White work or candlewicking

Are these a similar technique and the candlewicking just with fatter cotton thread?

Here is a short article on candlewicking from

-Shannon

Well, I suppose you could put candlewicking into the whitework genre. It is, after all, in its widest sense white-on-white embroidery. Although candlewicking is off-white, not pure white.

But no, candlewicking isn't just the use of thicker thread. Mountmellick uses thick thread on a specific ground (cotton satin jean). For candlewicking, it's the use of knots (or tufts) to create the outline of geometric shapes. Think quilting designs, only using big knots.

Sometimes candlewicking incorporates colorful surface embroidery as a centerpiece to the knot (or tuft) work. It's rare to see the tufting today. Most all of candlewicking is knotted work, either with Fr. knots or colonial knots.

Dianne

Whitework is a whole genre of stitching including candlewicking, Hardanger, Mountmellick, many forms of pulled and drawn thread, Ayrshire... etc

Whitework means white thread on white fabric. But the actual technique can vary widely. Some of the techniques I've listed above are counted (you position all the stitches in specific places in the holes between the threads), and some are surface work (anywhere you like regardless of the fabric weave).

Candlewicking is basically white on white, though really cream, but we could stretch to put it in the whitework genre.

If you would like an example of a candlewicking project to look at, go to the Country Bumpkin website and find Issue 45 of Inspirations. There is a candlewicked cushion in there that I designed. In the same issue there is my Hardanger hand towel, so you can compare the two - both whitework, but both very different techniques and effects.

Any more questions, just ask!

Yvette Stanton, Vetty Creations Author of "Elegant Hardanger Embroidery" 2002, 2005, and "Mountmellick Embroidery: Inspired by Nature" 2004

Dianne Do you have any clue WHY IT IS called Candlewicking ????? mirjam