book reviews Archive

By Julia Key Snyder, self-published, 2013 This book, Julia’s eighth, looks at laidwork stitches. This lovely method is less well-known than it should be and currently there are no books in print on the subject. The most recent, and best, book is Joan Taggert ‘sLaid Fillings book, but it’s hard to find used. In Laidwork a grid of stitches, going from end to end of an area is put down. These long threads are then tied down with stitches in a specific pattern. Additional stitches can, and often are, stitched in the open areas. It’s not necessary to make all layers of a Laidwork stitch in the same thread. Variety is a big part of this technique. Julia’s book is essentially a stitch dictionary of laid stitches. It’s organized by grid styles, so that all stitches that use the same grid are grouped together. Each stitch has a name that

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dede Ogden, self-published 2013 I’ve been a fan of Shadow Stitching since I first saw dede’s Circle of Hearts years ago. I love the idea, first pioneered by dede, of letting the beauty of the canvas painting show through by stitching it lightly. dede’s first book on the technique, More Shadow Stitching, came out several years ago and was mostly a stitch dictionary. Although there are other books on the topic, none of them has done a good job of showing you how to use this technique. And that’s been a problem. It’s all well and good to say that shadow stitching can be the same stitches as you normally use but done in thinner threads, but for many of us this is an even harder idea to grasp than leaving a bit if canvas uncovered. By not only giving us a wealth of stitches, but also showing us how

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Originally posted 2004-01-14 14:57:01. Republished by Blog Post PromoterPamela H. Gardner In the more than thirty years I have been doing needlepoint, I have seen few projects which pack as much learning into them as this quilt sampler. And I have seen even fewer books which present materials and options as clearly and completely as this one. “Molehill” is a study in both stitch variation and color. Each of the six blocks covers variations of one or two stitches, with 7 or eight variations used to represent the different fabrics in the block. Each block also uses a different color scheme. By working each of the blocks, the stitcher will not only learn many stitches, but will also cover a complete color course. Three different color options are presented in the book. One is based on a solid color of floss and uses all floss for the design. Helpful charts

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The subtitle of this book is Interiors and Exteriors Plus and it packs so much into less than 75 pages. I’m just blown away by it. The majority of the chapters cover items you’ll find in buildings: bricks, fabrics, patios, floors, or more. Each chapter is formatted similarly. The first page is an introduction. It gives factors to consider when stitching this item. This is followed by additional explanation if needed. Finally several stitches in the chapter are highlighted with ideas for types and colors of thread to use. In the stitch diagrams themselves, exampled stitches are highlighted. While many of the stitches in this book are complex and are well-suited to using multiple threads, and even embellishments, there are tons of stitches that are simpler and work well with a single thread. What delights me about this book is how inventive it is. The authors have only a handful

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Originally posted 2004-03-17 09:00:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter Nancy Spies, Arelate Studio, $30, ISBN 0-971860-0-3 There is a tremendous richness in medieval art which has been waiting for a book like this. “Wyverns” takes medieval creatures (imaginary and real), people, letters and patterns and charts them for all kinds of needleworkers. The book contains hundreds of easy-to-see charts, done in black, white and gray. Some of the design are very small; like the badger adapted from a Norman 11th Century embroidery, which is only 19 stitches high. Others, like the Castle from a 15th Century book found in France, are quite large, 89 stitches across. The patterns are classified according to type. Each section begins with a quote about needlework from an historic source. The charts are nicely spaced on the pages, with quotes and pictures of stitched examples interspersed. Under each chart is the overall stitch count and

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Originally posted 2011-03-01 07:36:34. Republished by Blog Post PromoterSusan Sturgeon Roberts, self-published, 2008, $9. This little comb-bound book is a collection of questions and answers about needlepoint. Without a Table of Contents it can be hard to find what you need to know, but there is plenty of useful information here, especially for the beginning stitcher. The questions are printed in bold with the answers after them. Often they have illustrations or photos accompanying them. Without organization, the questions and answers seem random, so you will have to browse to find the items of most interest to you. There is some organization, so several questions about canvas are grouped together, but they come between two questions about using older threads and three questions about painted canvases. And some additional questions about canvas occur later in the book. While I realize that Sturgeon is a fine stitcher, she speaks almost entirely

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June McKnight, self-published, 2013 If you are like most stitchers you probably have a “go to” background stitch. But have you ever thought that you probably also had a “go to” background color? I didn’t think that way until recently. Chances are that go to color is white, cream, or a very pale color. In this immensely useful book, June McKnight shows us how to get out of our color and stitch ruts when it comes to backgrounds. This volume is a revision, in full color, of her previous background books. Every stitch in the book has two pages devoted to it. On the left is a sample of the stitch done in a colorful thread with the threads used listed below. On the right is a diagram in one or more colors, along with stitching notes and suggestions. The book divides the backgrounds into two sections: Complete Canvas Coverage

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Originally posted 2011-01-13 07:10:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoterby Susan Surgeon Roberts, self-published, 2007, $8.95 The question of what threads work with what canvases and what size needle to use are ones that perplex many stitchers. Another puzzler is how much thread do I need to complete a project. Susan Sturgeon Roberts (author of The Complete Needlepoint Guide) has created a helpful tool in this little book. The book is essentially a number of tables listing threads from many manufacturers that will work on different mesh sizes of canvas from 3 stitches per inch to Congress Cloth. Many unusual mesh sizes of canvas are included and there are also tables for 7 and 14 count plastic canvas. With stranded threads, such as floss, the number of strands is indicated. Roberts also indicates if the thread/canvas combination is best suited to long stitches. Not all threads are listed, but enough are

