Creative Hand Embroidery: Exquisite Countryside Scenes in Simple Stitches

by Sue Newhouse

Illustrated with over 40 embroideries, this book is specially designed to encourage beginners to explore the creative possibilities of hand embroidery. It begins with the basic "know-how", and shows how to use silk threads and simple stitches to create original embroidered countryside scenes. The first project is a step-by-step meadow landscape using basic stitches and techniques. This is followed by imaginative ideas developing this theme by improving the design and colour scheme, plus advice on how to add applique and fabric painting techniques to achieve maximum effect. The final and more advanced section shows how to incorporate textured items such as miniature padded flowers and animals and wooden gates, and how to achieve extra tone and perspective.

Genres: Crafts

64 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1993

Reviews

[Margo Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've carried this book around with me for more than a decade, and finally made the practice meadow piece. I think I am addicted. Along with her second book, Hand Embroidered County Landscapes, I have all the inspiration I need to make my own landscapes in the future. I only wish she had more books! There aren't many "instructions" in this book and its companion piece, or at least it doesn't look like there are. But I followed the instruction for her meadow line by line, and it was really helpful in learning this technique. I would say that it is deceptively instructive. You need to actually get your hands dirty to understand how good it is.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations. Although it has instructions for some of the projects, it's not really an instructional, more of a showcase for this specific kind of embroidery with details about concepts and methods on how the projects come together. While it has some clever and interesting embroidery scenes, those looking for a how-to might be disappointed.