Originally, spreuers were worked between a series of headless nails fixed in a piece of wood. By the end of the twentieth century, metal dog combs or onion combs were often used instead. Once dried, spreuers are often sewn or couched down onto a cloth or net ground as part of a larger, floral design.
See also: Swiss straw work.
Source: FITCH, Barbara (1998). Decorative Straw Craft: Swiss Straw Work, Embroidery and Marquetry, Tunbridge Wells: Search Press, pp. 26-27.
Digital source of illustration (retrieved 9th July 2016).
GVE