Haute Couture Floral Embellishment

Location: This course is delivered via Zoom & WhatsApp. Please click here for guides to using Zoom & WhatsApp

Duration: 6 Week Embroidery Course (1 x 2.5 hour session per week for 6 consecutive weeks) 

Join us for our 6 Week Haute Couture Florals embroidery course and learn the techniques that sit at the heart of couture embroidery.

Over six weeks you’ll build a floral design step by step. We start with transferring your design onto silk organza then move into silk shading (thread painting). You’ll learn how to blend threads to create natural shading, how to work colour over a floral base and how to reverse the colourway to see how this changes the look of the embroidery.

From there you’ll add more techniques to build depth. We’ll cover metal thread embroidery to add structure and highlight details and bead embroidery to give texture and finish. Each stage will show you how these elements combine to create the layered surfaces you see in couture work.

By the end of the course you’ll have a strong foundation in couture floral embroidery. You’ll understand how to take a design from first transfer through to layered finishes and you’ll have the skills to apply these techniques to your own future projects.

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This course takes its lead from haute couture florals, drawing on the lavish rose and peony motifs favoured by designers such as Elie Saab, Giambattista Valli and Erdem. These designers are known for creating layers of delicate flowers that feel light and almost three-dimensional, using colour repetition and subtle shading to bring depth and movement to each petal.

For this course we have chosen a soft pastel palette of pinks and creams layered over ivory silk organza to give the embroidery a floating quality. You will work with thread shading and careful placement of sequins and beads to build texture and bring the roses and peonies to life.

The design is about understanding how couture florals are constructed. You will explore the principles exploring how repetition and variation create natural movement and how different textures can give a sense of light and shadow. By the end of the course you will have a deeper understanding of how couture embroidery works and the skills to apply these ideas to your own projects.

Embroidery has always been at the heart of haute couture, adding texture detail and a sense of luxury to fashion. In this course we focus on hand embellishment and silk shading, the techniques that bring delicate layered florals to life. You’ll learn how to blend threads, build texture and add subtle highlights with beads and sequins so roses and peonies really stand out on the fabric.

Hand-stitched floral embroidery has long been a key part of luxury fashion. Designers use shading layering and embellishment to give flowers movement and depth, turning decoration into something that interacts with light and shows structure.

Designers like Elie Saab Giambattista Valli and Erdem are known for layering roses and peonies in soft pastels to create lightness and refinement. Their work shows how hand embroidery and silk shading can combine technical skill with artistry to create depth texture and colour variation.

In this course you’ll put these techniques into practice. You’ll explore thread shading layering and hand-applied embellishment to build texture and dimension, giving you the skills to create detailed couture-style florals in your own embroidery work.

• You will begin by learning how to transfer your design onto fabric using a traditional transfer method. We will be using an ivory piece of silk organza, which is ideal for practicing couture embroidery techniques.

• The course starts with preparing a base to work your silk shading into. You will use stitching techniques to stabilise the fabric and ensure a smooth surface for your embroidery.

• Next, you will learn the fundamentals of stitch direction for silk shading (thread painting). You will start by drawing the design onto your template or fabric, or both, to understand how silk shading works. You will then follow this through with hand embroidery, exploring long and short stitch techniques to build depth and colour variation.

• Once your silk shading is complete, you will learn how to enhance your threadwork with gold metal threads. You will explore the characteristics of each material and how to use them effectively to achieve the best result.

• You will also learn how to add further detail and texture with a range of beading techniques.

• Finally, you will explore additional techniques to enrich your piece, including padded satin stitch, stem stitch, couching, crystal applique and more, giving your embroidery depth, dimension and a couture finish.

• All course materials will be sent directly to you. You will need a 10-inch seat frame, or an equivalent embroidery or slate frame, to use during the class. You will also need to provide your own basic embroidery equipment, such as scissors, needle threaders and a daylight lamp, according to your individual needs. 

• When you book the course, we will send you our Embroidery Essentials document, which outlines all the tools and equipment you might want to have ready to get the most out of your learning experience.

• A recording of each course session will be sent to you within one week of the session. You will then be able to keep and refer to this recording indefinitely.