Mabel's RSN Certificate - goldwork

[Wise Owl]

Wow that is marvellous Mabel!
Maybe that should be your new nickname Marvellous Mabel
It’s so neat, I watched a video about couching and working with gold thread and I can see your skill involved. What a great way to showcase the different textures with this project, I really can’t wait to see more.

[Squirrel]

Definitely Spaghetti Junction at the back but the front is a work of art for sure.

[Garnet]

Gosh Mabel you have made so much progress on this lovely project.

Do the examiners turn the work over and mark the back too? You are a braver woman than I am.

Well done Mabel, I would award you top marks in a heartbeat.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Fortunately not Garnet, the back gets covered up in the mounting process But the securing has to be done neatly because otherwise it will cause lumps and bumps under the backing.

[Serinde]

Looking good, Mabel. The back's pretty neat, too. Do you ever worry about the wastage rate in gold thread? It's such an expensive medium -- what do you do with the orts? (When I'm weaving, the amount of loom waste still terrifies me!)

[Mabel Figworthy]

It's not too bad actually. Wastage in goldwork comes mainly in the couched threads - the hollow wires that you treat like beads have (in theory at least) no waste at all because you cut them exactly to size. Same with pearl purl (the one the far legs are outlined in) which is the only one of the couched materials to be cut to size and not plunged (because it doesn't have a thread core).

Anything with a thread core gets plunged, so you leave at least an inch on both sides but I tend to leave a little more when I pre-cut lengths, as I did for the back where the lines are relatively short. The shorter the couched length, the greater the waste as a percentage of the length used. But in the hind leg, for example, where for the central part I'll just be going round and round and round, the plunged bits will be a relatively small percentage.

Also, I can't really think of the plunged ends as "wastage" because, well, you need to finish off in the same way that you weave the thread end in when doing cross stitch or Hardanger. You only oversew about 10 to 15mm but you do need a bit more to pull to the back so you do tend to cut off a few centimetres each time after the securing bit, and that i suppose would be the wastage. So on the whole it's fairly economical with the materials (most of the gold is definitely on the front where it is seen), to some extent dependent on the design.

Hope that helps!

[rcperryls]

Exquisite!!!

Carole

[Mabel Figworthy]

I won't say I'm on a roll, it's rather too slow progress for that , but I have actually been working on my Certificate goldwork piece two weekends in a row now. Started on Bruce's back leg, and although I can see the next bit is going to be tricky, I'm pleased with how it's working out so far. The two sticky-out ends will be plunged to the back when it's all filled in.

[Squirrel]

It is interesting watching this lovely design grow bit by bit. Well Done.

[wendywombat]

What I find so Very interesting are your 'close up' pictures.
The detail is fantastic.

[Sandz27]

Wowwww! That's amazing. I love that Kangaroo

[Steam.Jo]

I have never seen this before I am going to have to go and learn all about it, what you are doing Mable is a true inspiration to all of us

Jo

[Roland]

Breathtaking!

[Mabel Figworthy]

Thanks all
If you think he looks sparkly now, just imagine all the yellow padding bits being solid bling

[rcperryls]

I continue to be awestruck by your brilliant work! I love it!

Carole

[Mabel Figworthy]

One seriously blingy kangaroo

[Squirrel]

WOW and WOW again that is TOTALLY AWESOME.

[Serinde]

One seriously blingy kangaroo

Oh, yes. Need my shades...

[wendywombat]

Started on Bruce's back leg, and although I can see the next bit is going to be tricky, I'm pleased with how it's working out so far. The two sticky-out ends will be plunged to the back when it's all filled in.

Well you say it is going to be tricky but I think that you've executed that 'tricky' bit beautifully!

One seriously blingy kangaroo

Seriously Blingy Indeed!

[Podolyanka]

She looks quite posh already. I cant help marvelling at the neatness and accuracy of your stitches. There is so much more to your embroidery and gold work than just technique.