Recycling is one of the hottest new trends in embroidery, and this is the first book to cover it. Embroiderers recycle for many different reasons: to conserve old pieces of ephemera for the future, to give their work a personal touch, to convey meaning, or simply for economy. Covering both hand and machine embroidery, this book is packed with ideas for using many different types of salvaged material, such as fabric, paper, nature's materials including dried flowers and tree bark, plus plastic, wood and metal waste, and precious personal objects such as broken jewellery or special souvenirs. Illustrated in colour throughout with work from the world's leading contemporary embroiderers, the book covers : Introduction: Why recycle? • How to collect salvaged objects • Finding your own meaning • Fibre waste • Fabric waste • Recycling old embroidery • Paper and natural waste • Plastic waste • Wood, metal and mineral waste • Recycling packaging and books

Artists have always been recyclers. This gallery of work made from repurposed materials is both a visual delight and "a source of ideas for crafters" (Library Journal). Artists and crafters have always been recyclers at heart, but in recent decades, it's become not only a thrifty choice but a moral imperative for many. 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse contains a cutting-edge collection of the most inventive work being made with reused, upcycled, and already existing materials. Exciting and inspiring, the work in this book ranges from clever and humble personal accessories to unique and important large-scale works of art, including paper art, fashion, jewelry, housewares, interiors, and installations.

"Combine antique textiles, ephemera, and other items with new elements to create unique and useful items for your home. Includes 5 projects with detailed instructions and patterns, plus many more inspiring projects in gallery form"--From publisher description.

'A Complete Guide to Creative Embroidery' illustrates a wealth of ideas from two internationally renowned embroiderers. It is divided into two sections: the first, 'Design to Embroider' by Jean Littlejohn develops ideas showing that anyone can design as well as decorate fabric and paper for embroidery. The second, 'Stitched Images' by Jan Beaney, illustrates how to colour fabric and combine this with stitchery. She then looks at ways of interpreting designs using applique, patchwork, quilting, and hand and machine embroidery. The final section gives guidance on selecting a theme. With the combined talents of two innovative embroiderers, this highly illustrated book is an inspiring source of colour, pattern, design, stitch and texture which will encourage embroiderers to create their own exciting and rewarding pieces.

The complete go-to guide for all things embroidery! Everything embroidery bundled into one helpful how-to guide! Expert embroiderer Christen Brown breaks down 500+ stitches from the basics for beginners to more complex designs for advanced stitchers. Stitches range from Lazy Daisy, French Knot, Herringbone, Capped, Chevron, and so much more. Create intricate art like Christen with projects such as psychedelic balloons, mushroom gardens, and flowered embroidered spirals. Bursting with color and beads, designs are perfect for contemporary embroidery art or crazy quilting. Start simple and learn how to choose tools and threads, achieve the perfect stitch, and then start designing your unique embroidery project. From basic stitches to complex combinations each of the 500+ designs comes with step-by-step instructions Mix it up and learn how to change the position of the stitch and use the distance between points Best-selling author Christen Brown provides expert guidance for all, including tips and instructions for left-handed embroiderers

It's a question asked by many budding textile artists: how can I be more creative? You've got a few ideas and know some techniques, but you're not sure how to get started or make your work hang together. This book shows you how. It explains the creative process from the very beginning: where to find inspiration and how to harness those ideas; how to gather source material; how to pull together what you have. The authors then take you on a journey to develop a design. Learn how to put elements together to make a cohesive whole and develop a theme, learning established design rules along the way. Part Three, Moving into Stitch, gives you a range of techniques and easy experiments with which to turn your design into stitched-textile work. From choosing what fabrics to use, to layering, creating texture and adding embellishment, it covers the key techniques to try. This is a terrific book for those starting out in textiles who really do want to be as creative as they can possibly be.