Goldwork outline

I've outlined the appliqué cross with couched Japanese passing thread no. 8 in gold, or Jap gold for short. I used two threads at a time; I don't cut the threads, but leave them on the reel, or reels, as I use two at once. This both cuts down on wastage (this stuff costs money!) and gives a neater finish as there are only two sets of ends - at the start and the finish of the whole thing - that need to be finished off.

Once all the way round helped neaten the edges of the velvet cross off nicely, but hardly showed up from a distance. Twice all round looked better, but still lacked impact. Three times round I'm happy with - it stands out, but doesn't look over the top.

That's not a good photo (the lighting's terrible), so here's a detail that shows it a bit better:

So, that's six Jap gold threads laid next to one another, couched two at a time, all the way round.