The Right Tools - Mellore for Goldwork

Mellore -- This tool is used primarily in traditional goldwork. When you need to nudge a thread into place, use the mellore. When you need to make the stiff gold bend into a nice tight turn, use the mellore. When you need to straighten a recalcitrant thread, use the mellore.

The sharp point can be used like an awl but mostly the edges of the mellore are used to persuade the stiff metal threads to behave. The edges are gently curved to allow the persuasion without damaging the fragile metal threads.

My mellore is from the Royal School and is sterling silver. I had a hole drilled in the end to allow me to put a lanyard through to attach it to my kit. I also had it engraved with my initials; as a class room full of mellores can lead to them wandering around. It is my third hand and my goldwork would not be the same without it.

Costume College Recap & 15th Anniversary

Details on my LJ since most of my costuming friends are there. I have pictures of Will and I and a bit about our activities. Enjoy!

http://broider-barones.livejournal.com/

Running with Fiber

Running fast these days - but what's new with that :)
I am trying to take a fiber break every day - knit, embroider, etc.

Had a blast at the Griffin Dyeworks Retreat. We made the right choice to motel even with the 20 minute drive to site. My sinuses, my body, and my general diet health was better by having options not available at site. Even managed to get Will excited about the dyeing :) Drove down Thursday - Fri/Sat/Sun went to camp :) - Sun evening family time with Will's Mom - home Monday. Nice amount of time really away!

Tie Dye Indigo - can't keep my hands out of the dye pots and overdyeing is even better :)


Cochineal - LOVE the color you can get

Mushroom - who knew about the reds and golds, but I was late to the party and all that was left was brown :(

Lichen - one was a yellow/gold and the other yellow/green that is a brilliant chartreuse.

Chemical dyes - using resists, overdyes, and "dust dyes". I now know how most of the colored roving I buy has been done. I know how to choose better and when it is worth paying the $$ or doing it myself. I also know more about blending the roving to spin.

I am not a chemist so having dye pots I can just play in rocks!

Learned to spin thick & thin intentionally and add in additional "accent" threads.

More Pictures on Facebook

The Right Tools - Needles for Embroidery

One of the things I don't get asked is what are the right tools. The right tools and the right materials make embroidery fun and a whole lot easier. Makes me wonder when I see people "just making do" or look at a needle curiously when I put it into a kit.

The Right Needle for the Job:
Not so long ago I would just pick up the needle that felt right or could make do for the job at hand. No longer! There is a lot to learn about needles - the shaft diameter, overall length of the needle, the eye type, etc. Just as having the "wrong" end of the thread in your needle makes for knots, having the wrong eye on the needle or wrong diameter for the needle, makes passing the thread through your fabric harder or destructive to your thread.

Some of the learning comes from experience. However, there is one tool which I think can help. As most of you know, I usually don't endorse anything but there are exceptions and this is one. The Valley Quail Chapter of EGA puts out a Needle Index. This spiral bound book has information about most types of needles - pictures of them so you can determine their number/size, words about what they do best, and a piece of felt to place your needles. It runs under $10 and many local needlework shops carry them. Or you can get them from Needle In a Haystack .

The other thing I am quickly learning is that the quality of the needle makes a difference. While I like gold or titanium needles, they are not as necessary to me as a well made steel needle. Yes I used to buy "cheap" needles for kits, but not any longer. The cheap needles wear on your thread, have burrs which marr the fabric, and dull faster. Unfortunately some of the larger needle companies have taken to outsourcing the production of their needles. Now I look at each package to make sure that they are made in England or France.

The one exception is the handmade and specialty Japanese needles. These are a true luxury. In the US they are available through the Japanese Embroidery Center . They too have very specific jobs which they perform beautifully if you are doing certain types of goldwork or fine silk "painting" embroidery.

As you may have guessed by now, this will be a periodic series of columns about tools. If you are curious about a particular tool or type of embroidery and its tools - leave a comment. Hopefully this series will help some of you overcome issues which have kept your embroidery from being the best it can be.

A Very Special Weekend

This weekend I was admitted into the highest Arts order for my medieval hobby in recognition for my embroidery - the Order of the Laurel. Details of the weekend can be found on my Live Journal post .

There are pictures linked to my Facebook page as well. I know more will follow. At some point I will do a webpage with all the info and picture summary, but for now...