Embroidery
Issue March/April
Hazel Blomkamp packs two decades of experience as a designer and teacher of Jacobean embroidery into this book, which presents six crewel embroidery projects for the home. Blomkamp was the first to update her approach to crewel work by using beads, cotton, rayon and metallic embroidery threads, rather than crewel wool, and incorporates other forms of needlework and materials into her designs, which would suit a more experienced stitcher.
www.karenplatt.co.uk
Jacobean embroidery designs with a twist. Fresh projects are the core of this interesting embroidery design book. Interesting stitch and beads contribute to these fascinating modern designs. Creative freeform crewel embroidery to entice anyone who loves stitch. Contents include: Introduction, Materials, Stitch Gallery and Beading Techniques, Thread conversion chart, template designs, needle-made lace and creative traditional work. Clear technique and stitch images accompany the stitch gallery. Each stitch project shows the materials needed including fabrics, needles, threads and beads. The designs look quite complicated but since instructions are given for all component parts, you could, for example, just work one flower. Beautiful designs from an accomplished embroiderer.
Firstly, this is a reprint of a book that originally appeared back in 2012 so if you have a book by the same title you already own this book. I confess to being wowed all over again by it, and remember that this was the first book I ever saw that suggested you could do crewel/Jacobean embroidery without using wool. I have been a keen embroiderer for years and despite loving the look of this type of work I had never attempted it because I am allergic to wool. Several embroidery experts told me many times that you have to work this style in wool, but this always seemed a poor reason. Fortunately rules are made to be broken, and this book does just that and in grand style!
