$ 227.50
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Quantity in Box
28 threads
There are both wonderful gold threads and beautiful silk thread in this box; delightful items you didn't know existed.
What is a Frostings Box?
During the 17th century, embroiderers had access to an unparalleled variety of threads—something we can only dream of today. This box brings you a piece of that history, with one shipment of carefully curated materials.
Many of the threads included are part of a limited manufacturing run, with any leftover stock being available only after the Frostings Box has shipped. These threads are provided in 'useful' quantities, similar to what would be sold retail, not as samples. For example, a specialized gimp will come in 2-meter lengths, while trims will range from 18 inches to 1 yard. These lengths have been chosen to allow for versatile use across different areas of your work, reflecting how these threads were originally used in 17th-century embroidery.
Each box will be shipped via first-class mail to all regions.
Why Make a Mystery Box?
When creating a new thread, there’s a minimum production amount required, driven by factors like thread construction, dyeing, and manufacturing capabilities. The distributor or teacher who orders it must commit to paying for the entire batch upfront. To make it viable, more than half of the batch must be sold to recoup costs.
For many years, reproduction projects such as The Plimoth Jacket and my courses to reproduce embroidered caskets have allowed me to create large kits with materials, allowing me to order enough to bring back a variety of threads and materials, designed to match the colors of original embroideries. This approach worked, and we now have a broad range of threads in various colors.
But as those classes ended, I realized the flow of new materials would slow. Without a platform for new thread orders, we might only see new colors every few years. That’s when I created the Frostings Box—a way for enough people to come together to fund the first run of new threads. It would keep the supply of materials flowing, especially for ongoing large projects like the casket.
Through my travels to thread plants, I discovered unique, often unused materials—some made for museums but never distributed to needlework shops. These findings became part of the Frostings Box, offering buyers access to exclusive threads and materials. The idea is to provide useful amounts—like full retail-sized spools—not samples—tailored for 17th-century embroidery and stumpwork projects.
