How are Silk Purls Used?

Short pieces of silk wrapped purl are cut and then a needle is
threaded through with thread to tie them down with a short stitch to make
them loop up.

Silk Purls can be used in many different ways and they make amazing texture on pieces of embroidery.

They can be couched down to give a high contrast to an area or to make a really cool looking tree trunk.

One of the most common ways is to cut short lengths and make them into loops on the fabric and then overlap the to fill shapes.

Jacobean flowers were a common shape that would be filled in this way.

Silk Wrapped Purls couched and using loops to make a flower shape on a mirror frame at MET

The grass under her feet are silk wrapped purls
 in loops that are standing up 

Stuart Silk Purl Flower

I just taught this course in person at Winterthur - Stuart Silk Purl Flower - and it will be an online class after the 1st of the year.  There were extra materials manufactured and I can squeeze out a small course run for those who didn't get into Winterthur - especially those overseas.

If you have never tried the silk wrapped purls and want to know what all the fuss is about and how to use/handle them properly, this is a great small project.