Silk and Gold work

Silk and gold work is often associated with traditional ecclesiastical church embroidery, used to embellish church furnishings such as altar cloths and vestments.

These two rich techniques complement and adorn each other well and can be used in designs of crosses, flowers and medieval figures as well as more contemporary work. Or Nué, or colour over gold, is another gold work couching technique, where coloured silk threads are couched over the metal gold threads, forming a pattern or design. The gold metal threads lay parallel, and are revealed through the more open couched stitches, with other areas of the design more densely stitched.