Passing Thread

Passing Thread

Passing Thread comes in 2 sizes  size 4 which is finer and Size 6. (there are other sizes but these are the main and most popular) It consists of a metal filament wrapped around a silk or synthetic core and is a very common thread used in Goldwork.

Product Summary

• Length 5 metres
• Passing is available in Gold, Silver  and in Copper
• Passing 6 available in Gold (gilt)
• Gilt has a gold content of 0.5%

Have you tried our academy for online courses? Follow the link for further information about the academy. goldwork-embroidery.com

Traditionally goldwork embroidery was worn on ecclesiastical vestments and church trappings i.e. alter frontals, pulpit falls etc. Also in Royal circles and rich aristocratic families, for them it was an ostentatious display of wealth and power.

The goldwork threads used to be pure gold and were flattened and wound around strands of animal and human hair, but because the gold was so brittle they were later wrapped around materials such as silk, animal gut, paper, or parchment. In the early days this was all done by hand, which made the cost phenomenal. The most renowned examples of English embroidery are the beautifully preserved St Cuthberts Stole and maniple which was made at the behest of Queen Aelfflaed about 901AD, it is covered completely in gold laid work and couched thread, it is displayed in Durham Cathedral.