I’ve been an embroiderer
since childhood, and have always loved the look of Jacobean
embroidery. I have not done any due to being told that it
had to be done with the traditional wool, and I am allergic
to wool. Now here is a book after my own heart where not a
shred of wool has been used, only modern cottons, rayons and
metallic threads. The best part is (apart from the lack of
wool) that it all looks wonderful!
It all looks much like the traditional crewelwork too, only
given an updating as regards materials. If you read my review
of this author’s Crewel
Twists (also reviewed on this site) then you will
know something of what to expect. There are clear diagrams
of the stitches, an overview of materials and tools and some
beautiful and exhaustively explained projects. Each has plenty
of staged photographs as well as written instructions for
such delights as a clock, tray, stool and even a music box.
These items are available online, particularly if you also
live in South Africa. This is not a beginners? book, but it
has the sort of lush and opulent patterns that more experienced
embroiderers will welcome. You do not necessarily need to
have previous knowledge of crewelwork, but being an embroiderer
used to working through patterns and making up projects is
essential. Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the
number of useful hints at the front, from tips on washing
to advice about hoops, transferring designs, ways of working
comfortably and even spectacles. There was considerable humor
involved and a lot of common sense and some myth exploding,
all the sorts of advice to put you in the right frame of mind
for tackling some challenging and spectacular pieces of work.
Very highly recommended.
Reviews
of other titles by Hazel Blomkamp
Needle
Weaving Techniques For Hand Embroidery
Needle
Lace Techniques For Hand Embroidery
Crewel
Intentions (Fresh Ideas for Jacobean Embroidery)
Crewel
Twists (Fresh Ideas for Jacobean Embroidery)
Crewel
Creatures
If you cannot find a good range of embroidery materials locally
try www.searchpress.com for a list of suppliers.
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