$ 8.00
A thick (~1 mm diameter) wavy silk gimp with a wire inside that allows it to be used to edge areas in stumpwork and be used for edgings of needlework items. The thread was used original in passementary (tassels) to give a unique texture. Available in many Au Ver a Soie colors. 2 meters in the package.
Four colors are new and were not in the Frostings 3 box: 945 (red), 2214 (Olive), 2216 (Dk. Olive) and Noir (Black).
5If you want a clean end when cutting, use a small dab of rice paste glue on the area you will cut and let dry. Then cut through the glued area.
In the example picture, the silk facette gimp is used as the cream outline and the loops.
$ 7.00 - $ 9.00
$ 21.00 - $ 42.00
Silk Gimp is a fabulous thread that is so versatile for 17th century embroidery. This version was made by wrapping a silk core thread with another silk thread around the outside, making a very fine cord. The resulting thread is stiff like a gold thread yet colored. It can be couched as an outline around counted work or couched in rows to fill a shape. Sometimes it is twisted in a loop over and over again and couched down to make leaves on trees. The silk gimp is thin enough to be placed in a needle eye and stitched from french knots to needlelace! The drapes, gowns, and tents in stumpwork are often seen in silk gimp. Lions and other animals are usually seen worked in silk gimp - either needlelace or couched.
The Cabinet of Curiosities Historic Colors are a collection of silks matched to 17th century stumpwork. The collection is available in many thread lines through Thistle Threads so matching colors can be found in different thread types. A highlight of the collection is deep sets of color families, dyed specially for the reproduction of 17th century stumpwork caskets. Here, silk gimp is available in the range of colors.
Each tube of silk gimp contains 10 meters of silk gimp.
Red Family -6235, 6015, 6234, 6233, 6231, 6030
Blue Family - 6202, 6205, 6204, 6203, 6202
Green Family - 6276, 6123, 6041, 6272, 6271, 6270
Beaver Brown Family - 6246, 6247, 6245, 6243
Russet Brown Family - 6268, 6266, 6265, 6263
Flame Family - 6214, 6213, 6211
Purple Family - 6134, 6262, 6260
Olive Family - 6274, 6273, 6272
Grey Family - 6294, 6292, 6290
$ 4.50 - $ 31.50
A 1/8" wide flat silk braid, used on stumpwork embroidery to make small ties for shoes. Also used in finishing embroidery for strings and used to make flowers by slip stitching together into petals and leaves. Sold in yard increments, orders of more than 1 will be continuous if possible.
The lacets are a bit deeper in color than the pictures
1 yard each of 5025, 2126, 2125, 199, 634, 4526, and 741/Cream are in the Harmony Package. These are leftovers and only a handful available.
$ 250.00
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3-months Silk Lacet Bouquets ($87.67/month) - USA Shipping
3-months Silk Lacet Bouquets ($90.33/month) - Canada Shipping
3-months Silk Lacet Bouquets ($93.12/month) - Rest of World Shipping
In the 17th century boarding schools, young ladies used finger braided lacet to form flower petals and construct stems and bouquets of flowers to put in their embroidered caskets or give as tokens of affection. There are many of these in museum and private collections, including a wonderful set at the Ashmolean museum. Daisies, strawberries and flowers, pansies, and other beautiful flora were all invented complete with serpentine leaves.
This 3-month course will show the basics of forming petals, leaves and berries and then assembling them into stand alone stems or little bouquets. They are appropriate for small vases, shadow boxes, boutonnieres, or surprises in drawers of your casket or for internal gardens for your casket.
The kit will include a variety of silk lacet braids in eleven colors, 12 tubes of soie gobelin silk threads, and small amounts of threads like silk facette, silk purls, and silk laid down trim which are useful for flower centers. Silk covered wire and cotton forms are included for berries and stems. Between four to five bouquets similar to the pictures can be made depending on how many flowers you make. Kits will be shipped June 1st. On June 1st, an email will come with access to the course, user and password.
If you have taken the Four Seasons Project or Stitch Along, much of the information will be repetitive; although there will be at least two new flower types.
$ 3.00
This trim is a beautiful way to accent your stumpwork. It is about 1/8" wide.
New 2022 color: 2912, 945, 2646
Sold out
Millary is usually today a gold thread, but in previous centuries, it was made in a mix of silk and gold. A thick wired thread, usually used in passementary, it is a wired gimp with a expanded gilt purl wrapped together with a secondary silk thread. This was used to form loops on tassels or construct medalions. This is about 2 mm wide at its widest and it is left over from a special fabrication for a conservation project. Made of a burnt red silk and an antiqued metal purl, it is a fantastically rare thread which can be used in unique ways for the creative thinker. Boxed in a 1 yard box.
