If
you have seen needle weaving and fancied a go at it but wondered
how it was done, this is the book for you. This book is easy
to work from because it has a spiral spine and stays obligingly
flat while you get to grips with the projects. I say projects
but the forty patterns in here are the needle weaving equivalent
of embroidery stitches and you will need an application for
them. If you are a total beginner to the rich and involving
world of embroidery, this would not be a good place to start,
but if you are more experienced and want to fill spaces with
interesting textures there are plenty in here. All are variations
of the same simple weaving technique which uses a needle instead
of a shuttle, and are not hard to master.
The book opens with a page of tips and basic information,
how to get started and read the patterns. Have a go first
at single weaving with one thread, progress to double and
then a combination of the two before trying out some more
involved patterns. There are checks and stripes in the main
part to start, but then you can progress to some more complex
and larger patterns. One of these includes musical notes,
while others have a texture to them, and there are also some
flat braids to make for edgings. I remember making one of
these for a hair band when I was a child so they can be quite
versatile. Each pattern is shown in color with warp and weft
threads differing for easy reading; written instructions are
kept to a minimum and can easily be worked out. They use a
simple code (eg 02, U1 = go over the first two stitches, go
under the next one) and have a table showing how many threads
you need of each color and how many rows until you repeat
the pattern. Each pattern also shows a couple of small inset
photographs of how the pattern can be used. A useful book
that got to the point quickly and soon had me weaving away
like a pro!
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
visit www.searchpress.com for a list of suppliers.
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