NeedlenThread.com» Mary Corbet’s Needle ‘N Thread
2011-06-16 09:57:05-04 Gold Threads and Pearl Embroidery Yesterday, I showed you some stunning beadwork embroidery worked by Larissa Borodich, and today, I’ll show you another gorgeous piece she did, worked with gold threads and natural freshwater pearls. I’ll also tell you a little bit about Larissa’s technique. And then…. and then…. later on, I’ll tell you something else. Something incredible about the pieces that I’m showing you… but I want to see if you can guess the last detail! This is Larissa’s second frame, also designed by Irina Rudneva. Irina is self-taught at her art. Larissa explained, “Once she could lay her hands on an antique piece – pearl framework. She was so impressed by it that she decided to try and do something like that herself, and she started her research: museums, books on art, even Sothebys catalogs! And she did it!” Irena won two awards from the Bead & Button Bead Dreams Competition this past year (for this beaded collar), so we know she taught herself well!

Larissa told me a little bit about her ventures into this kind of needlework: “I was doing cross-stitch for several years (kits and patterns), and although I still enjoy cross-stitch and tent stitch a lot, I cannot say that there is a lot of creativity in following a ready-made pattern. So I was just admiring other types of embroidery from afar. But since I found your site and then following your links to different sites, I thought that maybe I can try more than just cross stitch. And since then, things started to happen. As if different puzzle pieces were coming together, fitting into a new picture for me. I found Irina Rudneva, I started learning traditional pearl embroidery. I bought goldwork supplies and kits and books (after I read your reviews and visited the sites you recommended) and now I am trying to create something new myself. My next frame will be in goldwork.

Don’t you love hearing when one interest in needlework leads to another? Larissa’s analogy of the puzzle is perfect! For most needleworkers, I imagine that this is how they find their niche, by all the pieces falling into place: by being inspired by something seen, and by falling in love with something they have the courage to try.

Larissa worked the pearl framework on two layers of linen fabric, topped with one layer of gold-colored polyester satin. She used freshwater pearls of various sizes, the smallest corresponding to beads smaller than size 15. She padded the leaves of the flowers with three layers of satin stitch, using three strands of DMC floss, and then applied the beads by first stringing one thread with them, then couching on each side of every pearl. She also used gold cord, gold purl, pearl purl, and rhinestones as accents.

I’m fairly certain that the embroidery is designed and stitched, and then the mat is cut, but I’ll have to let Larissa answer that question (which Gail posed in yesterday’s comments).

Beautiful, beautiful work, isn’t it? If you’re like me, your mind is spinning with possibilities!

Now, there’s one more aspect to both of Larissa’s pieces that I think worth pointing out… but you know, I’m going to leave that for a bit. Can you guess what it is? When looking at her work, did anything in particular strike you, as a point of curiosity? It struck me – so I asked her, and I was right. Any guesses?

Thank you, Larissa, for sharing your gorgeous work! And I can’t wait to see what you come up with, for a goldwork frame!