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Originally posted 2007-11-30 09:27:23. Republished by Blog Post PromoterDIAPER PATTERNS, Ann Strite-Kurz, book with CD, self-published I first became acquainted with Ann’s love of diaper patterns in the early 80’s when I did her Group Correspondence Course on the through my local EGA chapter. I still have that pillow in my living room and I love the pretty patterns which developed. Ann later published a book, Potpourri of Pattern, which explores diaper patterns and how to form them in more detail. With Diaper Patterns she has given us an even more comprehensive look at these patterns, packed full of history, design guidelines and examples. Like her other recent books on backgrounds and couching, Diaper Patterns comes with a CD which has larger pictures of all the stitched samples. This is such a wonderful way to expand an enhance what can be shown in the book. The first chapter has an

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Originally posted 2008-09-24 23:11:45. Republished by Blog Post PromoterFOLK ART NEEDLEPOINT: 20 Projects Adapted from Objects in the American Folk Art Museum, Ruth Peltason, Potter Craft, 2008, ISBN 978-0-307-35180-7, $35.00 Folk art, with its simple lines and bold colors is an outstanding source of ideas for needlepoint. This beautifully produced book takes as its sources all kinds of items from the museum, from hooked rugs to weathervanes and delivers them up as lovely needlepoint. The projects are mostly stitched in Basketweave, with commonly available threads such as floss, pearl cotton, and Persian wool. This is fantastic because it makes the projects accessible to stitchers everywhere. The reference section at the back of the book has instructions on making all the stitches and a color conversion chart. The projects, designed by Karyn Gerhard, are divided into five sections: Daily Life, Beasts & Bugs, Flowers, Hearts, and Geometrics. Each section begins with

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Originally posted 2009-01-25 06:34:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter I was putting away another random box of needlework books yesterday morning and I came across this vintage book of charts from 1978. If you come across one buy it, it has some great ideas for needlepoint. In it Jini has two sets of letters as graphic elements and over a dozen charted alphabets (most with both upper and lower case). The charts are all really clear, in color, and easy to read. She also has tips on making monograms, other tips and working instructions and color pictures of some of the projects she’s made. But I really want to tell you about those letters as graphic elements which are what prompted me to write. Each design uses a single letter. The first one takes the letter, doubles it, combines them into a pleasing shape and then reflects them four times.

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Originally posted 2006-03-31 06:53:51. Republished by Blog Post PromoterLinda Corirossi, self-published. Linda’s first book, Canvas Embellishment, has a wealth of stitches aimed at beginning stitchers. This sequel emphasizes stitch variations in chapters arranged according to effects. These chapters cover commonly occurring elements in needlepoint including clothing, plants, buildings, and fur. Two other chapters cover accent stitches and backgrounds. The accent stitch chapter provides great detail on different kinds of knots and other accent stitches. While many of these stitches are diagrammed in other books, rarely are they explained so clearly, or described do well. Because of this chapter, for example, I now understand the difference between Colonial and French Knots. Several solutions are presented for design elements like polka dots, five-pointed stars, or dotted backgrounds. Corirossi has a fresh approach to needlepoint, one which comes through clearly in her book. The variations show an inventive approach to stitching and will

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Originally posted 2008-08-15 06:59:03. Republished by Blog Post PromoterThe Needlepoint Belt Series Ann Cady Scott, self-pubished, 2003, $65 I have to say the I REALLY wish this book had more information. Needlepoint belts remain a popular item and a book covering them would be really welcome. There are several issues regarding needlepoint belts which need to be covered but aren’t. The introduction is very short and, I’m afraid, gives me little help in the questions most stitchers will have when they want to make a belt. Some of these things, for example, how do I know how wide the belt should be, could be answered with a phrase (measure another belt). Others, like adding rows for finishing, could simply have a range of numbers. I like that the book has so many charts of different motifs to put into a belt, but I’d really like to learn how to put

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Lois Kershner, self-published, 2012 ISBN978-1-4675-1069-1 Lois’s threadscape needlepoints are so wonderfully compelling: take a stunning landscape and use it as the basis of needlepoint. Others have created needlepoint postcards in the past, but Lois’s pieces not only depict the scene, they make it better. Visit her website and see some she offers as classes and you’ll immediately see what I mean. Better than taking a class to do one of these projects, though wonderful in itself, is learning how to do your own version of these lovely threadscapes. This new book is designed both to give you the tools and techniques you need to stitch a threadscape, and to give you the confidence to do one on your own. In this Lois succeeds admirably. The book is divided into three sections. The first chapter handles design considerations in creating a threadscape. I like that it applies many tried and true

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DebBee’s Designs has done it again with this lovely project book. It has four stunning charted canvas ornaments. The models are very elegantly done in gold and white, but you can stitch them in any colors you like. Two of the ornaments are 4″ rounds and two are 6″ rounds. Each ornament has several different stitches. The instructions for each ornament begin with a master chart of the project.This single-page chart gives you a wonderful, accurate, overall map of the design, but you won’t be able to do all the stitches from it. The text for the project begins with a material list and stitch count. Within the instructions large, numbered diagrams of each stitch are included. Additional charts show the entire area. If the pattern requires several steps, as many of them do, each step is explained in great detail and diagrams are included both for the stitch and

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