Crewel--the art of embroidery with wool--is a perennial favorite with embroiderers. Here's a comprehensive and up-to-date treatment, with designs that range from the traditional to the truly innovative. All the basics are there for the beginner, including 68 stitches and 11 projects. Then, for adventuresome stitchers, there is inspiration: 55 pieces from today's most talented and best-known embroiderers.

Stitch a modern crewelwork sampler Rediscover crewel embroidery with colorful wool and cheerful designs sure to brighten any home. Jo Avery invites stitchers of all levels to take on this traditional heritage art and make projects that pop! Create texture and dimension using wool thread and felt appliqué. Stitch up flowers, honeycombs, fish, and so much more. Embroiderers, cross-stitchers, and curious crafters looking to expand their skill set will enjoy the range of hand stitches and instructional illustrations accompanying each design. Relax and unwind with this hands-on art form! 15 fresh designs breathe new life into traditional crewelwork embroidery Beginner friendly! Basic and more advanced embroidery stitches with complete illustrations Create pincushions, pillows, wallhangings, hoops, and more

Learn to create stunning needlecraft projects inspired by traditional fairy tales, including The Wizard of Oz, Karolcia, The Wild Swans, and Cinderella. This magical collection takes as its central theme a magnificent embroidery depicting the “Tree of Happiness.” Each part of the embroidery is then explored in detail through stitch diagrams, explanations of the threads used, and alternative ways of working. There are seven wonderful designs in total, each dedicated to one of Tatiana’s favorite fairy tales, and all illustrated with gorgeous photographs and informative diagrams. Over 90 stitches are described in the book, all worked using stranded cotton and cotton pearl thread rather than traditional crewel wool, which gives the embroideries a fresh, modern appeal. Whether you are new to embroidery or an experienced embroiderer looking for inspiration and expert guidance, Tatiana’s beautiful book is one you will turn to again and again. “Tatiana Popova is a major craftswoman in her art, and what she does is beautiful. She not only demonstrates the techniques of crewel, she simplifies and breakdown each design into small achievable parts.” —Postcard Reviews

History, pp. 5-29; "National [European] embroidery styles," pp. 30-43.

Precise explanations and instructions, clearly illustrated, on how to work chain, back, cross, knotted, woven stitches, and many more — 178 in all, including Cable Outline, Whipped Satin, and Eyelet Buttonhole. Over 1400 illustrations.

Whether you refer to it as crewel or Jacobean, this free form of surface embroidery has been around for centuries and is still popular amongst needle artists today. Because of the nature of the fanciful objects and the tradition of using a large variety of stitches in one project, it lends itself to endless creative expression. In this book Hazel Blomkamp uses a wide selection of materials to update techniques and inspire embroiderers to explore whilst working loosely within the confines of crewel work styles. She shows needle artists how to be creative with fabric, threads, beads and alternative stitches, borrowing techniques from other forms of needlework, and still producing a product that is typical of the crewel or Jacobean style of embroidery.The original designs include: Projects including beads and metal threads to add sparkle and texture to your work. Monochrome embroidery making use of a variety of threads and beads, all within the same colour range. Techniques employed in needle-made laces with designs defined by means of texture. More traditional embroidery including shading and satin stitch and the many variations of trellis couching to provide texture and interest. The completed embroideries are displayed in ways that are not only decorative, but are useful in the home.