Products

This trim is a beautiful way to accent your stumpwork.  It is about 1/8" wide.

New 2022 color: 2912, 945, 2646

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.  

This course will start again on January 1st, 2025

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.

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.

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.  The kit contains 13 full tubes of Soie Paris, silk duchesse satin fabric, pink silk velvet backing, needle, waste canvas.  You will need a roller frame to mount the silk satin on tightly.  If you need help finding one, I can give recomendations.

The course will be over 3 months.  Kits will be shipped after Christmas.

Month 1 - setting up the frame and attaching the waste canvas to the silk fabric smoothly

Month 2 - stitching the embroidery 

Month 3 - removing the waste linen for pincushion fabrication

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.

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

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

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. 

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.  

Purple is now again the original 3336.  If you want the redder version, email me.

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).

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.

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.

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.

• This kit has everything needed to work a 3" deep x 5" long x 3" high trinket box in tent stitch over one on a 20-count linen.  
• The kit includes the wood trinket box, handmade archival covering papers, silver edging paper, pink silk lining, tin plated escutcheon, silver thread woven tape for the edges, linen, 32 tubes of Soie Paris and 6 tubes of a striped gimp thread.  
• Detailed Instructions for full assembly of the box as well as glue and a brush are included as well as links to a video of the paper covering assembly.  
• Silver acrylic paint for wood feet is not included in the kit, but is available at your local craft stores.

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.

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.

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. 

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.  

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

These are leftover colors of 5 meter Soie d'Alger skeins from kit packing and sold at a discount

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.

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

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.   

This course is running again with 25 spots starting on January 1st, 2025

Late registrations taken for 2024 taken with full payment

For installment payments by Paypal, click the appropriate blue link:

$85.64/month for 9-months USA Shipping

$88.76/month for 9-months Canada Shipping

$90.43/month for 9-months Rest of World Shipping

This 18-month online course is a stand alone course, but complimentary to the Cabinet of Curiosities.  It is intended to be a comprehensive investigation of stumpwork techniques of the 17th century.  It includes:

• 20 sets of detailed instructions for detached needlelace stitches, showing how to work them in multiple thread types
• Animations for each of the stitches to aid in working
• 18-lessons in the application of low and high relief embroidery, needlelace and how to attack the typical motifs found in 17th century stumpwork.  There are highly detailed sets of instructions to demystify filling animals with needlelace in multiple colors, making wired detached pieces, faces, three-dimensional shoes and other complex topics never seen in instructional materials.
• Historical information and photos to support all the lessons showing how these motifs were filled in various creative ways
• A 18-month optional project to make a stumpwork mirror.  The motifs can be worked separately or the entire project by the study by purchasing the materials from the materials list.  Full instructions for the entire project.
• Templates to design stumpwork mirror frames, four fully designed mirror frames and several large designs if the student wanted to go forth and do a complicated project
• Weblinks to supporting visual and historical material

The class kit will include linen and threads to enable the student to practice all the needlelace stitches.  There will be samples of thread types (purls, gimps, facette, rococo, lacet, stumpwork forms, etc) to allow the student to experiment with them before embarking on a project they envision.  The kit will be shipped in 1-2 parts.

The instructional material fills about three 3" binders and it is recommended that the students keep the material filed on their computer or iPad if they prefer.  

Each lesson is released on the 1st of the month with an email to the student to remind them to log into the student teaching portal to download the materials.  Animations can be watched on the portal at any time during the course and used over and over.  Once a lesson is open, it stays open until the end of the class.  A three-month period after the course is given to finish downloading.  A link to an animation playlist hidden on YouTube is given to the students at the end to refer back to in the future for use in working stitches.

Thistle Threads is very excited to introduce a series of eight types of glass eyes reproduced from eyes used in 17th century stumpwork. These eyeballs were designed with Holly Paolino, a glass artist. The eyes are made in a multi-step process to create a colored eye with black iris on a ring to keep the eye attached to the embroidery. 

The eyeballs are made in a 2 mm size and a 3 mm size in four colors - blue, cream, brown, and yellow and are available in singles and matched pairs. 

A single eye would be used for a bird or animal that is shown in profile, a matched pair for when an animal is shown face on. In general, the 2 mm eyes work well for squirrels and birds, the larger eyes for medium scale animals such as lions, leopards, stags, etc.