These threads were made in a much more petite size in the 17th century, often in green for mounds of grass on sweet bags.
$ 355.00 - $ 490.00
This course will start again on June 1st, 2024
Details Coming Soon. If you want to get first notice that this class is registering, sign up on the interest page.
3-months $171.84/month USA Shipping
3-months $178.05/month Canada Shipping
3-months $186.62/month Rest of World Shipping
Rolling Course with user/passwords to access the first of three lessons.
This 3-month course has two approximately 5" x 5" flower basket projects that can either be hung together or used to line the inside doors of a double casket/flat casket with doors. The projects use silk purls in multiple sizes, scallop trim, gilt 1 1/2 twist, and chardon coupe and bouclette on a 40ct closely woven white linen. The kit includes all fibers, needles, linen piece and slate frame to work the pieces. There will be one kit shipment.
NOTE: Slate frames are currently unavailable. If you already have a slate frame, there is an option without slate frame - but note this can not be done in a hoop or hand. A large roller frame can work.
$ 1.50
$ 4.00 - $ 64.00
This is a new form of silk chenille by Au Ver a Soie with several colors specially dyed in COC colors (greens and browns). The thread can be couched down or stitched very carefully in long stitches. See blog post for stitching instructions to get the best results as all chenille threads can withstand some stitching through the fabric if you are really careful.
The 16-pack of colors are all the colors except Cream, 2922 and 2941 which are in small supply. Packaged in 1 yard lengths. The colors other than COC colors won't be replenished.
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Details Coming Soon! If you want to get first notice that this class is registering, sign up on the interest page.
This pincushion is inspired by one made by Martha Edlin. She expertly worked counted thread techniques on non-counted silk satin fabric on her pincushion, casket and jewelry box. Originally taught in the COC course, it is being offered as a separate course for those who would like to understand the brilliance of Martha Edlin
The pincushion is worked on a silk satin fabric with the use of waste canvas and Au Ver a Soie Soie Paris threads. It is backed with pink silk velvet.
$ 7.50 - $ 112.50
Silk satine gimp is a thick, shiny gimp thread that can be used for outlining and fill for grounds, trees, flowers, and water. It can be laid next to other outlining threads to vary texture. It is about 1 mm in diameter and is sold in 3 meter lengths. Use Japanese rice glue to treat the ends so they don't fray and you get a good cut as it can not be sunk into the ground fabric.
Pictures show it next to silk gimp, which is switchable, and silk serpentine which is similar in size.
You can purchase the entire 15-color collection on one click.
$ 4.00
This flat silk covered wire scallop trim is about 2 mm wide and is found stitched as an accent on 17th century stump work. Made in Au Ver a Soie colors, it starts as a #8 silk purl. Depending on the amount of stretch and roller system used, there are two levels of overlap that can be made. In this version, the loops lay next to each other so the entire loop can be seen.
Each box contains 18".
New 2022 Colors: 2646
$ 4.50
$ 4.50
Silk serpentine gimp is a rococo thread with the characteristic wave in the gimp. It is about 1/2 mm in diameter and comes in Au Ver a Soie colors. The thread can be couched down as an outline or looped to make textured areas. Each package contains 2 meters
These new colors are a full olive family (2216/2212/199) and the 4525 brown
$ 3.00 - $ 57.00
Each spool is 50 meters of a very thin flat silk (floss silk). This is currently a limited edition thread in the colors of the historic line. It is useful for thread painting, miniatures, and combining with other floss silks (soie ovale) to make complex threads.
There is a new color - 3814 a golden tan.
This thread line is being discontinued sadly. There will be more as soon as I get another shipment
Sold out
$ 5.00
I am excited to announce the introduction of a small size of the silk wrapped purls made by Golden Threads in the historic color line. These are the first of a small batch of purls and will be the first of many colors. The size is just slightly larger than the tiny silk purl size. The package is 18" in length per color.
The colors in this batch are Cream, Blanc, 2216, 2214, 615, 616, 2126, 2124, and F15.
$ 7.90
These threads are copper wire wrapped with filament silk and then coiled over a mandrel into a purl. They are couched in place with matching silk threads, such as Au Ver a Soie 100/3 or Soie Paris. The purls can be couched down as seen to outline and fill figures. They can also be stretched and used to form hair for lions or people in stumpwork. Often they are cut into shorter pieces and threaded onto silk to be sewn in place, forming loops which stick up off the fabric. Entire flowers were filled using this technique.
