Free Pattern - Flower Over Cord Padding

 From the Encyclopaedia of Needlework by Therese de Dillmont
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20776/20776-h/chapter_6.html#Chinese_gold_embroidery

 Firstly, some backgrovnd information :

Gold embroidery on a foundation of cords .—In the old ecclesiastical embroideries, especially those representing the figures of saints, we often find thick whip cords used as a foundation, instead of cardboard, for the good reason that the stiff cardboard does not give such soft and rounded contours as a cord foundation, which will readily take every bend and turn that you give to it.

Lay down as many cords as are necessary to give the design the requisite thickness, in many cases up to 8 or 10 m/m. in height, taking care to lay them closely and solidly in the centre, and graduate them down at the sides and ends. When you have finished the foundation, edge it with a thick gold cord.

The heavier the design is, the thicker your padding should be, and cords a good deal thicker than those which are represented in the drawing should be used, as the more light and shade you can introduce into embroidery of this kind, the greater will be its beauty and value."

Scale stitch worked in gold thread and purl on a cord foundation (fig. 250).—Begin by covering the whole padded surface with gold or silver thread, then sew on short lengths of purl, long enough to cover six or eight threads, 2 or 3 m/m. apart, as shown in the engraving.

 These stitches in dead gold purl are then surrounded by shining or crimped purl.

Fig. 250. Scale stitch in gold thread and purl on a cord foundation.

 

You bring out the working thread to the left of the purl stitch, which you take on your needle, put the needle in on the other side, draw it out above the little stroke, and secure the crimped purl with an invisible stitch.

The Project :-


" (fig. 251).—The half finished flower, represented here, was copied from a handsome piece of ecclesiastical embroidery enriched with ornament of this kind. 

The finished portions on the left hand side, are executed in silver and gold purl, whilst the egg-shaped heart of the flower is formed of transverse threads, carried over the first padding, and secured by a stitch between the two cords.
In the subsequent row, the catching stitch is set between the cords, over which the first gold threads were carried."



Gee- not many instrvctions!

Other points :-
~ which parts are silver and which are gold.
I think the basket covching in the 'egg shaped heart' alternates gold and silver threads. 
Some elements look darker than others in the diagram - perhaps the darker color indicates gold? The even coloring in all the elements except the 'egg-shaped heart' perhaps indicates that each element is either entirely silver or gold.
~ the couched outline of the 'egg-shaped heart'.
~ the looping stitch vsed jvst ovtside the 'egg-shaped heart' is the "Scale Stitch" described above.
~ the cord used in the interior looks to be something like Grecian Twist, whilst the cord outlining the exterior elements looks to be an untwisted cord.
~ the diagonal covching on the 'tail' in the bottom middle of the piece
~ the oes decorated with pvrl