Back in 2021, I took the Moroccan Tile tambour class with Sarah Rickards, which was part of the RSN (Royal School of Needlework) 2021 International Summer School.
It was my first time with tambour embroidery. Perhaps it was a little ambitious for my first time. Maybe that’s why it took me 2 years to finish it!
Tambour embroidery, which is also known by the names below, is performed with not a needle but a hook. It is done on organdy (the see through fabric) and stitched from the wrong side (the back.)
- Tambour de Lunéville
- Crochet de Lunéville
- Tambour embroidery
Hook for tambour de Lunéville embroidery
The petals are appliqué. The stitching is done on the wrong side.
Picture of the right side. The sequins are attached around the appliqué petals to cover the edge.
Because it is done from the wrong side, all the beads or sequins are threaded through the working thread. The end is secured to the fabric and the rest of the thread is in a spool.
I stitched the center petals in satin stitch using a regular needle. I could not get the tambour stitches to look flat.
It is a beautiful project. Learning to make the basic chain stitch was hard work, it took lots of practice. Taking the chain stitch to attach sequins and beads was also very hard: I had to learn to keep the sequin or bead against the fabric while I twisted the thread around the hook–lots of practice.
This type of embroidery is what is used in haut couture gowns, the ones that look frothy because of the tulle or organdy skirts and bodices with the shimmering beads and sequins.
Share this:
Empty Thimble 