Title: The Complete Photo Guide to Needlework
Author: Linda Wyszynski
Publisher: Creative Publishing International
Number of Pages: 264
Type of Book Reviewed: Paperback, First Edition Printing
Pros
Author: Linda Wyszynski
Publisher: Creative Publishing International
Number of Pages: 264
Type of Book Reviewed: Paperback, First Edition Printing
Pros
- Combination of photos and diagrams make for clear explanations of stitches.
- Wide varieties of techniques included.
- Multiple styles of needlework covered in the book.
- Multiple styles included may not appeal to all readers.
- Ribbon and beadwork included which also may not be of interest to all.
Overview of Content
Introduction:
Welcoming letter from the author of the book, inviting the stitcher to "Stitch for relaxation and have fun doing it!" among other things.
ABCs of Needlework:
Fabrics used include cottons, sheer, silk noil, shantung, felt, linen and even paper. Applications are explained. The overview of threads used in creative embroidery are covered in this section as well. Pearl cotton, six-strand embroidery floss, linen, satin and rayon, synthetic and hand dyed and over dyed, silk, braid, metallic, memory thread are some of the flosses discussed.
Creative Embroidery Stitches: straight, stem, seed, split, herringbone, Japanese Darning, guilloche, straight tied herringbone, twisted satin, satin, long and short, running, checkerboard running, laced running, backstitch, zig zag backstitch, triple backstitch, closed triple backstitch, Pekinese, blanket, overlapping blanket, up and down blanket, closed blanket, couching, fly, interlaced fly, fishbone, fern, leaf, feather, feathered chain, chevron, lazy daisy, long-tailed daisy, chain, laced chain, backstitched chain, cable chain, open chain, spine, rosette chain, French knot, double knot, scroll, and pistil
Creative Embroidery Projects: Indigo Jacket and Azalea Blaze Pillow
Crewel
Fabrics used in Crewel embroidery include Linen Twill, Linen, Upholstery or Drapery Weight, Silk, Corduroy, Felt, Shantung, Quilting Cotton and Hand Over-Dyed Wool. Threads include Crewel Wool, Persian Yarn, Wool Blends, Cotton Hand Dyed and Over-Dyed and Six Stranded and Over-Dyed Stranded Cotton, and other specialty flosses. The use and application of the threads is explained.
Crewel Stitches: straight, seed, double seed, split, cross, stem, chevron, threaded backstitch, curved satin, Romanian, long and short, buttonhole, blanket long and short, blanket pinwheel, knotted blanket, feather, long armed feather, double feather, open cretan, fishbone, thorn, chain, zigzag chain, checkered (magic) chain, heavy braided chain, single threaded detached chain, fancy couching, filled lazy daisy, tete de boeuf, detached wheatear, wheatear chain, petal, french knot, pistil, bullion knot, threaded herringbone, coral, sword edging, rope, bokhara couching, cloud, honeycomb filling, spiderweb woven, and spiderweb whipped.
Crewel Projects:Paisleys and Pearls Pillow and Touch of Gold Fedora Hat
Silk Ribbon Embroidery
Fabrics used include batik and quilter's cotton, velvet, tulle, sheer, wool, silk and rayon blends and more. Various ribbons and threads are used in this technique.
Silk Ribbon Embroidery Stitches: long straight, stab, rose buds, stem, satin, couching ribbon, bead couching over ribbon, side ribbon, Japanese ribbon, laced running, fly, fly leaf, fern, feather, flowered feather, blanket, closed buttonhole, French knot, sloppy knot, arrowhead, chain, pistil, lazy daisy leaf, lazy daisy detached, lazy daisy flower, lazy daisy fan, lazy daisy border, flower border, chain rose, tulip, petal, loop flower, loop bud, snow drop, lily of the valley, iris, spiderweb rose, plume, French knot loop, cretan loop, loop daisy, and rosette.
Silk Embroidery Projects:Rainbow of Ribbons Purse and Silk Magic Lamp Shade
Bead Embroidery
Many of the same fabrics used for other embroidery methods are used and also Ultrasuede, floral and geometric prints, sheer fabrics, lace and other fabrics. Fabrics to avoid are also discussed. Thread for bead embroidery are quite unique and are laid out in detail. Beads and sequins are also used in bead embroidery and various types are detailed.
