Book Giveaway: "Embroidered Textiles" by Sheila Paine

Opal518 writes: I do a bit of embroidery on my machine, and on my hands. I like the cut work designs best because there is so much you can do with it.
Posted: 6:32 am on December 20th

Carly_Sue writes: I love embellished clothing and have done a lot of it over the years. Always pleasure to see what other people's imaginations dream up. I would love to have this book.
Posted: 7:06 am on October 31st

CRAZYJANE writes: I love the embroidery that appear on Indian Sari fabrics, I love the colours and gold threads. I'm such a magpie.
Posted: 1:42 pm on February 20th

Katielynne writes: My favorite embroidery has a vintage appeal. So many 'old' techniques and color schemes capture my interest and make me dream about how I can incorporate the look into my next project. I like the way embroidery truly sets whatever it is applied to apart as unique. For me embroidery has emotional connections because it has always been a part of my life, first with watching and using things my Mother embroidered, and lately as a way to 'connect' with her while I'm working on a project.

I hope this entry still qualifies...I read in my current issue of Threads that the deadline is today, Monday, January 24 at midnight. But I see here online that it was yesterday. Oh, I can only hope and keep my fingers and toes crosses. "o)
Posted: 2:56 am on January 25th

krazyk56 writes: I have always been drawn to fabric and the mechanics of making and designing clothes since I was 5. I love all aspects of sewing and stitching including the history that goes with it. Thanks for the opportunity to have a chance at winning the new giveaway. dlkinkade@comcast.net
Posted: 9:17 am on January 24th

colorworker writes: My Grandmother did Danish counted cross stitch back when she had to have the materials sent to the US by relatives, and her work was amazing. A close family friend designed and made extraordinary Hardanger, ranging in size from bookmarks to tablecloths, and her husband did cross-stitch. My mother did wall hangings using crewel techniques. I do a bit of many things, but am most experienced with doing complex applique work using a standard style sewing machine. I love them all.
Posted: 6:59 pm on January 22nd

zsazsa13 writes: I like most embroideries, but especially on clothing depicting something pictorial.

Sue.larosa@childrensmn.org

And please enter me in the giveway drawing for this lovely book. thanks
SLR
Posted: 2:24 pm on January 21st

vwren99 writes: I love all hand embroidery, but openwork or drawn thread techniques are my favorite--especially various forms of hemstitching.
Posted: 11:19 am on January 21st

spicedar writes: I like most any kind of embroidery. I don't have an embroidery machine, but I like doing hand embroidery while watching T.V. It seems to relax me in the evenings after all the days work is done.
Posted: 11:00 pm on January 20th

waudby writes: I learned to hand embroider as a child, and my mom also took me to "quilting bees" where the ladies kindly provided me with needle & thread and allowed me to "stitch". I am sure they removed the stitches when I left, but the experience instilled a love of sewing by hand. After the birth of my second child, I enrolled in a basic sewing class to learn garment making, and never looked back. I am now the proud owner of a Husqvarna Designer 1, enjoy doing different kinds of sewing and machine embroidery. I still have much to learn as new techniques appear every year. I have made wedding/bridesmaids gowns, with lace edges - what a thrill to see this appear. I would love to win this fabulous book and share it with my daughter who I taught to sew at the tender age of 8 yrs. She is now very accomplished.
Posted: 9:04 pm on January 20th

SewSoSpecial writes: I enjoy all types of embroidery, but shadow embroidery and special embroideries for portrait dresses and baby items are my favorite.
Posted: 5:04 pm on January 20th

Jen_NYC writes: Traditional Japanese sashiko. It is quite simple in its most essential form; a running stitch on indigo dyed cotton cloth. I like the fact that it was originally a functional type of embroidery that was used to reinforce work wear and extend the life of the cloth.
Posted: 10:32 pm on January 19th

DianeKinsley writes: I love to do hand embroidery. I find it very meditative and calming. I am inspired by ethnic and primative styles of embroidery, especially kantha and shashiko. I also do discharge shibori and stitch the fabric into fabric collage and books.
Posted: 9:56 pm on January 19th

