Tanya Bentham – författare

Naughty Medieval Embroidery comes with an adult warning. This practical book explains a range of techniques used in medieval embroidery from simple stem stitch to more complicated silk and goldwork. However, rather than the usual examples of flowers and shields, it includes more colourful aspects of medieval life from cheeky demons to penis-picking nuns. This book is a wonderful romp for embroiderers who dare to enjoy stitching some alternative pieces. Clear step-by-step instructions to over 16 projects which progress in difficulty, Practical advice on design and stitching, and tips on pitfalls to avoid, Informed detail on the projects, plus a lot of encouragement and good cheer. Over 600 illustrations support the text, including templates for the projects

Naughty Medieval Embroidery comes with an adult warning. This practical book explains a range of techniques used in medieval embroidery from simple stem stitch to more complicated silk and goldwork. However, rather than the usual examples of flowers and shields, it includes more colourful aspects of medieval life from cheeky demons to penis-picking nuns. This book is a wonderful romp for embroiderers who dare to enjoy stitching some alternative pieces. Clear step-by-step instructions to over 16 projects which progress in difficulty, Practical advice on design and stitching, and tips on pitfalls to avoid, Informed detail on the projects, plus a lot of encouragement and good cheer. Over 600 illustrations support the text, including templates for the projects

Opus Anglicanum, ‘English work’, was one of the high arts of the Middle Ages, treasuredand traded by princes and bishops across Europe. This practical guide explains how just twoseemingly simple stitches – split stitch and underside couching – can give extraordinarilycomplex and sophisticated results that exploit the qualities of silk and gold thread. It introduces new techniques through fourteen projects that progress in difficulty. The book advises on shading, adding detail and authentic use of colour; gives in-depth instruction on stitching faces, hair and hands, as well as wings, animals andlandscaping and includes detailed reproductions of original pieces, as well as some with a contemporary twist.The book concentrates on the heyday of Opus Anglicanum, from the twelfth century to the fourteenth,when mastery of this art was at its height.

The term ‘Bayeux stitch’ often describes the laid and couched work that was used across Europe in the middle ages. This practical book of techniques and projects demonstrates the simple style of the Bayeux tapestry, before showing variations based on both surviving examples and adaptations of medieval manuscripts. It explains the narrow range of stitches used in laid and couched work and introduces the limited colour palette in medieval embroidery and the rhythmic use of colour. There are twelve projects with step-by-step sequences that illustrate how to stitch subjects ranging from knights to trees, and from dragons to bishops. By introducing subtle variations of techniques and materials, Tanya Bentham illustrates the endless potential of this beautiful embroidery, and brings it alive for today’s embroiderers.