Individual colors are sold that match the Cabinet of Curiosities Historic Colors. Note that garnet color can work as the dark value for both the flame and redde families.
Note that the new purple is a more reddish purple than in previous years.
$ 7.80
This is a new silk wrapped purl line in a size just slightly larger than the original size 2 silk purl. Made in the Au Ver a Soie colors, it can be used in place of the original size 2 silk purl or with it to give a slight graduation in size. Each package contains 1 meter.
The color number is preceded by the size so color 40277 is size 4 silk purl in color 277 (blue family).
New Colors 2023: 42625 (rust) and 42912 (pink)
$ 7.90
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These are very large silk purls which can be used for heavy texture on pieces. Ideas include tubes for fountain spouts, tree trunks, arbor vines or structures. About 2 mm in diameter. The boxes contain 18" of the silk purl.
The mixed box contains a piece of every color between 1.5"-6"long. The boxes are stuffed full and between 24"-30" total.
$ 7.00 - $ 42.00
This is a thicker silk wrapped wire that uses the base from #4 silk wrapped purls. Useful for making stumpwork leaves and flowers - skip wrapping the wire yourself with silk!
Each tube has 10 meters of silk wrapped wire
The Brights package has 1 tube each of 2126, 199, 0072, 741, 945 and 633
The Neutrals Package has 1 tube each of Cream, 4534, noir, 2533, 615, and 3314
A limited number of 615 silk wire are available.
$ 450.00
If you have always wanted an embroidered casket but are not sure of taking on such an enormous project, this kit was designed to allow people to make a sweet little trinket box, modeled off smaller boxes of the 17th century. The box can fit a number of small needlework accessories like scissors and needles. The edgings for these kits are now SILVER.
$ 8.00 - $ 16.00
I was able to get a new supply of gilt and silver-plated spangles in the 2mm and 3mm diameter.
Small packages (~80 spangles or 1 gram) of what I consider to be the most versatile size of gilt spangles - F4. They are 2.1 mm in diameter and are a nice balance of small scale while allowing a needle to pass through the center. Because of their small scale, they would well when used in the background to fill in areas of stumpwork without looking out of place. The second picture shows an entire 5 gram quantity.
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This woven tape is slightly different than the tape I usually make. What happened was a mistake by the weaver in the number of wefts that passed over the silver plate in the center, and was not caught until 800 meters of 1000 meters was made. While it was not what I ordered, I was able to negotiate a significantly reduced price for it and then offered it to people on a wait list for silver tape at this reduced price if they wanted it.
In the picture below, the tape is the one on top, with the correct weave at the bottom where you can see less wefts over the silver plate. It is a lovely tape no matter what, and I am happy to have saved many students money on finishing their caskets by offering them the tape if interested. Once this is gone, of course, it is gone. I am awaiting a re-weaving of the silver tape at the moment.
Sold out
$ 10.00
$ 6.60 - $ 165.00
The manufacturer has opted not to continue making, so stock is low. Please check with me before ordering so I can claim frames/check stock at the distributor.
There are now a series of sizes of slate frames. Slats and rollers can be purchased separately and mix and match. I will carry two set sizes for the casket and mirror frame. The rest can be bought mix and match. Remember to buy pegs and lacing thread if needed.
Please email me for an invoice for the unique sizes as I will need to order
Wooden slate frames for working panels of a casket. The roller with its webbing to stitch your linen to is 16" wide with adjustable side slats of 16". A set of turned wooden pegs to adjust the length are included as well as a spool of size 4 Londonderry Linen thread to use as the lacing of the side of the linen to the slats. This new size works well for a panel of a casket or 2-3 friezes and is small enough to travel or work easily in the lap.
A fancy mirror sized frame has 22" rollers and adjustable slats of 34". The fancy mirror set comes with pegs and linen thread.
Instructions on how to construct, attach and stretch your linen is given in Cabinet of Curiosities as well as a packet in the package.
Slate frame parts are now available in the following sizes and are special order (2 weeks):
$ 10.00
These are finishing kits for several of my published projects. The kit has the six die cut skirtex, batt and card forms needed to make any of these slippers for pieces I have published in the past. Sized for 32 count or 36 count. Under the Needlework Projects section of my website, www.thistle-threads.com are several slipper projects.
