Goldwork: a beginner's guide
Embroidery with metal threads, mostly couched.
- Goldwork is embroidery using metal threads. The name is used even for imitation gold, silver or copper.
- It is always surface embroidery: most metal threads are laid on the fabric and held by a second, finer thread (couching).
- Thread ends are cut off or taken to the back and secured.
- Padding is often used underneath to give depth.
- Today's threads are mostly imitation metals, which makes the craft more affordable.
Watch
Goldwork embroidery for beginners - Introduction & felt padding. Goldwork flosstube tutorial (5:37)
By Sarah Homfray Embroidery · Open on YouTube
Chosen from its title and channel: a 5-minute video from Sarah Homfray Embroidery on the same topic as this guide. Embedded from YouTube with credit; we don't host it. It only loads when you press play.
All guides ›Goldwork
Sources
All checked 1 November 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.