Mary Thomas’s Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches

Mary Thomas, author of the original edition of this book, was born in Wantage, Berkshire. She was educated in music and art, and in her twenties went to America to work as a fashion artist for the New York Pictorial Review. At the outbreak of the First World War she returned to Europe, and went to France as an army nurse. After the war, she worked as fashion editor of the Gentlewoman, and in 1930 became editor of the Needlewoman. She took up freelance writing in 1935.Mary Thomas’s Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches, published in 1934, was the first of her highly successful books, and it was followed in 1936 by Mary Thomas’s Embroidery Book. Although embroidery was, of course, her first subject, she also developed an interest in knitting. In 1936, she began work on an exhaustive compendium of knitting history and technique, which was published in 1938 and 1943 in two volumes.Both her embroidery and her knitting books have remained in print for nearly half a century, and are regarded as standard reference works for the techniques of these crafts. Jan Eaton is known internationally for her speciality in needlecraft and textile designs. Since finishing her training at Goldsmiths College in London, Jan has worked as a freelance designer showcasing her embroidery, crochet, knitting, and textile painting designs in various UK and European magazines. Jan has written more than 10 needlecraft books and lives in Hove, East Sussex.

I loved this little book from the minute I opened to the first page. From the introduction to all your sewing needs to simplicity of the cross stitch, from the filling stitches to the cut and drawn - a fabulous introduction and detailed explanation of how to achieve. For those starting out with needlework I think this book would serve as a wonderful guide and to those more accomplished a nice reminder. My daughter is studying for a degree in product design and textiles a subject she has no real familiarity with but using this as a guide she has wowed her tutor with an amazingly diverse sampler far more complex than was expected so 10/10 for beginners. Now where's my hoop...?

• Introduction 6Outline Stitches 10Border Stitches 24Composite Band Stitches 52Isolated Stitches 66Open Filling Stitches 80 Solid Filling Stitches 96Detached Filling Stitches 108Straight and Slanted Canvas Stitches 118Crossed Canvas Stitches 132Composite Canvas Stitches 150Insertion Stitches 164Edging Stitches 170Cut and Drawn Stitches 178Pulled Fabric Stitches 186Index 208