Adventures in Or Nue

Or Nue is a beautiful, historical style of embroidery that uses couched metal threads to create designs on the fabric.  Because of the metal threads, there is big wow factor with Or Nue projects.  My first real project experimenting with Or Nue, was a glove cuff.  (Forgive the small picture, I had to snap it on the run.)



Because this glove turned out so well, I have decided to make another glove cuff with my personal device and motto in Or Nue.  This is a special gift project, though I am tempted to keep it for myself : )

The first step was to decide on a pattern design.  The background design of gold will be couched with a geometric design of intersecting diagonal lines, in purple couching thread.  My motto, "virtus tentamine gaudet" (strength revels in the challenge,) will be embroidered in purple thread with a simple satin stitch, on a background of silver couched thread.  My device, itself, will have a silver tower with wings, on top of a shield of purple and black threads, embroidered in chain stitching. 

This is a project with heavy embroidery, and as such, it needs a heavy ground fabric.  I chose a black moleskin fabric, to match the black, leather glove that the cuff will be attached to.  I have found that iron-on fusible webbing acts to support heavy embroidery, and can be the background for transferring the pattern onto the fabric. 

Finally, I chose to use DMC embroidery floss for the black and purple threads, and Kreinik's Japan thread #5 for the gold and silver. 

I started this project 4 months ago, but due to work explosions, was not able to work on it as steadily as I would have liked.  My next post will have pictures of my progress, and more intensive explanations on how this embroidery is stitched.