Bead Embroidery Stitches:
straight, seed, single backstitch bead, single bead with stop bead, backstitch bugle, couched bugle, running, stem, satin, bead row, double-threaded backstitch, chevron, blanket, long and short blanket, closed blanket, buttonhole wheel, alternating pekinese, feather, double feather, fly, fern, chain, chain laced, wheatear chain, backstitch chain, cross, herringbone, herringbone and blossoms, lazy daisy, couching beads, loop flower petals, simple picot, spaced pico, bugle with single bead picot, dangle fringe, one-row netting, two-row netting, overlapping netting, whipped edging, rosette, single sequin attachment, single sequin with stop bead, sequin row, lazy daisy sequin, and sequin flower.
Bead Embroidery Projects:Beaded Bliss Checkbook Cover and Midnight Shimmer Bracelet
Cross Stitch
Fabrics include Aida, Aida blends, Linen, Specialty Weave Fabric, Perforated Paper and other specialty fabrics. Various Threads, many used in other techniques, are used in Cross Stitch and are explained in detail.
Stitch Diagrams:cross, quarter cross, half cross, three-quarter cross, horizontal cross, vertical cross, diagonal cross, backstitch, oblong, herringbone, laced herringbone, long-arm cross, upright cross, Smyrna cross, double straight cross, rice, Algerian eyelet, diamond eyelet, half-diamond eyelet, daisy motif, mosaic, blanket, and French knot.
Cross Stitch Projects: Violet Blossoms Candle Band and Springtime Journal
Needlepoint
Needlepoint is done on various types of canvas instead of fabrics. Many of the same types of threads of have been used for the other types of techniques and have been discussed before.
Needlepoint Stitches: Stitches covered include backstitch, brick, double brick, horizontal brick, Hungarian, Parisian stripe, Pavillion, straight diamond motif, slanted gobelin, interlocking slanted gobelin, two way darning, algerian eye, zigzag backstitch, darning pattern heart, darning pattern Christmas tree, cashmere, continental, fly, basketweave, mosaic, diamond ray, diagonal knitting, scotch, reverse scotch, t-square, Smyrna, leaf, leaf motif, single cross, single double cross, large lacy cross, long upright cross, upright cross, double straight cross, checkerboard cross, fishbone tied, van dyke, rays and crosses, Italian cross, rice, Rhodes, rapid, Fran's Texas star, and waffle.
Needlepoint Projects: Flaming Maze Market Basket and Iris Lace Box.
The book also includes a list of Resources and a Stitch Index.
Welcoming letter from the author of the book, inviting the stitcher to "Stitch for relaxation and have fun doing it!" among other things.
ABCs of Needlework:
- Stitching Equipment and Supplies Includes information on needles, scissors, hoops, frames, and accessories.
- Charts, Diagrams, and Patterns Explanations of how to read charts, diagrams, and patterns.
- Transferring Patterns and Stabilizing Fabric Various methods are explained.
- Special Information on Stitching Information threads, laying tools, stitches, and fabrics is given.
Fabrics used include cottons, sheer, silk noil, shantung, felt, linen and even paper. Applications are explained. The overview of threads used in creative embroidery are covered in this section as well. Pearl cotton, six-strand embroidery floss, linen, satin and rayon, synthetic and hand dyed and over dyed, silk, braid, metallic, memory thread are some of the flosses discussed.
Creative Embroidery Stitches: straight, stem, seed, split, herringbone, Japanese Darning, guilloche, straight tied herringbone, twisted satin, satin, long and short, running, checkerboard running, laced running, backstitch, zig zag backstitch, triple backstitch, closed triple backstitch, Pekinese, blanket, overlapping blanket, up and down blanket, closed blanket, couching, fly, interlaced fly, fishbone, fern, leaf, feather, feathered chain, chevron, lazy daisy, long-tailed daisy, chain, laced chain, backstitched chain, cable chain, open chain, spine, rosette chain, French knot, double knot, scroll, and pistil
Creative Embroidery Projects: Indigo Jacket and Azalea Blaze Pillow
Crewel
Fabrics used in Crewel embroidery include Linen Twill, Linen, Upholstery or Drapery Weight, Silk, Corduroy, Felt, Shantung, Quilting Cotton and Hand Over-Dyed Wool. Threads include Crewel Wool, Persian Yarn, Wool Blends, Cotton Hand Dyed and Over-Dyed and Six Stranded and Over-Dyed Stranded Cotton, and other specialty flosses. The use and application of the threads is explained.
Crewel Stitches: straight, seed, double seed, split, cross, stem, chevron, threaded backstitch, curved satin, Romanian, long and short, buttonhole, blanket long and short, blanket pinwheel, knotted blanket, feather, long armed feather, double feather, open cretan, fishbone, thorn, chain, zigzag chain, checkered (magic) chain, heavy braided chain, single threaded detached chain, fancy couching, filled lazy daisy, tete de boeuf, detached wheatear, wheatear chain, petal, french knot, pistil, bullion knot, threaded herringbone, coral, sword edging, rope, bokhara couching, cloud, honeycomb filling, spiderweb woven, and spiderweb whipped.
Crewel Projects:Paisleys and Pearls Pillow and Touch of Gold Fedora Hat
Silk Ribbon Embroidery
Fabrics used include batik and quilter's cotton, velvet, tulle, sheer, wool, silk and rayon blends and more. Various ribbons and threads are used in this technique.
Silk Ribbon Embroidery Stitches: long straight, stab, rose buds, stem, satin, couching ribbon, bead couching over ribbon, side ribbon, Japanese ribbon, laced running, fly, fly leaf, fern, feather, flowered feather, blanket, closed buttonhole, French knot, sloppy knot, arrowhead, chain, pistil, lazy daisy leaf, lazy daisy detached, lazy daisy flower, lazy daisy fan, lazy daisy border, flower border, chain rose, tulip, petal, loop flower, loop bud, snow drop, lily of the valley, iris, spiderweb rose, plume, French knot loop, cretan loop, loop daisy, and rosette.
Silk Embroidery Projects:Rainbow of Ribbons Purse and Silk Magic Lamp Shade
Bead Embroidery
Many of the same fabrics used for other embroidery methods are used and also Ultrasuede, floral and geometric prints, sheer fabrics, lace and other fabrics. Fabrics to avoid are also discussed. Thread for bead embroidery are quite unique and are laid out in detail. Beads and sequins are also used in bead embroidery and various types are detailed.
Bead Embroidery Stitches:
straight, seed, single backstitch bead, single bead with stop bead, backstitch bugle, couched bugle, running, stem, satin, bead row, double-threaded backstitch, chevron, blanket, long and short blanket, closed blanket, buttonhole wheel, alternating pekinese, feather, double feather, fly, fern, chain, chain laced, wheatear chain, backstitch chain, cross, herringbone, herringbone and blossoms, lazy daisy, couching beads, loop flower petals, simple picot, spaced pico, bugle with single bead picot, dangle fringe, one-row netting, two-row netting, overlapping netting, whipped edging, rosette, single sequin attachment, single sequin with stop bead, sequin row, lazy daisy sequin, and sequin flower.
Bead Embroidery Projects:Beaded Bliss Checkbook Cover and Midnight Shimmer Bracelet
Cross Stitch
Fabrics include Aida, Aida blends, Linen, Specialty Weave Fabric, Perforated Paper and other specialty fabrics. Various Threads, many used in other techniques, are used in Cross Stitch and are explained in detail.
Stitch Diagrams:cross, quarter cross, half cross, three-quarter cross, horizontal cross, vertical cross, diagonal cross, backstitch, oblong, herringbone, laced herringbone, long-arm cross, upright cross, Smyrna cross, double straight cross, rice, Algerian eyelet, diamond eyelet, half-diamond eyelet, daisy motif, mosaic, blanket, and French knot.
Cross Stitch Projects: Violet Blossoms Candle Band and Springtime Journal
Needlepoint
Needlepoint is done on various types of canvas instead of fabrics. Many of the same types of threads of have been used for the other types of techniques and have been discussed before.
Needlepoint Stitches: Stitches covered include backstitch, brick, double brick, horizontal brick, Hungarian, Parisian stripe, Pavillion, straight diamond motif, slanted gobelin, interlocking slanted gobelin, two way darning, algerian eye, zigzag backstitch, darning pattern heart, darning pattern Christmas tree, cashmere, continental, fly, basketweave, mosaic, diamond ray, diagonal knitting, scotch, reverse scotch, t-square, Smyrna, leaf, leaf motif, single cross, single double cross, large lacy cross, long upright cross, upright cross, double straight cross, checkerboard cross, fishbone tied, van dyke, rays and crosses, Italian cross, rice, Rhodes, rapid, Fran's Texas star, and waffle.
Needlepoint Projects: Flaming Maze Market Basket and Iris Lace Box.
The book also includes a list of Resources and a Stitch Index.
Bottom Line
This book will be a great addition to any needleworkers library. It is a great resource for stitches and up-to-date information on fabrics and fibers.
