The Threads that Bind
Penny Muncaster-Jewell


Using a combination of bias fabric making and innovative draping and designing on the fly, this dress is made completely of thread lace, and symbolizes the strong and long relationship between the US and Britain. It also symbolizes the love between my US Husband and the Brit (Me.)

I started with a simple rectangle that is half US flag and half Union Jack, this was then draped, darted, and sewn to create this original dress. The thread lace was made completely on the embroidery machine using my original technique. The thread lace was then “pieced” to create the flags. The stars (with stars within) are my own digitized design and were created on the embroidery machine (and yes there are 50). The thread lace fabric is created on water-soluble stabilizer (WSS). The whole garment was completed and flung in the washer to remove the wss. (With some wine and prayers.)

Approximately 20,000 yards of thread was used including an opalescent Sulky sliver thread to give the garment its shimmer quality.


The Sky is not the limit, nor are the stars. It’s your imagination!