$ 35.00
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The Small Lid Hinge is approximately 1.5" long x 5/8" wide and is used to attach small lids to the casket body. The Double Casket uses two small lid hinges. Each small lid hinge comes with ten screws to attach it to the casket. Each hinge is three separate castings and is assembled by hand in England. Two hinges are needed for the top lid. On the mirror frame with doors you can use two hinges per door if seeing the hinges is desired.
Note: These are available to purchase if you are building your own casket. If you are purchasing one from Thistle Threads, all hardware is included.
$ 4.00
Small silk laid down trim is a useful small size of a loopy trim. I like to use it to add a stand-up layer between silk purls, a nice line of trim such as a stem or pull it out a bit so the loops don't overlap anymore and use it as the wire edge for leaves and petals.
Each box has 18" of the trim that is laid down, it can be gently pulled as shown in the video to make a longer length of small silk scallop trim.
If there is a color you are looking for not in stock, email as I might have stock to make.
New Colors 2023: 2912, 4525, 2625
$ 5.00 - $ 5.50
This is a silk covered plate (approx 1.5 mm wide) that is couched onto your embroidery to fill spaces or add accents. Each box is a 18" strip
The new colors are Dark (dk blue), Alice Blue (light blue) and Cream. The colors coordinate.
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An amazing new entry into the Thistle Threads historic color line of threads - we now have Soie 100/3 dyed to match the rest of the Au Ver a Soie line of threads for my projects. Soie 100/3 is a spun silk (all the rest are filament silks) and can be used for couching or counted work. It is a little thinner than Soie Gobelin and tightly twisted. I have really loved it for years as a counted work thread. So if you love these colors and have a project in mind that you said 'hey I wish I had that range in 100/3' - now you do!
Each spool has 50 meters
Sold out
These are leftover colors of 5 meter Soie d'Alger skeins from kit packing and sold at a discount
$ 17.50 - $ 29.50
The Cabinet of Curiosities Historic Colors are a collection of silks matched to 17th century stumpwork. The collection is available in many thread lines through Thistle Threads so matching colors can be found in different thread weights. A highlight of the collection is deep sets of color families, dyed specially for the reproduction of 17th century stumpwork caskets. Here, a medium weight twisted filament silk called Soie Gobelin is offered in two matching families to the base collection.
Soie Gobelin is used for needlelace to emulate the medium filament silk used in the 17th century. Flowers, dresses, drapes, leaves, and other large pieces of needlelace in stumpwork are great candidates for this thread weight. This weight is about three times the thickness of a strand of Soie Paris and half that of Soie Perlee.
At this time, the silks are being made available in their full color families. Each package contains one tube of each color in the range. The flame families also contain a cream tube of soie gobelin. Tents, dresses and drapes often shaded from cream to dark red and this has been added for this reason.
Each tube contains 50 meters silk.
Green Family - 2126, 2125, 2124, 2532, F15
Blue Family - Cream, 703, 277, 0072, 0714
Red Family - 2646, 945, 2916, 741, 2912, 1011
Flame Family - 616, 615, Cream
Purple Family - 3336, 3314, 3334
Beaver Brown Family - 697, 4536, 4534, 4532
Russet Brown Family - 4526, 4525, 634, 4521
$ 6.30
Current supply chain issues makes these threads a 8-12-week lead time
Soie Gobelin is used for needlelace to emulate the medium filament silk used in the 17th century. Flowers, dresses, drapes, leaves, and other large pieces of needlelace in stumpwork are great candidates for this thread weight. This weight is about three times the thickness of a strand of Soie Paris and half that of Soie Perlee.
Tubes of Soie Gobelin are now available for special order. Not all colors are in stock at this time and they will be listed as sold out until new dyeing is done. Special order silk orders must be in by a certain date to make shipping windows.
$ 6.30
$ 4.50
Current supply chain issues makes these threads a 8-12-week lead time
If you are looking for one tube of the soie ovale in the historic color range, it is a special order and are only delivered during the open period. If a silk is ordered after the due date, it will be delivered during the next open period.
They are available in 30 meter tubes for embroidery and wrapping cards
Sold out
$ 2.50 - $ 4.75
As a teacher you often end up with extras of colors to make sure there aren't problems in kitting, you order the wrong number, you have mistakes in ordering, all kinds of reasons! Well that pile has built up and I need to find the silks another home as I need room.
These colors are limited, some are in the Cabinet of Curiosities collection, some just coordinate well with them. I am selling them at 20-40% off to you to make room for the caskets I need to store!
