If Jacobean embroidery conjures
up images of wool worked stylized flowers on 17th century
upholstery then think again; this book brings it into the
21st century. The stitches are the same but instead of wool
these projects are worked in cotton, silk, metallic and synthetic
threads and adorned with glass and crystal beads. The subjects
are all creatures – six gloriously decorated subjects
from the author’s native South Africa.
I was told for years that Jacobean embroidery had to be worked
in wool. Because of my allergy, I was unable to do it but
then I obtained copies of this author’s Crewel Twists
and Crewel Intentions and discovered that it had joined the
modern era. The rule book had been thrown away and I was free
to use any thread I wanted and use the stitches for any subject
I fancied – great! This third book shows how the stitches
can adorn wildlife, with beautiful Jacobean flowers decorating
an ostrich, owl, cobra, rhino, elephant, and tortoise. If
you are unfamiliar with the stitches there are several pages
of diagrams and descriptions; some of which are the same or
similar to those used in freestyle embroidery. There are useful
tips about what to get, how to wash your work, what cloth,
threads and beads to buy and a list of tools. As well as the
stitches there are pages of the detached 3D beaded elements
and how to sew on stones, single beads and how to work needlelace
and needleweaving. As you can gather this is very much a book
aimed at the intermediate and the upper skill level of the
embroiderer. The clear diagrams and pages of detailed instructions
that accompany each picture make it more doable and an absorbing
project for anybody who wants a good sized ambitious piece
to work on. Each chapter features a picture of the finished
work plus close-ups of various details, the finished size,
lists of everything you need plus many pages of instructions.
The results are gorgeous and should impress just about anybody
who sees them. Turn to the back for the outline patterns which
require resizing and a list of the author’s other books
from Search Press. A beautiful, inspiring and imaginative
set of projects for any embroider up for an enjoyable challenge.
If you cannot find a good range of embroidery materials and
beads locally try www.searchpress.com for a list of suppliers.
Reviews of other titles by this author
Crewel
Twists
Crewel
Intentions
Needle
Lace Techniques For Hand Embroidery
Needle
Weaving Techniques For Hand Embroidery
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