The Atelier Box
The Atelier Box
Pre-order
Pre-order: ships within 2 weeks.
The Atelier Box is a complete Lunéville embroidery kit for beginners, made in London. Inside: the Lunéville hook with a Schmetz No. 70 needle, a 9 × 9 inch frame with table clamp, silk organza, French gloving thread, pre-strung French sequins and Czech beads, a practice pattern, and lifetime access to the online course.
Lunéville is the couture technique behind the beading on haute couture gowns. You work a chain stitch from the back of the fabric with a fine hook, and the sequins and beads appear on the front in neat, fluid lines. The course shows every step, from stretching the organza to your first finished motif, and if you get stuck you send me a photo and I answer myself.
When you are ready for a real design, the printed patterns and their materials come separately as Design Packs.
No experience needed. Everything in one box, from London, worldwide.
What customers say
★★★★★
“What a lovely package to recieve it was beautifully put together. I love how you have everything you need. Also would like to add the lady has been so helpful I sent a WhatsApp message to her and she responded almost instantly. I haven't started the project yet but it comes with an online course to make life easier when I do. Highly recommend”
Louise W.· Verified buyer
The Atelier Box
Inside the box
Easy-clip mini frame · 9 × 9 in
With cotton tapes and a table clamp. Made in England.
Silk organza
Pure silk, a classic ground for Lunéville embroidery.
Lunéville hook
Wooden holder with a high-quality Schmetz No. 70 needle.
Fil à gant
The French gloving thread used in couture ateliers.
Sequins & beads for practice
Pre-strung: the finest French sequins and Czech beads.
Pins, pliers & pen
Everything else you need, with a heat-erasable pen to trace your design.
A practice pattern
To learn on with the pre-strung sequins and beads. Design patterns come separately as Design Packs.
The online course
Every technique, step by step, to watch at your pace.
My support on WhatsApp
Send me a photo, I answer you myself.
practise first, then order the materials for your design
How it works
Three steps to your first design
- 1
Learn
Watch the course and set up your frame. Every technique is shown step by step.
- 2
Practise
Work with the pre-strung sequins and beads until the chain stitch feels natural.
- 3
Choose your design
Pick Silver, Red Leaves or Chrysanthemum and order its Design Pack when you are ready.
The online course
What you’ll learn
Lifetime access. Watch at your own pace, as many times as you like.
- 1
Setting up
Stretching organza on the frame and setting the needle in the hook.
- 2
The chain stitch
Exercises, directions, starting and finishing, turning corners and point tiré.
- 3
Working with materials
Transferring a motif, then adding beads, crystals and sequins.
- 4
Finishing
Correcting mistakes, setting crystals, the zig-zag stitch for appliqué edges, and a whole design from start to end.
I am with you
Three designs
Ready for your first project
Each design comes as a Design Pack, with its printed pattern and materials, so you can choose the one you love once you feel ready.
practise first, then choose
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Silver Materials pack · £35.00 -
Red Leaves Materials pack · £35.00 -
Chrysanthemum
Questions
Before you begin
Is it suitable for complete beginners?
Yes. The box is made for beginners. The course starts from the very beginning, with setting up the frame and holding the hook.
How do I access the online course?
Your course is kept in your account on this website, with lifetime access.
- Scan the QR code inside your box, or tap Log in at the top of this website.
- Enter the email address you used for your order.
- You'll receive a 6-digit code by email (check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive). Enter it to log in. There is no password to remember.
- Once you're in, you'll see two tabs: Orders and Courses. Open Courses to start your lessons.
Any trouble logging in, just message me and I'll help straight away.
What is Lunéville embroidery?
A couture technique worked with a fine hook. You make a chain stitch from the back of the fabric and feed sequins and beads from underneath, so they appear on the front in neat, fluid lines. It is how the embroidery for haute couture gowns is made.
Are the materials for the designs included?
The box includes a practice pattern and pre-strung sequins and beads to practise on. Each design comes separately as a Design Pack, with its printed pattern and materials, so you can choose the one you love once you feel ready.
Do I need anything else?
Not to learn. Everything for practising is in the box, and the frame clamps to any table, so both your hands are free. For a finished design, add its Design Pack.
What can I make with it?
Start on sheer fabrics: organza, tulle, mesh, or a sheer piece of clothing. As you gain confidence you can embroider almost anything. The course also shows how to finish the edges of an appliqué, so you can sew your motif onto any garment. Advanced embroiderers work by feel on thicker fabrics, or in the Aari style.
How long do I have access to the course?
Forever. Watch it at your own pace, as many times as you like.
I am left-handed. Can I learn?
Yes, of course.
What if I get stuck?
Send me a photo on WhatsApp and I will answer you myself.
Where do you ship?
Worldwide, including the EU (except Germany, Spain and Austria for now). Orders ship from London within 2–3 working days. See shipping for prices.
Why is the price different outside the UK?
Because duties and taxes are already in it. Outside the UK, the price and delivery you pay at checkout include the import duties, taxes and customs handling for your country, so there is nothing extra to pay when the parcel arrives. In the UK you see the plain price, as there are no import charges.
Can I return it?
Yes, within 14 days of receiving it. Just submit the return form.
Can I give it as a gift?
Yes. Add the recipient’s email in the order notes, so I can give them access to the course.
The history
Lunéville embroidery
from India to Paris
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16th century Origins
Lunéville embroidery grew from tambour work, which began in India in the 16th century as Aari: continuous chain stitches made with a fine hook on fabric stretched over a drum-like frame. The technique travelled west through Persia and reached Europe in the 18th century.
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Early–mid 18th century France
Madame de Pompadour embraced the technique and made it fashionable as “point de Pompadour”. Around 1810 it reached Lunéville, where the embroiderers took it up and refined it.
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1810 – 1865 The Lunéville stitch
Lunéville’s embroiderers worked the hook on cotton tulle, creating delicate white work that looked like fine lace without the labour of lace-making. It became known as Point Lunéville.
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From 1865 Beads and sequins
Louis Ferry-Bonnechaux, the mayor of Lunéville, devised a new method: beads and sequins pre-strung on long hanks and caught into the chain stitch from the back of the fabric. This is why they are still sold pre-strung today.
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Late 19th century onwards Lunéville embroidery today
It became a hallmark of French evening wear and reached a peak in the 1920s. From the 1950s it found new life in Paris couture houses such as Dior and Chanel, where the hook and the chain stitch are still essential tools.
Kind words
In their words
thank you
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The beads themselves are absolutely beautiful. Lovely quality. Fabulous shimmery colours. Great to stitch.
Lesley M.Caviar vintage beads -
What can I say? A piece of history!
Nicola B.Hartnell archive beads -
I can’t fault the service. Everything from timely delivery to the scent emanating from the box.
Bracken H.