$ 5.00
Current supply chain issues makes these threads likely a 8-12-week lead time
Single order tubes (5 meter) of soie paris in the historic color range are special order. Orders that arrive after the due date will be help until the next open period. These will be delivered on larger spools.
Sold out
$ 8.00 - $ 39.00
The Cabinet of Curiosities Historic Colors are a collection of silks matched to 17th century stumpwork. The collection is available in many thread lines through Thistle Threads so matching colors can be found in different thread weights. A highlight of the collection is deep sets of color families, dyed specially for the reproduction of 17th century stumpwork caskets. Here, a six-stranded 2-ply filament silk called Soie Paris is matched to the same color in Soie Ovale. Soie Ovale is a flat or untwisted filament silk.
Soie Paris is used for tent stitch and counted work as well as satin stitch and long and short details. Soie Ovale can be used for satin stitch work as well and enables interesting threads to be made by twisting combinations of plies together. Soie Ovale is also useful for making geometric wrapped cards, frequently found on the sides and backs of embroidered caskets.
At this time, the silks are being made available in their full color families. Based on the versitility of the two fiber types, they are packaged together. Each color family contains one tube of each shaded color in both Soie Paris and Soie Ovale except for the grey family.
Blue Family - Soie Paris and Soie Ovale - 703, 710, 277, 0072, 0714
Green Family - Soie Paris and Soie Ovale - 5025, 2126, 2124, 199, 2533, F15
Red Family - Soie Paris and Soie Ovale - 2646, 945, 2916, 741, 2912, 1011
Purple Family - Soie Paris and Soie Ovale 3336, 3314, 3334
Flame Family - Soie Paris and Soie Ovale - 616, 615, cream
Beaver Brown Family - Soie Paris and Soie Ovale - 697, 4536, 4534, 4532
Russet Brown Family - Soie Paris and Soie Ovale - 4526, 4525, 634, 4521
Olive Green Family - Soie Paris and Soie Ovale - 2216, 2214, 199
Grey Family - Soie Paris in 3842 and 3845
$ 9.60 - $ 22.40
The Cabinet of Curiosities Historic Colors are a collection of silks matched to 17th century stumpwork. The collection is available in many thread lines through Thistle Threads so matching colors can be found in different thread weights. A highlight of the collection is deep sets of color families, dyed specially for the reproduction of 17th century stumpwork caskets. Here, a thick twisted filament silk called Soie Perlee is offered in matching families to the base collection.
Soie Perlee is used for needlelace to emulate the thicker filament silk used in the 17th century. Tents, dresses, drapes, and other large pieces of needlelace in stumpwork are great candidates for this thread weight. It can also be used for french knot ground cover and areas where a thick thread might add texture.
Each tube is 16 meters
Red Family - 2646, 945, 235, 741, 343, 160
Green Family - 210, 491, 325, 199, 2533 or 149, F15
Blue Family - 710, 703, 277, 0072, 0714 and cream
Russet Brown Family - 4526, 4525, 634, 4521
Beaver Brown Family - 697, 4536, 4534, 4532
Purple Family - 447, 434, 345
Flame Family - 525, 299, Cream
Grey Tone Family - 2216, 580, 756, 550, 468, 170, 197
$ 3.20
Current supply chain issues makes these threads a 8-12-week lead time
Soie Perlee is used for needlelace to emulate the thicker filament silk used in the 17th century. Tents, dresses, drapes, and other large pieces of needlelace in stumpwork are great candidates for this thread weight. It can also be used for french knot ground cover and areas where a thick thread might add texture.
Each tube is 16 meters
Special order tubes are offered with deadline dates seen on the front page of the website for delivery during the next shipping window.
$ 4.30
Silk Soutashe is a trim that can be used to outline a project or be sewn down as an embroidery thread. 1.5 mm wide, it can be tacked down to make flat patterns or looped above the surface in a 17th century technique to fill large flowers or grassy areas.
We are unsure if 2533 can be remade, stay tuned. 2916 is discontinued.
$ 21.00
Two families of matched striped fine silk gimps. These color families are designed for making couched or french knot rocks for grottos that are shaded. The striped coloring helps to emulate the look of granite. The threads can be used for other outlines and effects. One of each in the shade series in the package.
Each tube is 10 meters
Rust Blue Family - 109, 103, 112
Gold Blue Family - 115, 106, 120
$ 195.00
This kit is an exploration of silk wrapped purl techniques in a Stuart Era flower design. Outlined in a gold twist, the silk wrapped purls are cut and applied in highly textural techniques and surrounded by spangles. The piece is about 3" x 4" in size when finished.