There have been several questions about the goldwork threads that I thought it might be interesting to do some research about them and share. Today's post I'll cover the Bright Check:
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| Bright Check #5 with Pearl Beads |
Description:
Part of the Pearl Purl "family".
Bright Check is a type of purl that is composed of a really thin, textured wire that is coiled around a three cornered needle to create a really shiny (polished), faceted spring. Did I say springy? It's definitely THAT. The spring is composed of a continuous wire spring that can be cut into shorter lengths.
Techniques:
Laid Stitching -- Bright Check is generally cut into short lengths (shorter than the length of your needle) then the needle and thread are run through the center to secure the stitch - similar to threading a bugle bead. The length is often determined by the area that the thread needs to occupy and can be measured then cut to fit. May be stitched over padding felt or string.
Looped purls -- Bright Check may be used to create a loop by simply by coming up through ground fabric with needle, taking a length shorter then the length of the needle, running thread & needle through the core, then going down right next to where the thread first came through the ground fabric.
Couching -- A word of caution on couching Bright Check: Bright Check is made with a pretty delicate wire so it does not lend itself to couching down with a cotton or silk thread. In my readings I did come across a technique that describes using Bright Check as a couching stitch which may work. This would be a very decorative technique.
Couching -- A word of caution on couching Bright Check: Bright Check is made with a pretty delicate wire so it does not lend itself to couching down with a cotton or silk thread. In my readings I did come across a technique that describes using Bright Check as a couching stitch which may work. This would be a very decorative technique.
Please visit a new page on my website (notice -- currently a WIP) to find a useful as resource for good books worth your time.
Also, I will have these thread FAQs on my site as soon it is launched. September 15 is the Goal. Yippie!!!
By the way, on MR's Fluer, the threads that are used include:
- Gold Bright Check
- Gold Wire Check
- Gold Pearl Purl
- Gold Whipped Plate
- Kreinik Gold Japan Cord
- Gold Japan #1
Let me know - do you find this useful? Comment box below.
Christa,Lilystitch
www.lilystitch.com
The laying of the bright check is excellent! Not easy to cut to length going around a curve like that!
ReplyDeleteWhere did you pick up the reference to looping, may I ask? I've seen one reference to looping of purl and that's it, and I'm interested in more, and extant images of it.
Your description of bright check was very interesting. Very thorough without being lengthy. The only thing missing is what you couched the purl with- (and it's not in your list of materials) but undoubtedly you've mentioned that somewhere else, and I just don't remember.