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Beginner's Guide to Crewel Embroidery
Starting with just four of these stitches, Jane clearly demonstrates, with detailed step-by-step photographs, how to work up a complete project. Instructions follow on showing how to stretch and mount your first embroidery. Using further projects she helps you build up skills, introducing new stitches in each section. Line drawings accompany each design and are used as a guide for the stitches. The designs and colours used are traditional - reminiscent of the embroidery worked by embroiderers during the Tudor period, wonderful floral pictures worked in wool and soft colours.
The book is a comprehensive introduction to this lovely technique and at the same time it offers embroiderers practical help with presentation and finishing.
The book is a comprehensive introduction to this lovely technique and at the same time it offers embroiderers practical help with presentation and finishing.
- GenresCraftsNonfictionSewing
64 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 18, 2014
This is an OK introduction to crewel embroidery. The author doesn't offer a range of techniques but rather demonstrates a small number of skills which is probably best for a new person starting out. After all, how can you choose which is the best technique if you have no experience?
However Ms. Rainbow has some peculiarities that I can't recommend. She advocates using the bulkiest of threads and an unusual type of frame. Her method of pattern transfer is a common one but she advices using a felt tip marker in the process which can cause an inexperienced drawer to trace uneven lines and produce a poorly drawn design on the fabric. A well drawn design is essential for a neatly finished embroidery.
The thing I like best about this book is the embroidery examples. Ms. Rainbow has a good sense of color and uses negative space to its best effect. Most of her examples are solidly filled, a style I like.
If you are going to read this book, read other beginning crewelwork books first and then consult this one for how Ms Rainbow uses color, negative space, and stitches.
However Ms. Rainbow has some peculiarities that I can't recommend. She advocates using the bulkiest of threads and an unusual type of frame. Her method of pattern transfer is a common one but she advices using a felt tip marker in the process which can cause an inexperienced drawer to trace uneven lines and produce a poorly drawn design on the fabric. A well drawn design is essential for a neatly finished embroidery.
The thing I like best about this book is the embroidery examples. Ms. Rainbow has a good sense of color and uses negative space to its best effect. Most of her examples are solidly filled, a style I like.
If you are going to read this book, read other beginning crewelwork books first and then consult this one for how Ms Rainbow uses color, negative space, and stitches.
September 25, 2019
Great clear instructions for a beginner.
March 12, 2021
This is a wonderful guide to learning crewel embroidery. The illustrations and projects are elegant and delicate. A very beautiful book.
December 12, 2011
I've been teaching myself crewel (in order to expand out from counted corss-stitch), and I bought this book in order to work though the main projects, which are three different variations on the same pattern (a flourish of carnations). I set myself to work through all three of the projects, and then to work a fourth version of the pattern, choosing my own color and stitches. I think that the layout and instructions for the projects are very good and well thought out, although for a raw beginner who has never touched needle to fabric before they may be too brief. I suggest anybody interested in the book look at Mary Corbet's more in-depth review at Needle 'n Thread. You can see several images of the pages, there, if you're interested in the book's layout. http://www.needlenthread.com/2008/04/...
The only real criticism I have is in her explanation of the yarn. Rainbow urges her readers to choose whatever yarn they would like, remarking that the types and brands available in each part of the world may be different, and therefore she does not want to recommend something that a reader can't find. She gives the yarn required for each project as "2 skeins light green, 1 skein mid-green, etc" rather than numbers for a particular line of yarn, a strategy that works well and enables the individual embroider to choose their own yarns. However, she gives so little information about yarn types that it is hard to know what exactly would be most suitable. I chose Appleton crewel wool, and I think the wool itself was responsible for one of the stitches, a variation on spiderweb, not turning out (I removed and retried the stitch several times before deciding that it was the yarn's relative hairiness and thinness, not my bad stitching, that was causing it to go so badly). Also, since the amount of yarn is by "skein" it is hard to know much one really needs for each project. I severely over-bought, even after accounting for the extra pattern I'm stitching up, even though I followed her recommendations exactly. Luckily these will just go into my wool stock, but somebody who isn't a more serious embroiderer may not want so much extra (or stop working their project because they accidentally bought too little).
The only real criticism I have is in her explanation of the yarn. Rainbow urges her readers to choose whatever yarn they would like, remarking that the types and brands available in each part of the world may be different, and therefore she does not want to recommend something that a reader can't find. She gives the yarn required for each project as "2 skeins light green, 1 skein mid-green, etc" rather than numbers for a particular line of yarn, a strategy that works well and enables the individual embroider to choose their own yarns. However, she gives so little information about yarn types that it is hard to know what exactly would be most suitable. I chose Appleton crewel wool, and I think the wool itself was responsible for one of the stitches, a variation on spiderweb, not turning out (I removed and retried the stitch several times before deciding that it was the yarn's relative hairiness and thinness, not my bad stitching, that was causing it to go so badly). Also, since the amount of yarn is by "skein" it is hard to know much one really needs for each project. I severely over-bought, even after accounting for the extra pattern I'm stitching up, even though I followed her recommendations exactly. Luckily these will just go into my wool stock, but somebody who isn't a more serious embroiderer may not want so much extra (or stop working their project because they accidentally bought too little).
August 25, 2013
This instruction book has wonderful finished embroidery examples. For a beginner to crewel work it has wonderful direction and instruction for traditional crewel. As always I am left with wanting to see a number more beautiful finished works. Even though it only has a few broken down designs, this book has some beautiful photos labeled with instruction on the stitches they contain.
March 3, 2009
Excellent introduction to crewel work! Simple, clear designs with easy to follow instructions, and the nice touch of adding one quite large project alongside the smaller practise ones so you have something to aim towards.
March 13, 2010
Very well illustrated, friendly format and beautiful designs.
February 4, 2014
The examples are not inspiring.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews