Milner Craft Series – serie

Each aspect is clearly illustrated by example and includes tools for selecting colours, choosing shades that enhance our embroidery, why some shades blend better than others, and the importance of contrast with light and shadow. There are projects to represent each colour group including stunning roses, camellias, fruit and the much sought-after bee-eater birds, but the highlights of the book for any stitcher have to be the chapters on colour combinations and complementary colours. These include more than 200 stitched examples with DMC thread keys, plus schemes to help choose colours for your own projects.Colour Confidence in Embroidery is the first of its kind on this subject and a valuable resource for any embroiderer. Although based on long and short stitch shading the principles could be applied to any surface or counted thread embroidery.

With exotic silks and truly beautiful coloured wools, this book provides an adventure into the wonderful world of wool embroidery. In many designs the embroidered wool is enhanced by metallic threads, the sheen of silk ribbon and the extra dimension of beads.The diversity of designs and projects in this book provides something for everyone. There are a variety of woollen blankets with playful teddy bears as well as two outstanding woollen blankets depicting the beautiful colours and shapes of Australian wildflowers. There is an embroidered woollen vest embellished with beads, the most beautiful embroidered dressing gown depicting butterflies, buds and flowers in opulent threads and beads, a footstool highlighted with metallic threads, a blanket with geese strolling under a sparkling swag of beautiful ribbons, and an exotic crewel bellpull stitched with opulent silk and wool threads.As you absorb the designs presented, imagine them stitched in a variety of ways – on clothing, table linen, wall hangings and bags, as well as the suggestions for extra uses at the beginning of each project.

Goldwork Embroidery by Mary Brown is the most comprehensive book on this ancient form of embroidery. The history of goldwork in Britain and Europe is illuminated with images in glorious full-colour of gold embroidered costumes and textiles held in museums and private collections, many never previously published or seen by the public. This book includes fifteen original projects that either reference historical examples or exhibit contemporary techniques for this form of embroidery.A beautiful book that covers every aspect of gold embroidery.

A sequel to the highly successful Stumpwork Embroidery, Jane Nicholas takes readers on a truly enchanting journey featuring magnificently luscious floral displays and delightful critters of the outdoors.Delve into superb arrangements of colour and visible texture in Jane’s sophisticated and impeccable designs. This beautifully designed book provides extensive explanation and clear instruction for creating your very own exquisite stumpwork pieces. Produce classic embroidered floral and wildlife pictures, intricate roundel’s for a wall hanging or brooch, as well as stunning accessories and treasured gifts.Featuring an array of projects suitable for all levels of needlework ability, this outstanding guide is an essential for every ambitious craftsperson.

The elegant form, fragile iridescent wings, mystical bead-like eyes and shimmering colours of the dragonfly have fascinated needleworkers for centuries. Jane Nicholas takes a close look at the anatomy of dragonflies and damselflies and their representation in natural history. She combines those observations with designs form as far back as the sixteenth-century and from throughout the world and then uses a variety of materials and techniques to build works of mesmerising beauty.Jane shares new ways of using unusual materials to interpret and create your own dragonfly designs. The projects - including a remarkable collection of nine creatures in a 'specimen box' - not only set off the dragonflies exquisitely, but they exemplify Jane's impeccable eye for detail and composition.This stunning book - fascinating for anyone interested in textured embroidery is a pure delight to read.

Features 10 parterre and knot garden designs beautifully created using French knots to depict the formality of the traditional gardens of the 17th century. Christine Harris provides easy-to-follow instructions that will help you create your own unique pieces.

Seventeen paintings are reproduced in amazing detail using the simplest of stitches to create a remarkably complex effect. Step-by-step instructions are included for each embroidery - fabric, thread, stitches - which will allow both the novice and the experienced embroiderer to create their own stunning botanical collection.

Gary Clarke has mastered Organza work with fabulous style and ease. This title features approximately 22 projects and additional designs for the reader to work. The subjects vary from fish, flowers, landscapes, nursery rhymes, fruit, lilies, birds, houses, Little Bo Peep and much more.Gary has covered general organza instructions, framing, mounting, threads, fabric, and needle stitches.The instructions for each design include watercolour paintings and line drawings. Each design has been worked in a different style, yet all could be worked in any one style, such as traditional satin stitch, couching, beading, cross stitch, stumpwork, applique and many more.