Lorene writes: I'm lucky enough to live by Lacis, in Berkeley, CA, where they now are showing an exhibit on embroidery. My favorites from that exhibit are an 19th century landscape embroidered from human hair (probably a memorial) and a fragment of japanese embroidery with amazingly realistic renditions of wing feathers from birds.
Posted: 4:19 pm on January 19th

Stephehawk writes: I love embroidery! I am a novice and have done only a few pieces, but am still learning! I am greatly interested in doing historical styles such as blackwork, whitework, and redwork. I also enjoy freehand embroidery that was used in the middle ages in europe, such as Viking, English and Italian patterns.
I am always looking for resources and new ways of using these patterns and styles. And of course learning new information about embroidery!
Posted: 2:15 pm on January 19th

rosetulip writes: Crewel embroidery is my favorite but I love free hand stitches also. This book features many historical examples.
Posted: 1:02 pm on January 19th

skyemom writes: Although I am studying and experimenting with many types of embroidery I always have some cross stitch going. I think it is because it is easy to work at gatherings and is adaptable to many types of projects. Actually I like any counted stitching. Sashiko is my current learning foray, but cross stitch remains my favourite.
Posted: 11:54 am on January 19th

Kipou writes: Just retired so now I have time to learn, explore, perfect, etc. all things to do with embroidery and sewing. I've seen some exquisite examples of hand embroidery recently and I am so inspired. This book sounds like a great starting point.
Posted: 11:45 pm on January 18th

Suibhan writes: Embellishments make the garment! Embroidery is THE top notch embellishment.
Posted: 7:23 pm on January 18th

KimBaird writes: My favorite embroidery is richly textures, like the work of Beaney and Littlejohn.
Posted: 5:30 pm on January 17th

donamendo writes: I love the hand embroidery of the Middle East, the colorful stitches added to sleeve and hem edges, and the beautiful floral designs. I've been doing hand embroidery since I was a teenager. As a child of the 60's and 70's, all my clothes had a personal touch of embroidered threads somewhere. Now I do crazy quilting where I can embroider to my heart's content. Someone once tried to entice me with sewing machine embroidery, sure that I would give up the "tedious" hand stitching so I could whip out my quilts. I wasn't even tempted, preferring to spend hours on a hand-worked design that has detail and a three-dimensional quality to it rather than a perfect albeit flat design that shows no originality.
Posted: 4:57 pm on January 17th

mvb50 writes: I admire the richly embroidered blouses from the Balkans. My mother had an old book with cross-stitch patterns she had bought on a trip there. As a teenager, I copied some of the cross-stitch designs, using embroidery floss on cotton gauze that I turned into garments. I still have a little top and a peasant blouse that mom ended up finishing for me. So many hours went into the embroidery, I cannot part with these items. Having completed these relatively basic projects gave me a healthy respect for the time and skill of the craftspeople who produce the richly embroidered textiles that are the subejct of this book!
Posted: 12:43 am on January 17th

JoyK writes: Crewelwork is my favorite kind of embroidery - I love the textured look the wool creates and the deep, earthy colors it comes in.
Posted: 8:41 pm on January 16th

up2latemom writes: As a young mom, I would spend hours cross stitching projects for gifts. As they would play or nap, I would dive into my projects. Now my kids are practically grown and I have since moved on to machine embroidery. I still love the art of hand stitching and embellishment. I love to find books that feature garments and textiles from days gone by and drool over all of the beautiful pictures. I can't wait to tackle the smocking featured in a recent Threads article.
Posted: 12:56 pm on January 16th

Osal writes: oops. I said "almost years" and meant to write almost 2 years.

Posted: 10:57 pm on January 15th

sewsanista writes: When a child is baptized at my church, I embroider the little cloth that is used. It is so special to receive this sweet white handkerchief with name, date, and a little cross embroidered free-hand in white floss. I treasure the ones given to me when my girls were baptized and now it is my turn to do it.
Posted: 9:54 pm on January 15th

Osal writes: When I was fourteen, my mother and I returned home from almost years living in Tanzania, and en route, we stopped in Damascus. There I bought an antique Syrian wedding coat. Very small, but it fit me, just. It was red wool, with blue cotton facings and gold embroidery,around the neck. I absolutley fell in love with the feel of this embroidery. The coat hung on my wall for many years. Now it is in storage. I like all kinds of embroidery, but especially the older work, including stumpwork.
I wish I had more time to do it. It seems such a dying art.
Posted: 9:01 pm on January 15th

riversilt writes: I love hand embroidery. I only create simple designs, for pillows and such up to now. My goal is to purchase a machine and jump right into that format for creating pieces.
Posted: 12:06 am on January 15th

emmyjay writes: I'm most drawn to folk-embroidery -- the sort of thing you'd see on ethnic and peasant-style clothing. It's not always the most delicate or fancy, but something about it just cheers me up.

Posted: 3:23 pm on January 14th

dmason48 writes: I have never embroidered, but am retired now with the time to begin. I own pillowcases that my mother embroidered when she was a little girl. I would love to buy a plain pair and try it myself. I love the look of samplers, as well.
Posted: 10:15 am on January 14th

zeshuregi writes: Embroidery is my favorite thing to do...i have done many variations in embroidery & some embellishments too..like embroidery with crochet hook...isnt it different??you can find its tutorial at my blog...you can also see my embroidery stuff at my blog...
so i want to say...i realllllllllly neeeeeeeeeed thisssssss....Thanks......
www.creativemind.tk
Posted: 2:50 am on January 14th

elizabeth001au writes: Both machine and hand embroidery. Wanting to learn new embelishment techniques.
Posted: 2:40 am on January 14th

cindy_sews writes: My favorite embroidery to do is shadow embroidery. I love the way the different color threads show through the fabric. My favorite embroidery to admire is gold work embroidery. It is spectacular!
Posted: 10:05 pm on January 13th

TatusWelle1 writes: I do VERY basic embroidery using the decorative stitches on my machine but I LOVE intricate, detailed, heavy embroidery found like some found on North African traditional wear like caftans.
Posted: 8:55 pm on January 13th

margaretinma writes: I do needlepoint, cross stitch and have tried most all of them. Stumpwork is one of the ones I'm most fascinated with.
Posted: 8:25 pm on January 13th

3feathers writes: Hand embroidery is my favorite! All types. I had my first lesson in the 7th grade at boarding school and I was hooked. Please do more articles on it so the craft isn't lost.
Posted: 7:19 pm on January 13th

SueBee256 writes: Every summer I do some decorative embroidery. Started in the late 1950's. It has been years since I've done a bedroom "set"
Posted: 5:21 pm on January 13th

giftedgranny writes: I love crazy quilt embroidery! Embroidering a crazy quilt block encompasses as many embroidery techniques and stitches as one wants to include, and as many threads, ribbons, yarns, and embellishments as your imagination can come up with. It is great way to teach embroidery and patchwork.
Posted: 11:34 am on January 13th

CherieFrid writes: Oh my gorgeous. I have not done embroidery in awhile, but this is inspiring! My mother taught me hand embroidery before any other sewing skills; I have never done machine embroidery.
Posted: 10:38 pm on January 12th

kvenkat writes: I have been doing beadwork for 25 years so I enjoy that a lot. Other than that, I love the old kasab embroidery of Northern India where fine twisted wires of precious metals were used with silk threads to created breathtaking specimens. One doesn't see it much of the real thing anymore due to the high cost of materials.
Posted: 7:49 pm on January 12th

Seranya writes: My favorite embroidery and embroidered pieces come from the most unassuming, and humble of sources - beginners. I absolutely adore watching young ones learn to make the simple stitches like lazy daisy with a colorful thread while snuggled in a grandparents lap or sitting with rapt attention next to mom. I love looking at their uneven stitches and and little mistakes that have such love and character.

But my most favorite piece of all came during my freshman year of high school. I was already a good sewer, and adept with many embroidery stitches that my mom had taught me, along with crochet and knitting. Because of this, our Home-Ec teacher asked me if I would help her during my study hall to tutor and teach the special education students.

