Filed under: Bargello Books, Books in My Library, Needlepoint Bargello by Dorothy Kaestner
Books in My Library: Needlepoint Bargello by Dorothy Kaestner, 1974
This book is where I found spheres on poles for the center flower of Bargello Bowls (page 20). https://melitastitches4fun.com/2021/04/22/canvas-master-craftsman-program-step-4/
I’m not into Foxes but she creates a fox head with bargello. There are circles, snowflakes, and a fleur-de-lis.
She shows you how to make a tissue box cover. Hmmmm.
Filed under: Books in My Library, Needlepoint Books, Quick Stitch Variations and More Quick Stitch Reference by Custom House of Needle Arts
Quick Stitch Variations and More Quick Stitch Reference by Custom House of Needle Arts allows the ordering store to put their logo on the cover. Nice feature. It might make a nice Anniversary gift for chapters to give to their members (@ was $20 retail price).
The top one has a Table of Contents and the bottom one has a Stitch Index. Each stitch has text about where to use it and thread options. They are 5.5″ wide and 4″ tall.
Filed under: Books in My Library, Needlepoint Books, Transformative Stitching: Needlework on the Diagonal by Dawn Donnelly
Dawn Donnelly was selling Transformative Stitching: Needlework on the Diagonal at Merchandise Night.
It’s got a ring binder, so pages open and a flexible but hard plastic cover to withstand wear and tear. It’s my favorite size, 5.5″ wide and 8.5″ tall.
The Table of Contents also serves as an Index. I didn’t photgraph the entire TOC since it’s 3 pages long.
You can order it at https://www.threadupdd.com/merchandise-for-sale. What Dawn doesn’t say on her website is that she’ll share a link to a pdf so you can use it anywhere. I found several great stitches to use on my Project Runway piece.
Filed under: Books in My Library, Mary's Whimsical Small Stitches by Mary Legallet, Needlepoint Books
Mary’s Whimsical Small Stitches, Volume 4 is the book I picked up at Stitching Fox earlier this week.
It has my favorite features: The stitch diagrams are easy to follow. It’s a small book at 6″ x 8.5″ with hard plastic covers on front and back but has rings, so pages flip and stay open.
It has a new feature. QR codes for stitched samples. Scan and the link takes you to her Instagram account for photos ofthestitch in action.
As the title states, these are stitch suggestions for small spaces. There is an excellent discussion of various issues under Stitch Planning 101.
Here’s the TOC:
The Decorative Stitch Index is a wonderful feature.
This book should get a lot of use.
Filed under: Architectural Stitches by June McKnight, Books in My Library, Decorative Backgrounds by June McKnight, More Backgrounds by June McKnight, Needlepoint Books, Plants and Animals by June McKnight, Shading and Thread Blending Techniques by June McKnight
Most of my needlepoint booklets are 8.5″ wide x 11″ or 5.5″ wide x 8.5″ high. But these by June McKnight are 5.5″ wide by 4″ high, and they are thick at 1.25″ with heavy weight pages printed on one side only.
June McKnight has quite a few books of which I have these 5:
Architectural Stitches: Foundations, walls, masonry, windows, doors, roofs, and fretwork.
Plants and Animals: Foilage, flowers, garden structures, and animals.
Shading and Thread Blending Techniques: Precise thread blending, random thread blending, tweeding, twilling, twiddling, shading with dynamic threads, and decorative stitches. It’s my favorite book of the ones I own.
Decorative Backgrounds: In addition to the Ten Commandments of Backgrounds, there are basketweave and continental variations, fast and easy, delicate, trellis stitches, Florentine backgrounds, pattern darning & blackwork, pulled lace, and bold.
More Backgrounds: Covers lace, satin, stripes, wallpaper, chenille (patterns combined with FrenchKnots), and darning.
Filed under: Books in My Library, Embellishments for Canvas by Mary Lou Helgesen, Needlepoint Books, New Twists on Needlework Embellishment by Howren and Robertson
Two new books joined my library for Christmas. As you can see, they are focusing on embellishment for painted canvases.
New Twists on Needlework Embellishment by Howren and Robertson is well indexed. Ruching a variety of threads is discussed, although what they call ruched ribbon is more of gathered ribbon like that done in All That Shimmers.
Embellishments for Canvas by Mary Lou Helgesen is primarily for nativity figures but has an interesting use for a wide ribbon. Jacqui talked about ribbons at the New Jersey Needle Artists Chapter meeting this week and supplied us with several ribbons, including the wide ribbon in our kit. There is also a canvas pattern that turns corners, which should be fun to try.
Here’s the photo of the ribbon suggestions in the booklet. I couldn’t figure out how to weave around the French Knots on the wide ribbon or where I would use it, but couching ribbons would be easier to incorporate into a piece. I played a little with the other ribbons supplied by NJNA.
Filed under: A to Z of Bullions, A to Z of Embroidered Flowers, A to Z of Embroidery Stitches, Books in My Library, Embroidery Books
There are a bunch of books (at least 20) in the A to Z Series. I have 3 of them (1st, 2nd, and 5th) but there are a few of them free online at Archive.org.
https://archive.org/details/azofembroideryst0000unse (A to Z of Embroidery Stitches 2)
https://archive.org/details/azofembroideredm0000unse (A to Z of Embroidered Motifs)
https://archive.org/details/azofcrewelembroi0000sueg (A to Z of Crewel Embroidery)
https://archive.org/details/azofsilkribbonfl0000coxa (A to Z of Silk Ribbon Flowers)
And, for knitters
https://archive.org/details/azofknitting0000unse
Here are mine:
A to Z of Embroidery Stitches
There are excellent color photos and step by step stitched examples (not diagrams). Up to 12 photos per stitch all on the same page. So, no flipping pages.
A to Z of Bullions. One of the first embroidery classes I took was with Mendie Canon and it remains unfinished. I bought 2 more projects and they remain in my Brazilian Embroidery drawer. Some day!
There are 10 pages with stitched step by step photos, including 47 photos for the classic bullion rose. The bulk of the book gives you colored illustrations, line drawings, a list of DMC threads, the number of strands, and number of wraps to make each design. Most designs are individual figures such as a frog or sheep but there is a cute 5″ square fishing frog at a pond of reeds, a very challenging flower cart, any of the rose designs would be lovely wedding gifts, and a cottage spray that measures 8″ long x 3″ high.
A to Z of Embroidered Flowers.
This book shows a stitched flower, threads to use, stitches to use (no stitch directions in this book), order to work, and patterns for transferring are provided. The tulip motif is especially stunning in an art nouveau style. A couple of the designs include a simple vase.
I had great ideas when I bought this book! Different vases with flower arrangements. I’ve got to live a long time.
I played with River Silk ribbon threads and Flair for this Sunflower.
Filed under: An Introduction to Embroidery by Anna Griffiths, Books in My Library, Embroidery Books
An Introduction to Embroidery by Anna Griffiths.
Anna covers canvaswork (a form of embroidery which covers the canvas), free embroidery (lack of restriction), and counted thread embroidery (executed on evenweave fabric).
All photos are in color. Some stitches are provided.
The free embroidery is more relatable than in Design in Embroidery by Kathleen Whyte. Other forms of needlework are covered, including crewel, shadow work (reminds me of the use of negative space to create images), cross stitch (I wonder why cross stitch charts place the colors in the holes on graph paper), blackwork and Assisi (also may use negative space).
Showing how an old vase inspired a design is one of my favorite examples. I’ve taken tons of photos of vases and baskets with the idea of doing an adaptation in needlepoint.
Filed under: Books in My Library, Embroidery Books, Embroidery Stitches by Readers Digest
Complete Guide to Embroidery Stitches by Readers Digest
The book is small at 6.5″ x 8.5″ and is a hardcover. It has normal binding, but pages stay open quite well. There are 2 stitches per page (embroidery and canvas stitches are provided).
The stitched sample photos are all in color, the diagrams are in color, and the stitching order is provided. But, each stitch has verbal descriptions that somehow seem tedious. Although, if the stitch was new to me or difficult, the text would probably be useful.
The price was right (marked down from $23)!
Filed under: Books in My Library, Elegant Stitches by Judith Baker Montano, Embroidery Books
If I could keep only one embroidery book, it would be Elegant Stitches by Judith Baker Montano for many reasons.
The stitch diagrams are easy to follow. It’s a small book at 6″ x 8.5″ with hard covers on front and back but has rings, so pages flip and stay open.
There is the creativity she displays by combining stitches in the Crazy Quilt Combinations and in her realistic Free-Form Stitchery section.
And, she discusses how a photo turned into a colored picture and then into a stitched interpretation.
Judith looks elegant in a stunning black jacket that she probably embroidered herself.
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