For those who like a challenge, once the techniques are learned and understood, the concept of scrumbling i.e. working in a freeform manner, is easy to adapt to larger projects and to the creation of wearable art. There are many interesting special stitches that will help create wonderfully unique fabrics. Also learn how to make simple fragment buttons and special closures for garments using polymer clay.

The half doll pincushions in this collection are exquisite in design and style. The dolls are a combination of silk skirts with wool embroidered top skirts to the most wonderful bridal gown of silk, heavily embroidered with silk ribbon and stranded threads. You will love this book from start to finish and ponder over which doll you should embroider first or just embroider the lot for a perfect collection. Thirteen dolls with easy-to-follow instructions, and clear, detailed illustrations for each, as well as extra notes on special techniques. Wonderful styled photographs bring the dolls to life, as well as close up photographs to show the exquisite embroidery. The designs in this book are for beginners, as well as advanced embroiderers alike.

An edited bindup of the two popular books from Gina Marion, Creative Hardanger and Decorative Designs in Hardanger. This one volume contains all the hardanger you need to know. Stitches, techniques, and over 50 stunning projects with many designs using coloured fabrics and threads. Some projects are embellished with beads and metallic threads. Now in one volume, Classic Hardanger will answer the need of any embroiderer interested in this style of embroidery.

Unique designs combined with beautiful coloured threads and cloths, as well as stylish embellishments, make this book especially attractive for all embroiderers. Stitchers who have dabbled in cross stitch, hardanger and pulled work, as well as beginners and more experienced stitchers are invited to venture into Needleweaving and Embroidery, a combination of well-known embroidery techniques such as drawn thread, needle weaving and surface stitches.Specially selected stitches and finishing touches are sampled in small, useful projects such as bookmarks, greeting cards, pot pourri and glasses bags, table mat and runner, and more. Small and medium sized projects allow skills to develop through the creation of objects which are beautiful and useful, to keep or give as special gifts.

Knotted lace is one of the oldest forms of making lace and is believed to have originated in the Eastern Mediterranean around 2,000 years ago. Also commonly referred to as Armenian Lace, it is also known as Billila, Oya, Palestinian Lace, Nazareth Lace, Smyrna Stitch and Phoenician Lace.Elena Dickson has a wide audience for her renowned lace making techniques, contributed to by her first publication Knotted Lace in the Eastern Mediterranean Tradition, and from touring Australia and the USA conducting workshops. Elena’s outstanding experience in her field has energised this enchanting guide with authenticity, practicality and wonder.This latest book has all new motifs and doily designs and includes all stitch instructions, descriptive diagrams and black and white photographs of finished projects. Discover the timeless heirloom treasures that you can create with this marvellous title.

Trish Burr has selected beautiful flowers and interpreted them in her own unique style to present a stunning collection of embroideries. Meticulous in details, these flowers are brought to life by the use of lustrous threads and an intuitive use of simple stitches. With clear step-by-step instructions and full size templates, this beautiful book will be a 'must have' for any embroiderer's library.'This book is a delight; the embroideries look real and are an inspiration.' Merseyside Embroiderer's Guild

Exquisite embroidered garden flower designs showing the four seasons, all brought vividly to life with stitches and colours that truly reflect the flowers being worked. Includes complete flower samplers and a lovely selection of projects showing the embroidered flowers used in a variety of combinations and styles. This is a beautiful book combining the very popular first two books from Diana Lampe, Embroidered Garden Flowers and More Embroidered Garden Flowers, and includes the new "Kardinal Rose Garden".

Working in a freeform or freestyle manner means that you are leaping into the unknown and working outside your comfort zone and it is all about taking risks; with techniques, design and colour decisions, not to mention putting your creative self 'on the line'. It's also exhilirating and satisfying when you realise you've conquered something new!For those new to the idea of working outside the rules and making things up as you go, Freeformations will hopefully take some of the mystery out of the freeform concept and give you lots of ideas for creating your own unique designs. With 25 projects, Freeformations will put you well on your way to creating your own masterpieces and enjoying your creative journey.

A step-by-step approach to silk ribbon embroidery. All the questions you ever wanted to ask in a silk ribbon embroidery class answered for you, with illustrations and instructions. The lessons in the book are based on the very popular workshops conducted by Helen throughout Australia and New Zealand. She is renowned internationally for her previous books. The lessons are followed by a variety of projects suitable for beginner to intermediate silk ribbon embroiderers. Beautiful colour photographs throughout.

