Inspirational designs of over 30 projects in the Medieval style

Cross stitch samplers and display pieces based on work done by needle women of the Renaissance period. Each design is fully charted. Col photos & illus. Quarto.

"Traditional Icelandic Embroidery has been out of print for almost a decade and is now available in revised edition. The main text contains a survey of the history of Icelandic traditional embroidery from the earliest times to the middle of the nineteenth century, emphasizing extant embroideries preserved in the National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavik. Included are fifty-four photographs in full color of embroideries and twenty-four pages of original patterns, all in the National Museum of Iceland, and an extensive updated bibliography of relevant books and articles. Also included are eight pages with stitch diagrams and descriptions of how to work the various techniques used in the embroideries, and twenty-four plates of traditional Icelandic squared embroidery designs.

A century ago, a folk art enthusiast collected these ornate, highly stylized designs from among a now-dispersed community of ethnic Germans residing in Transylvania. Nearly 200 designs include birds, flowers, mythical creatures, and other motifs in styles ranging from simple to complex and in themes from medieval to modern. Easily adapted to other crafts projects.