This book is a celebration of the extensive collection of Ottoman embroidery at the V and A which ranges from the middle of the 16th century to 1900. In addition to illustrating over 100 major pieces, an introductory text puts the collection in context, explaining who the Ottomans were and their impact on Europe. The embroideries themselves include pieces such as sashes, kerchiefs and scarves which were made to satisfy the requirements of the Ottoman household and are strongly redolent of an exotic way of life. The embroideries can be divided into pre- and post-1720, when the Ottomans made peace with Central and Western Europe, and incorporated many aspects of Western art into their textile traditions. It was not until the 19th century however, that Ottoman embroidery in the form of towels and napkins began to appear in public and private collections in Britain. The book is illustrated with 145 embroideries which are split into the four most characteristic Ottoman techniques- surface darning, laid and couched, double running and double darning. Above all it is the unique double-sided embroideries that are fascinating to Western observers where the same basic stitch has been used over five centuries. This type of embroidery continues to be carried out today by a few skilled practitioners. All techniques are clearly explained through specially commissioned diagrams, which

This exhibition catalogue features The Textile Museum's collection of Ottoman embroidery.

Inspired by the author's visits to Turkey and all that she experienced there, this guide to historic embroideries explores in-depth a wonderful range of stitches, images, and designs. Particular focus is given to the techniques of Ottoman embroidery, as well as the fabrics, threads, and colors that were used. A dictionary of stitches describes a whole range of stitches from Bukhara self couching to needleweaving and Turkish punch stitch. Projects offer inspiring ideas for samplers, cards, coasters, bookmarks, and more. A wonderful section on borders and motifs includes attractive border patterns used in 18th and 19th century Ottoman embroideries and motifs adapted from the pieces the author has studied. It will encourage embroiderers and textile artists everywhere to look at the historical treasures we have around us, and inspire them to create their own original works of art.

This lavishly illustrated volume is the most complete study of Greek island embroidery yet published. Each group of islands developed quite different styles and repertoires of designs using linen, cotton, and silk. Varying populations — urban foreigners and rural natives, Catholic towns and Orthodox villages, invading navies and armies — all contributed to a fusion of styles and motifs that led to one of the greatest displays of decorative folk art to be found anywhere in the world. The styles range from aristocratic and patrician designs from Rhodes, the monochrome geometric work of Naxos, to the exuberant narrative style of Skyros and the Ottoman-influenced work of Epirus.

From USA Today Bestselling author Kathryn Gauci-A richly woven saga set against the mosques and minarets of Asia Minor and the ruins of ancient Athens, 1822: As The Greek War of Independence rages, a child is born to a woman of legendary beauty on the Greek island of Chios. The subsequent decades of bitter struggle between Greeks and Turks simmer to a head when the Greek army invades Turkey in 1919. During this time, Dimitra Lamartine arrives in Smyrna and gains fame and fortune as an embroiderer to the elite of Ottoman society. However, it is her granddaughter, Sophia, who takes the business to great heights as a couturier in Constantinople only to see their world come crashing down with the outbreak of war.1922: Sophia begins a new life in Athens, but the memory of a dire prophecy once told to her grandmother about a girl with flaming red hair begins to haunt her with devastating consequences with the occupation of Greece by the Axis Powers in 19411972: Eleni Stephenson is called to the bedside of her dying aunt in Athens. In a story that rips her world apart, Eleni discovers the chilling truth behind her family's dark past plunging her into the shadowy world of political intrigue, secret societies and espionage where families and friends are torn apart and where a belief in superstition simmers just below the surface.Extravagant, inventive, emotionally sweeping, The Embroiderer is a tale that travellers and those who seek culture and oriental history will love

"Featuring work from the mid-sixteenth century to about 1900, this colorful addition to the V&A's range of textile books draws exclusively on the Museum's outstanding collection of Ottoman embroidery. It includes sashes, kerchiefs and scarves, embroidered with intricate floral designs, which are strongly redolent of an exotic way of life. The historical setting and traditional techniques are outlined in an introductory essay, which is followed by over 100 examples, many accompanied by close-up details. Clear stitch diagrams not only provide guidance for needleworkers, but also an invaluable means of analysing the uses and origins of these beautiful embroideries."--back cover.