Custom Commissions
A custom commission turns a photograph, a painting or even a colour palette into a single hand-stitched silk piece. No two commissions are alike, because the shading is decided by an embroiderer rather than a printer.
What makes a good source image
The best references have a clear focal subject, good light and a limited number of competing details. Portraits of pets, a favourite flower, a garden view, a family crest or a traditional ink painting all work well. Very dark, low-resolution or heavily filtered images lose the mid-tones that silk shading needs, so we usually ask for the original file rather than a screenshot.
- Subjects that shine: cats and koi, peonies and plum blossom, birds, landscape and architectural details.
- Subjects to discuss first: very fine text, tiny repeated patterns, or photographs with heavy motion blur.
- Useful extras: the room where it will hang, the frame style you prefer, and any colours to avoid.
The process, step by step
1. Brief and quotation. You send the image, desired size and framing preference. We confirm feasibility, suggest a composition and quote before anything is started.
2. Outline and shade plan. The design is adapted to the proportions of the silk, the outline is transferred to the stretched ground, and the embroiderer selects the graded silk shades. You see a photograph of this stage.
3. Hand stitching — about three months. One embroiderer works the piece from start to finish. We send progress photographs at the ground-work, mid-shading and detail stages so you can see the piece emerging and comment on anything important while it is still possible to adjust.
4. Finishing and dispatch. The panel is cleaned, mounted or framed, photographed in daylight, packed in a protective wooden crate and shipped with tracking and insurance.
What a commission is not
It is not a print transferred onto fabric, and it is not machine embroidery with a personalised image. Both exist and both are much faster and cheaper. A hand-stitched commission is chosen when the point is the object itself: the light moving across real silk, the slight irregularity of the stitches, and the fact that one person spent a season making it.
Timing and planning
Because of the stitching time, commissions for a specific date — an anniversary, a house-warming, a seasonal gift — should be started well in advance. If you have a deadline, tell us at the brief stage; we can often adjust size or complexity to fit it honestly rather than promising an impossible schedule.
Ready to discuss an idea? Send us your image and brief. For more on value and provenance, see Buying Real Handwork.