We were teaching simple stitching on felt with the student's favorite colors, and one particular young boy was having a lot of trouble remembering how to do his saddle stitch. Try as hard as he might, he could not remember where to put the needle. The teacher had her hands full with 5 other students so I set my sights on helping this one determined boy. After many tries I finally decided to put evenly spaced dots in ink around the perimeter of his felt piece. Then I told him to go up in one dot, then down in the next. All I had to do was say "up" or "down" each time he was ready for the next step. He made it all the way around, and I've got to tell you - it still brings tears to my eyes when I remember the pride and excitement in his face when he realized he had finished it by himself.
Posted: 7:31 pm on January 12th

eeamende writes: I'm in love with silk ribbon embroidery. I used it in my senior collection. It is easy to do and beautiful to look at. I just wish I lived in an area where I could purchase silk ribbon in my area, without having to go online!
Posted: 7:16 pm on January 12th

gpoke39 writes: I love all types of embroidery.At present I'm doing t-shirt embellishment and the two techniques I use the most are Silk Ribbon Embroidery ( it's very forgiving )and Shisha Mirror Embroidery , this is my favorite one.
Posted: 6:49 pm on January 12th

Carly_Sue writes: I love all types of embroidery but I think the one that brings me the most satisfaction is Free Machine Embroidery. It lends itself for a person to be so completely creative, making any size or scheme of your choice. For those out there who wish for a machine embroidery machine but can't afford one, this is such a wonderful way to learn to do it on your own. Uniquely your own creations!

Unless you want a commercial machine to make money with, repeating the same thing on many articles for, say, an organization, do learn the Free Machine Embroidery way. It is just plain fun to do! Most any zigzag machine will work for it. Even the old straight stitch machines will do it.

Happy embroidering, whatever is your favorite. Just so we are contented and happy using our hands and minds. Remember the importance of teaching and sharing what we know with the younger generations.
Posted: 5:34 pm on January 12th

suzannity writes: Right now, I love bead embroidery. I'm learning the techniques and enjoying it very much. Need to carve out more time to spend working on it.

I also have a cross stitch project going. I'm helping my mom finish a bedspread kit she ordered probably 30 or 40 years ago to relieve stress when my grandma, her mother-in-law, was living with us!

I enjoy researching, looking at and learning about most other kinds of embroidery though: black work, swedish weaving, drawn work. It's a long list, right? They're all beautiful. I would enjoy learning about embroidery from other cultures around the world and the past. Was recently reading an article about a museum glove collection in the UK with some amazing embroidery. Very high "wow" factor.

Posted: 4:06 pm on January 12th

sewingfanforever writes: My favorite type of embroidery is any type of embroidery that is used to embellish clothing. There is such a rewarding feeling to wear a garment that has that special "oomph" and makes it an original.
Posted: 4:03 pm on January 12th

creativemedhu writes: I love the embroidery with the small beads and sequence specially handmade.I also like the cut work embroidery.Never done machine made though but would always love to explore.
Posted: 2:16 pm on January 12th

purduemom writes: Hand embroidered details on garments would be my favorite - vintage and folk garments. I embroidered a pair of jeans when I was in middle school and the yoke of a smock top when I was in high school... wish I still had those clothes. I own a sewing/embroidery machine and appreciate how easy it now is to add exquisite embroidered details to my garment sewing but still prefer hand worked embroidery.
Posted: 1:08 pm on January 12th

knew writes: I use the sticky stabilizer for thick garments and knit T's. I user the waste that has been hooped but not uses to collect all those little threads I clip from the embroidery. I stick it on the sewing table and throw it away when full or less sticky. Saves a bundle of time.
Posted: 10:54 am on January 12th

gladrags writes: I love anything 'textile'...the more tactile the better-texture is good. Free machine embroidery is like meditation for me. But I love the rhythm of hand embroidery too - it suits the busy multi-tasking lives most women live, very often with only short time slots to fit it in. I used to keep some handwork in the car to do while sitting outside my daughters' school, dance and music lessons. Not so much of that any more but I still carry something to do when travelling and for waiting for appointments with my Dad. He's always interested in what I'm doing this time and it is a good conversation starter with other patients!
Posted: 9:13 am on January 12th

FreddieFlea writes: I love all kinds of embroidery. I've spent time learning all kinds of counted thread work, pulled and drawn thread work, samplers. I did a little crewel, but in the early '80's I saw a beautiful silk embroidery on a vestment at church and wanted to learn to do that kind of work. 10 years ago I started studying Japanese embroidery and am on the final phase or level and have the skills to do ecclesiastical embroidery. My favorite media are silk on silk with gold or other metal threads. Right now, I am working on a stole for a deacon, the husband of a friend in gold. I am also so pleased to be doing some white work for our parish. For relaxation, I enjoy smocking or other surface embroidery in cotton for my granddaughter. It is such a pleasure to be able to make useful things such as the altar linens and vestments and make them beautiful.
Posted: 9:01 am on January 12th

ladylacer writes: I lover all embroidery but vintage is the best. I am working on a small piece right now with the message A daughter is a smile in your heart. Isn't that dear?
Posted: 8:59 am on January 12th

WillaMcNeill writes: It has been a long long time since doing any embroidery. I would enjoy relearning and having a portable project. I have lots of silk ribbon so that should be the next effort.
Posted: 7:18 am on January 12th

awami writes: I can't embroider (I have no patience!) and I'm really impressed with the each Alabama stitching item I've seen so far. I dream of an embroidery machine too!
Posted: 5:50 am on January 12th

gossamer_girl writes: I learned basic embroidery skills as a young girl and learned to appreciate the many beautiful techniques used around the world. In the late 1970s I traveled to Eastern Europe and took an extra empty suitcase with the intention of bringing home exotic textiles. The embroidered Croatian blouse and skirt, Roumanian and Hungarian blouses, and pillowcases, wall hangings and table linens from each of those countries still inspire me today with their luscious colors and textures and remind me of my first trip outside the US.
Posted: 4:07 am on January 12th

mamamaria writes: I love and have been hand-embroidering since I was a small child. I have always immensely took pleasure in creating all of the intricate and elaborate stitches. I am also now, just starting to learn free-motion machine-embroidering. This interests me because I am a painter too, and I feel it combines sewing with the same concepts of painting.
Posted: 4:03 am on January 12th

MaddyGranma writes: I love designing embroideries using nature as a backdrop. You can gain so many designs from a photograph that you have taken, or even a part of a photograph. I cut a template that has the basic finished shape of the embellishment and shift it around the photo or picture I am using until an interesting design starting point has taken hold of my imagination. From there I make sketches of the design elements and begin looking for materials that mirror my design. Free-form embroidery binds the design elements into one whole design.
Posted: 3:26 am on January 12th

orchidsinmay writes: Whenever I think of embroidery I always think of some of the Alexander McQueen couture collections.
Posted: 3:17 am on January 12th

IggyJingles writes: My mother made beautiful counted cross stitch bibs for my daughter, as well as two counted cross stitch crib quilts that we hung on the wall because they were too beautiful to use. We have kept everything for future generations.
For myself, I enjoy machine couching yarns, and very simple felt embroidery.

Robyn L. Coburn
Posted: 3:00 am on January 12th

MegM writes: I was inspired by the beautiful embroidery I saw in a museum in Oslo, Norway. The detail and workmanship was incredible. I liked the simplicity of one color embroidery on white cloth.
Posted: 2:19 am on January 12th

Marion110 writes: I have an embroidey machine which Ilove as it satisfies my need to finish in a hurry. I am currently sewing a "bookshelf quilt" for my son who is in Wales. Then I hope to make a large hand cross stitched picture combining several New Zealand patterns for a change of pace. I will try any form of embroidery and probably not truely master any.
Variety is the spice of life
Posted: 1:25 am on January 12th

Rabia writes: I like ALL embroidery, period, but if I had to choose, my favourite has to be Indian and Central Asian embroidery. I much prefer working with a needle and thread than with a machine, but that being said, I have seen amazing machine work as well, and i certainly wouldn't turn down an embroidery machine if someone were to offer it to me! I am thinking it would be NICE to have something that could turn out a repeating pattern that I could then EMBELLISH by hand, thus getting further along than if I had to do everything by hand! (I also like to sew on beads and sequins and make fringes)

I have a linen sheet that belonged to Christian Dior, that has the most stunningly skillful white-on-white work; a monogram consisting of an intertwined CD with forget-me-nots and leaves, doe with some of the tiniest, most delicate french knots, it has to be seen to be appreciated!... plus the name "Dior" embroidered in tiny letters in colour on the corner, in a cross stitch so delicate you need a magnifying glass to see the little crosses! Somebody said of it that it "was French convent embroidery at its finest" And this was one of the least fancy of the sheet collection that this woman had (she told me she had been 'a personal friend")!

