Brimming with intricate drawings, color photos, and excerpts from 18th-century writings, this enthralling book is your passport to a bygone age. Fashion and textiles lecturer Gail Marsh offers insights into the lives of 18th-century embroiderers; their equipment, stitches, and threads; and techniques such as working with metal thread and spangles, silk embroidery, tambour, and the forgotten arts of Hollie Point and knotting. A must-have for historical costume creators, collectors, and needlework enthusiasts.

This title offers a detailed and illustrated study examining stitches, threads, techniques and the embroiderers of the period. The author delves into the archives to research the personalities, varied and unusual techniques and tools that hand-embroiderers used in the period 1900-1939, before the outbreak of World War II.

Enchanting Embroidery Designs invites you to create your own world using bright thread colors and imaginative stitches. Full of motifs that are both simple and playful, from zany crocodiles, and cuddly cats to big-eared bats and stealthy ravens. This book invites you to be creative with its whimsical designs and step-by-step instructions--whether you use these projects as visible mending techniques or simply to add interest to a piece. The sweet scenes and cute characters are full of life and texture, making them at home on your favorite clothing, home accessories or wall hangings. The unusual and versatile designs in this book include: Cheery flowers on a broach Pretty pine trees on hanging ornaments A colorful curly sheep Fluffy and stormy clouds Bushy-tailed foxes Moss on stone and microorganisms in Petri dishes And more! Simple how-tos take you through every recommended stitch, while a section on combining colors will inspire you to try mixing and matching to create something new. There's also a section on turning your stitchery into embellishments you can use, wear and share. Put your imagination and hands to work with the help of this inspiring embroidery book.

“A spectacular encyclopedia of embroidery, sharing valuable techniques passed down through the generations . . . you’ll wonder how you ever worked without it.” —Sew Magazine Enjoy the tranquility of slow stitching with this step-by-step, visual guide to 149 embroidery stitches, motifs, and extras. Go beyond basic color theory–robust color charts take the guesswork out of choosing thread, silk ribbon, buttons, beads, and trims. Then take your embroidery to the next level with luxurious seam treatments and stunning stand-alone designs. Bestselling author Christen Brown’s traditional and contemporary techniques are showcased in a colorful gallery of crazy-quilted projects. “An overview of embroidery stitches and techniques as well as inspiration for embroidery projects . . . She dissects several of her pieces, summarizing the color palette, decorative elements, and stitches used.” —Library Journal

An introduction to the sixteenth century embroidery technique in which beautiful patterns are created by stitching geometric designs onto evenweave fabric. Inspired by the past, Lesley Wilkins illustrates her techniques with a whole host of wonderful designs flowers, plants, birds, animals and figures. She covers everything from the materials to use and working with a chart, to getting started and how to stitch. Patterns are created by small stitched units which are combined in many different ways some heavily textured, some delicate and light. Borders can be built up by repeating and joining motifs. Clear step-by-step photographs accompany the author’s comprehensive instructions, and the motifs, borders, fill-in patterns and images are all charted, with inspirational pictures of embroideries showing how to build up finished designs. “The designs in this book are amazing. Some are very simple and others have a look of intricacy in them. There are figures, flowers, borders and much much more, this gives a lot of inspiration if you want to design your own piece.” —Postcard Reviews “A comprehensive book about the blackwork technique, covering the materials to use, how to use a chart, getting started and what designs we could do.” —Mr X Stitch

This rare treasury of original embroidery designs dates from early days of the Republic. Nearly 200 beautiful and functional floral, vine, and basket motifs are featured in repeat patterns, spot designs, and more. While most of the patterns were probably intended for use with silk threads, several are particularly effective worked in wool.