united by one feature - the threads were fastened over the fabrics, the special texture of the threads dictates a special sewing technique. The craftswomen sewed fastened, the gold thread was not pulled through the fabric, but was fixed on the front side with the help of various seams with silk threads to match the main thread or, conversely, with a contrasting thread. Some products had a flat surface, the threads were arranged in different directions and this created the effect of a golden sheen. Other products had a convex surface - fragments of a pattern cut out of birch bark or cardboard were fixed on the fabric and sheathed with gold threads.
When sewing, the thread is laid on the right side of the fabric in vertical rows close to each other. It is fixed with the help of an auxiliary thread with transverse stitches. By adjusting the distance between them, a geometric ornament is obtained, which is formed against the background of a gold thread. These ornaments are called sewing stitches in the attachment. Each of them has several varieties and its own name - “feather”, “stalk”, “town”, “berry”. In addition to the golden thread for seams, colored ones are also used in the attachment.

Gold was sewn on velvet, silk, brocade and on dense, harsh fabrics, the backing was made from canvas. The fabric was chosen depending on the pattern. If it was solid and covered the entire surface of the fabric, then the fabric - the base was selected dense, if only patterns were embroidered with gold, then silk, velvet or brocade were used, and the fabric was selected both in texture and color. In addition to threads in gold embroidery, they use a gimp for an ornament or for tracing the contour of a pattern, pearls and precious stones for decorating products.

Gold embroidery is a very delicate and painstaking work, it took the craftswoman several months, or even more than a year, to complete the product. The best examples are still kept in museums, in the Hermitage you can see Catherine II's ceremonial dress.

The first place in terms of beauty and showiness among embroideries should be given to sewing with gold and silver threads, known as gold embroidery. In the XVII - early XVIII century. this technique was mainly used in Spain, Italy, France and Germany, where gold embroidery was used to decorate church vestments. Sewing with gold is a rather difficult work that requires careful execution, so it was mostly done in monasteries and special gold embroidery workshops.

In Russia, this type of sewing has also been known for a very long time. There were gold embroidery workshops in many women's monasteries, where church vestments and banners were decorated with this uniquely beautiful embroidery.

Until now, there has been an opinion that for the impeccable execution of these works, sewing with gold must be studied for at least several years.

Recently, when this type of needlework has become quite popular, various easier ways of embroidering with gold have been invented, which do not require as much work as before. Materials for sewing with gold are now used by others. Of course, now there are no such threads of pure silver and gold that were in pre-revolutionary Russia. They were replaced by twisted and spun threads with the addition of a small amount of precious metals, metallic threads are less common. In our country, gilded yarn is produced by the Denisov factory, but the best threads for gold embroidery are French.

Depending on the technique, sewing is done on satin, silk, velvet, less often - brocade, because its quality, unfortunately, is also far from the same as it was before, the gold and silver threads in it are replaced by lurex. The best fabrics for gold embroidery are, again, imported - Italian, French and Chinese are also not bad. The main requirement for these fabrics is that they must be very strong and thick enough.

For gold embroidery, not only gold and silver threads are used, but also golden and silver beads of various shapes, sequins of various sizes, matte and shiny gimp (gimp is a thin wire twisted in a spiral).

The technique of gold sewing is as follows. The work is completely done by hand. Its most important accessory is a strong and well-made rectangular wooden hoop.

You will also need a wooden bobbin about 20 cm long. Wind a metal thread around this bobbin, which can easily fade or deteriorate when touched by hands. First, wind white or gray cotton thread on this bobbin, and then crosswise metallic thread.

Some metal threads for gold sewing are very hard and do not bend, but break. Put the bobbin with such threads for a while in a very warm place, where the metal will become softer under the influence of high temperature and, therefore, more convenient for work.

Regardless of what material you will embroider on, you will need a lining fabric, calico is best.

First of all, insert the lining fabric, stretch it well and sew the embroidery material on it. Then apply the pattern to the right side of the fabric using cardboard or paper templates. After that, you can start embroidery.

Depending on the technique of execution, the following types of sewing are distinguished:

On top of the prepared flooring, attach several untwisted gold threads at once, which should lie flat. At the turn, carefully lay out the golden threads, grab them with the attachment thread and pull them up. The stitches of gold thread should be close to each other.

You can use 4-5 gold strands of string to accent or border the decked embroidery. Attach it to the fabric over the bobbin threads, placing attachment stitches up to 1.5 mm in size on the front side of the work at a distance of 5-6 mm from each other.

Sometimes, to fill the space inside the pattern, a lace of four threads is sewn in loops (loop stitch). In this case, fasten the lace in three places on the loop - at the beginning of the loop, in the middle in the center and at the end. The lace will overlap the first stitch when closing the buttonhole, and at the end make a longer stitch that captures both sides of the buttonhole.

In gold embroidery, applique from velvet of a different color or from brocade and sequins of different colors is widely used. Sequins can be sewn on with beads, but the older and more traditional method is with gimp. For this purpose, bring a needle with a silk thread fixed on the wrong side to the front side of the work, pass it through a piece of gimp 10 mm long and bring it to the wrong side again.

Sequins are often used to complete any pattern. Entire compositions are made up of sequins fixed with a gimp and stitches of evenly sewn gimp.

Patterns made with metallic threads sometimes include long stitches and sharp corners. When sewing a gold cord along the contour of the pattern with a thread, fasten the cord with a few stitches, and make loops at sharp corners. You can fill the middle of the gilded loop with silk colored threads.