Over the last 200 years, crochet in its various forms has given rise to an unknown number of stitches. Crochet Techniques brings together instructions for stitches and their variations to create five colourful and attractive samplers – two based on Classic stitches, and one on Jacquard stitch, a fourth based on Tunisian crochet (also called Tricot), and another based on Crochenit (sometimes known as ‘on the double’ crochet). Working these beautiful patterns will help you gain a solid, well-grounded knowledge of crochet. As you make your way through the techniques you will discover a range of interesting and useful stitches that you’ll want to use over and over again- not just as rugs, perhaps, but to create items of your own. You will also find practical discussion of common crochet problems and tips for solving them.Many of the stitches are a breeze, but others require a little more concentration – but there’s no equal to the feeling of accomplishment that mastering them will give you! This useful guide, by design, offers a starting point for crafters with any level of ability and experience.Discover the treasured creations that await in this brilliant title by the talented Renate Kirkpatrick.

Surface Works is about using plain knit or crocheted backgrounds to which surface decoration can be added and the projects in this book were created with that in mind. There are many alternative meanings for decorate, including adorn, bedeck, brighten, do up, embellish, enhance, enrich, festoon, frill, gussy up, jazz up, ornament, and trim, all of which illustrate the focus of Surface Works.Packed full with information, Surface Works contains over 90 original textured and creative stitch motifs to make, plus 34 new projects including 7 garments with full templates and instructions. Jenny's fantastic 'how-to' section is included plus a comprehensive stitch guide. There are three main categories used throughout:Altering the Surface - this can be as simple as adding another thread to an existing one. Using basic stitches and fancy yarns will produce a richly textured surface and therefore result in a much more interesting fabric with little effort on your part.Collaging (or Layering the Surface) - adding objects to the background in combination or isolation such as beads, lace, cloth, braids, knit and crocheted motifs etc.Interrupting the Surface - this entails working in a certain technique such as garter stitch or double crochet (single crochet) for a few cm's (inches) and then introducing something different. For example, changing from knitting to crochet or from one stitch technique to another so that the surface appearance of the fabric changes.The end result of working with these methods can be elaborately ornate, totally crazy or subtle and elegant.

Encourages the reader to tap into the hidden creativity that lurks within - to entice the true beginner with easy starting points that will then lead on to exploring other techniques and expermenting with what they learn, free from too many rules and must nots.Will also inspire the more experienced to call upon all the arts and crafts that he or she has explored over the years, and illustrates ways of bringing them together in a truly amazing art form.

The craft of African quilting is a beautifully textured and vibrant art form that bears testimony to the rich and complex nature of the African continent. In this, their third book, doyennes of the discipline Pat Parker and Jenny Williamson delve deepter into what it is that sets this relatively new style quilting apart from the more well-established American and European styles that have dominated quilting circles for hundreds of years.The quilts in Quilt the Beloved Africa are a fantastic mix of colourful fabrics that are the key differentiators of the African style of quilting. Another key feature of the local style of quilting is the use of images drawn from its vibrant flora, fauna, and the faces of its people.With a wonderful gallery of quilts followed by thirteen projects, all with easy step-by-step instructions, templates and wonderful colour photographs of the quilts and the inspirations for the quilts, this book will take you on a quilting adventure through Africa like no other.We hope you enjoy your journey through their third African quilting odyssey – a beautiful palette of textures, colours and patterns that continue to make African quilting a joy to behold!

The embroideries in this beautifully illustrated work were inspired in particular by the decorative panels and borders in the illuminated Book of Hours created by Jean Bourdichon for Anne of Brittany, early in the sixteenth century. Jane has chosen eight flowers from myriad possibilities and interprepted them here in stumpwork embroidery. Five are worked as botanical specimens, their Latin names stitched below them. The other three, equally botanically correct, are presented as illuminated panels with richly coloured borders embellished with gold thread and beads. Each piece includes a 'surprise' in the form of an insect (or two), faithfully interpreted in fabric, wire, beads and thread. The requirements and instructions for each project are given in detail, along with a tracing patterns and explanatory diagrams.