One sheet had a handmade lace edging over a FOOT wide, and another had a border of bright yellow sunflowers. She also had a banquet tablecloth edged in ecru cutwork; it was at least 18 feet long (possibly longer; this was thirty years ago that I saw it) and when I say "edged", I mean the (very elaborate) cutwork extended from the table edge right down to the floor, and it was ALL "convent-caliber"! Absolutely BREATHTAKING.
Posted: 12:20 am on January 12th

pewb writes: My Mom taught me cross stitch, crewel and ribbon embroidery. I love all types of embroidery and recently have experiemented with machine embroidery using my Bernina. There is something very gratifying in producing items that have hand embroidery and I still love that kind of embroidery work.
Posted: 10:58 pm on January 11th

pewb writes:
Posted: 10:54 pm on January 11th

susan1006 writes: I like counted cross stitch and samplers, but I have begun to embroider on my fulled knitted slippers and bags with crewel stitches. Great fun. I would love to learn more about the history of embroidered fabrics.
Posted: 9:21 pm on January 11th

elzbet writes: I have always loved needlework. My grandmother used to do needle point and braided rugs and I have a small collection of lace examples. I love crewel embroidery for it's color variations.
Sarah
Posted: 8:30 pm on January 11th

MillyAnntoOne writes: I was inspired to take up needle and thread after reading a book about the history and hidden meaning of the Bayeux Tapestry. I am most interested in learning crewel embroidery. I love the stylized depictions of animals in colonial American embroidery. Also I am greatly inspired by the beautiful work of Helen M. Stevens. Her birds, butterflies and flowers are stunning!
Posted: 8:26 pm on January 11th

ldressage writes: I have lived in many places around the world and *always* collected textiles along the way. I have to say my favorites are the incredibly intricate silk embroidery of Japan and the folk embroidery of eastern europe, particularly Hungary... Handwork is appreciated and taught far more overseas than here in the States, which is a shame. I hope my daughter somehow absorbs the joy I get from creating. This book looks fascinating.
Posted: 8:20 pm on January 11th

janice201 writes: I like many kinds of embroidery, i am especially interested in Mayan and Incan embroidery, also molas. This book would be a great addition to a craft library. I always like learning new things.
Posted: 8:18 pm on January 11th

izodiea writes: I love white on white embroidery; particularly the kind you see on 18th century Fichus.
My favorite embroiderer is Tailor Drews, he does the most amazing work with silk threads!!!
Posted: 7:18 pm on January 11th

Bunnyrae writes: My mother taught me to embroider when I was very young. She told me it was a wonderful way to write and draw with beautiful colours of thread. She also taught me the back should look as clean a finish as the front (no knots, no cris-crossing of same coloured thread from point A-B; but rather to stop and finish the thread in one area before going on to the next).

I did alot of embroidered pillowcases,as well as "huck weaving" embroidery when young. I continued to learn many different types of embroidery over the years. I seem drawn back to crossstitch now (pictures and quilt blocks), and have taught my children and grandchildren the love of making art with colourful threads.
Thank you for the opportunity to share.

Posted: 7:02 pm on January 11th

QuiltinBarb writes: I enjoy a variety of embroidery! I like Crabapple Hill Patterns, Redwork, and embellished embroidery patterns/projects by Karen Phillips-Swallon!
Posted: 5:56 pm on January 11th

Hampton300 writes: I'd have to go with any kind of handwork. I love the Indian continent's beautifully simple rallis and kanthas,while 17th & 18th c samplers done by schoolgirls in the US and England are so evocative of the eras. I, personally, enjoy doing creative hand embroidery on an especially beautiful piece of cloth and I'm learning to make needlelace--very hands-on work!
Posted: 5:19 pm on January 11th

