Silk Gimps

This gimp thread has a pair of gimps wrapped around the core giving it a really regular but bumpy texture.  It is delightful to couch in place for stems, grass, trees, and flowers.  I have alternated it with regular gimp to get really textural effects.

The spools have 5 meters on each no matter if the spool is large or small (spools are running low so we are using what we can).  There will be some more of many of these colors when the new batch of spools arrives.

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

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.

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

This 3 mm strip is a passementerie 'thread' used to create all kinds of interesting textures. In stumpwork it is used to make garlands around circles or ovals which frame a vignette.  Short lengths can be folded over and couched down to make 'leaves' of the garland.

They can also be folded and sewn together to make tassels or edgings for small ornaments.  

Sold in 1 meter lengths

The COC colors made in Silk Cartisane are 0072, 741, F15, 2533, 199, 2126, 5025.  

New colors made are:  2112, 2114, 2124 235 (old 2916) and 945 as well as gold and silver metallic

This 2.5-3 mm strip is a passementerie 'thread' used to create all kinds of interesting textures. In stumpwork it is used to make garlands around circles or ovals which frame a vignette.  Short lengths can be folded over and couched down to make 'leaves' of the garland.

They can also be folded and sewn together to make tassels or edgings for small ornaments.  

Sold in 1 meter lengths in afghan gold, gold, silver, red and green metallic

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

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.