This is a book about creating sumptuous embellished surfaces made bycollaging rich colourful silks, transparent organza and ribbons stitching with embroidery threads and ribbons, knitting and other yarns, and adding further texture with raised embroidery, cords, metallic threads and beads. Experience a process of creating where each application allows the surface to evolve from the first layer upwards with a sense of playfulness and thinking outside the square.The method or process is to create an original soft textile by assembling layers of fabric as a background that is embellished with stitches, quilting, beads and cords. Within the 144 pages there are 28 amazing projects, all with full instructions for an exact reproduction, or ideas for using what is available, or combining techniques throughout the book to create a truly unique piece. With beautiful photography of finished pieces, this book is a feast for the eyes and your creative spirit.'You can't fail to be inspired by this wonderfully colourful book. The 28 projects are all clearly explained and illustrated with an abundance of sketches and colour photographs ... every embroidery in the book is a mouth-watering confection. In fact, I think the whole book is a 'zinger'! Stitch

When Marie and Annette visited Borris House in 2006, the lace in the Borris Lace Collection was uncatalogued, unpublished, and almost completely unknown in Ireland. Knowledge of the old techniques and true characteristics of the lace had been lost. Unless the history and techniques were researched and recorded without delay, the technique of Borris lace and the provenance that was currently known could be lost forever.This astonishing book integrates the significant social, cultural and historical significance of Borris lace with the beautiful intricacies and allurement of this fine needlework. Marie’s reworking of these phenomenal traditional designs revealed the use of age-old techniques that are unprecedented in contemporary arts.Marie and Annette hope that their efforts will ensure the long-term survival and appreciation of this remarkable lace.

The research and embroidery involved in creating the designs for this book has been a joy for Jane Nicholas. She has revelled in the opportunity to indulge a passion of hers since childhood – combining jewel-like colours, gold metallic threads and glittering beads. Sixteen projects are presented in this book, varying both in size and complexity. Each has been inspired by an example of Islamic art – pottery, textiles, manuscripts or jewellery – from Turkey, Syria, Persia, Arabia or India.

This book is aimed at both beginners and more experienced needlepainters alike. Novices will be guided through the basic techniques, with each project carefully designed expand your skills and take you onto the next stage of needlepainting. The book will also be helpful to those with some experience but feel the need to practice and further improve their technique. The projects are divided into skill levels, ranging from complete beginner through to intermediate embroiderers. Some of the projects use smaller designs which are ideal for gift items. Step-by-step photographs and easy-to-follow instructions will ensure success at every stage.

Working your way through all 64 patterns will bring you a great feeling of satisfaction as you finish up with a beautiful and functional rug or throw; you could choose a selection of patterns and create a smaller rug for a special purpose, or just one pattern and repeat it to create a scarf or shawl in a favourite yarn.The 64 patterns will inspire crochet workers, both beginners and advanced, who are familiar with Renate’s earlier books, Crochet Techniques and Bring Colour to Crochet. Freeformers will discover some novel stitches and enjoy incorporating many of these patterns into their work, whether using this book on its own or in conjunction with ideas inspired by Renate’s Freeform Crochet and Beyond.

Bibilla Knotted Lace Flowers brings to a modern audience a form of lace that is believed to have originated in antiquity and that has been practised in many countries of the eastern Mediterranean. References to it were made in the works of Homer and Plato. Knotted lace has all but died out in most places, but it is still made in modern-day Turkey and used to adorn headscarves and other items of clothing.Elena Dickson’s interest in Bibilla flowers began many years ago. This book was inspired by her desire to create new designs in knotted lace, and is the result of countless hours of experimentation. She has modified the traditional techniques to make her flowers as realistic as possible, rather than the symbolic representations common to the older style. Patterns for several flowers commonly found in Australian gardens, and a number of Australian natives, are the result of her work.Elena’s detailed step-by-step illustrated instructions for each flower will ensure success for any lacemaker, beginner or expert. Discover the wonder in this beautiful guidebook, perfectly designed for the ambitious creative soul.

Netting had its origins in prehistoric times with the invention of fishing nets, and later became one of the very earliest forms of lace. Its use was widespread as the base for filet lace. Many of today’s filet lacemakers use machine-made net as the base for their work, but Margaret Morgan found herself challenged by the need for netting in sizes and colours that were not commercially available, and discovered the techniques hidden in old source material. In Netted Lace she presents the simple equipment and techniques required to make your own netting, with detailed illustrated instructions for netting backgrounds in a variety of sizes and shapes, and numerous edgings.There are patterns for round, rectangular and oval table mats, table centres and doilies of netted lace, many of which can be embroidered in linen stitch. Margaret’s experimentation has also led to patterns for attractive scarves and shawls made with heavier yarns and larger needles, using basic netting techniques, and for miniature items which could be used in a doll’s house, made with very fine threads and smaller needles – more than forty patterns overall. Margaret hopes that this book will capture your imagination and that you too will enjoy experimenting with netting.