ShariK writes: I love Jacobean type embroideries. The best thing I can now do this type of embroidery on my Embroidery Machine. I love the samples done in Colonial days by young girls. I have done some reproduction samples and they are just beautiful.
Posted: 5:07 pm on January 11th

thatsmyreen writes: I used to hand embroider on everything, back when I had more time on my hands,(and more patience) I love to see the old cross stitched samplers that young girls made in colonial America as part of their "education". They are not only beautiful and imaginative but also full of history. thanks for offering this book giveaway, I would love to win!
Posted: 4:59 pm on January 11th

lou19 writes: I love whitework and traditional english smocking. But all embroidery is so inspiring.
I have a collection of beautiful embroidered table cloths. It was wonderful last summer on my 50th birthday.....I had a garden party with tables all covered with my beautiful cloths. Not sure when they'll get used again.
Posted: 4:58 pm on January 11th

Genie48 writes: I've done various type of "fancy work" crewl, embroidered quilts blocks, stamped work. Flirting with blackwork off an on. Trying to work up to crazy quilt embroidery. This looks like a lovely referance work.
Posted: 4:54 pm on January 11th

samlilypepper writes: I have not done any embroidery for the past several years. I used to do cross-stitch, but I haven't picked it up either lately. My favourite is probably Oriental embroidery... I have 2 pictures that are silk embroidery of birds. I would enjoy doing some embroidery again, but I would need to relearn it at this point. This book sounds like it would be a beautiful volume to add to my sewing references.
Posted: 4:27 pm on January 11th

sunnyc writes: Love the idea of this book. I, too, grew up with embroidery, as my mom was Polish and taught me to embroider when I was very young. Can't wait to flip through the pages of this book!
Posted: 4:23 pm on January 11th

mitch1066 writes: I love cross stitch but i've done plenty of crewel work over the years too.
Posted: 4:23 pm on January 11th

raevenfea writes: I’m currently obsessing over blackwork (and redwork) from the 16th century. The motives are very intriguing, even though it seems so simplistic.

I’d like to learn more about ribbon and 3D embroidery techniques for modern clothing though.
Posted: 4:16 pm on January 11th

racu writes: My mother in law learned with the nuns in Morocco (back in the 30's) how to embroider all kinds of home textiles (towels, sheets, handkerchiefs, etc) using monnograms and all kinds of flower motifs. Her style is very elegant and refined and is the one I like the most!
Posted: 3:55 pm on January 11th

LoracC writes: I too love all kinds of embroidery. I just recently finished a counted crossstitch (something I haven't done in quite awhile) for my mother for Christmas. It was great fun to revisit that form of embroidery.
Posted: 2:55 pm on January 11th

Couturegirl writes: My heritage is Hungarian, so I grew up with traditional embroidered items throughout the house. My mother taught me how to embroider the flowers when I was young. I think the traditional designs are so cheerful, with their bright reds, blues and lilacs. I admire all embroidery, but to this day, the Hungarian design is still my favorite.
Posted: 1:50 pm on January 11th

BBinGA writes: Learned to do hand embroidery as a child. Love crazy quilt embroidery and old fashioned folk style embroidery used to decorate everyday items. I have a clothes pin holder from the 1920's that is embroidered with blue birds hanging shirts on a clothes line. Too cute!
Posted: 12:55 pm on January 11th

seemless writes: I massively admire the embroidery done for Russian icons. After looking at just photos of it, I want to douse my supplies with gasoline and set fire to it all. There's no way I can match that level of artistry.

Haute couture has ome fine work as well, but it tends to be ribbon embroidery, which doesn't appeal to me as much as thread or metal.
Posted: 12:34 pm on January 11th

SilksWithAttitude writes: I love all kinds of hand embroidery - my Great Grandma taught me to embroider when I was 5 years old. Her work was impeccable so I learned high quality standards. And I thank her every day for instilling perfection standards in me!
Posted: 12:15 pm on January 11th

giannalapin writes: I love all kinds of embroidery. I do machine embroidery or "thread doodling" currently, but plan to learn ribbon embroidery as well.
Posted: 12:00 pm on January 11th