Cutwork

Heritage

Traditional

Precisely cut sections of coiled wire, called purl, laid neatly over dense string padding

Material

Metal
Other

Craft

Textiles

General Technique

Surface modifying

Specific Technique

Purl is tightly coiled wire and is one of the materials used in goldwork embroidery. Cutwork is a classic and one of the main techniques purl is used for a shaped is made by couching down dense layers of string padding.

The purl is then stitched over it. The angle and length of the section of purl have to be exact as purl cannot be stretched if it is too short and will buckle if it is too long

Properties & Qualities

Application

Art Clothing Furnishing

Colour

Orange

Sample Information

Date of creation

March 2022

Culture & Context

Goldwork is a branch of embroidery, usually seen in military and ecclesiastical settings. Goldwork’s most celebrated era is usually considered to be Opus Anglicanum which took place between the 12th and 14th centuries in England.

Fine examples of goldwork can also be seen in textiles from China, Japan and France. In my own practice I use goldwork removed from its colonial and secular origins to ask what traditional artwork for a country founded in the 20th century (Ireland, 1921) might look like.

Credits

Craft Maker

Sorcha O’Raw

Library Contributor

National College of Art & Design Ireland

Photographer

Sorcha O’Raw

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