About the Book
Hazel Blomkamp combines a range of patchwork techniques including embroidery, beadwork, lace making and tatting to create inspiring, hand-stitched designs.
There are five projects to make exploring and combining your needlework skills. Everything has been created with fabric, a needle, threads, ribbons and beads. In some cases, even the ‘patches’ have been created with embroidery techniques. Be inspired to explore and combine your skills in new and exciting ways.
Table of Contents:
Introduction 6
General Tips
Tools and Materials 11
Techniques Gallery 14
Creating a panel of crazy patch 14
Embroidery stitches 20
Ribbon embroidery 29
Combination stitches 30
Needle lace 34
Needle weaving 49
Bead embroidery stitches 59
Beading techniques 62
Simple tatting techniques 75
Finishing techniques 81
Projects 87
Gussy up 87
Nightshade 103
Waiting for santa 115
Rambling vine 131
Savannah winter 157
Patterns 172
About the Author :
Hazel Blomkamp has taught embroidery and beadwork in South Africa for over 20 years. She is the author of Crewel Twists, Crewel Intentions, Crewel Creatures, two stitch guide books – Needle Lace Techniques and Needle Weaving Techniques – and has collaborated on Freestyle Embroidered Mandalas with Di van Niekerk and Monique Day-Wilde. She is a regular contributor to local and overseas publications. Hazel runs a busy website from home, providing embroidery kits and supplies to the four corners of the earth. Travelling extensively both around South Africa and abroad to teach and promote her work, she is regularly invited to teach at international conventions. Her teaching has taken her to Australia, New Zealand, Western and Eastern Europe, North America and Asia.
Review :
This is just such a pretty book. Not only are the 5 projects divine but the 10 techniques that are showcased are a sure fire way to make your work stunning and looking 'high end'. I adore the eclectic look of the quilting and the box lid is just amazing and looks very bohemian. Fabric, beads and ribbons are just some of the embellishments suggested, and the embroidery adds a beautiful finishing touch. There are templates included, along with hints and tips. Each project has instructions that are are easy to follow and Top Tips and colour suggestions are also provided. The beauty of this book lies in the detail of each project. It is not so much 'crazy' patchwork, instead it is an impressive and dazzling creative way of adorning your home. I will using this book to complete a year long 'stitch-a-long' project with a pen friend. It is inspiring and absolutely gorgeous.
July 2016
Hazel uses a large mix of embroidery techniques, stitches and embellishments to create the most beautiful patchwork. In this book you'll find 160 techniques to try, from embroidery stitches to needlelace and weaving, beading, tatting and ribbon embroidery. The techniques section is very comprehensive, easy to follow, with clear diagrams and photography. In the second part of the book there are five gorgeous projects for you to complete, inspiring you to explore and combine your skills in new and exciting ways.
I am in love with crazy patchwork. The only thing is in some ways it scares me. It's so free and inventive that
I never know where to start. I know now, you start by reading this book. Hazel goes into every detail you need to know to get started. You have everything from general tips that will help you start and keep your work beautiful. She goes through everything including the tools and materials you will need to get started. You have a techniques gallery so that you can go through step by step instructions into how create a basic panel of crazy patch. This then takes you onto different designs to create different looks. Next is the embroidery stitches you will need to use to complete the projects. Each has a beautiful diagram to explain the stitch and instructions on how to complete the stitch. This takes up nine pages as there are so many stitches that are described. Then it's onto ribbon embroidery stitches. There are five beautiful pages of the most effective and amazing stitches.
Then it's onto needle lace. This begins with general tips and basic knowledge, moving onto instructions for each of the stitches used. After 15 pages that are packed full, you move onto needle weaving. Another 10 pages on and we move onto bead embroidery stitches for 16 pages. Next is simple tatting techniques. I was especially interested in this section as tatting is something I am trying to master. After another six pages you are finally
onto finishing techniques. As you can see from above it's packed full of guided stitches and everything you
will need to make the projects. Now you might think there isn't much space in the book for anything else,
you would be wrong. There are five different projects to get your teeth into and use everything that you have learnt. The projects are called; Gussy Up, Nightshade, Waiting for Santa, Rambling Vine and Savannah Winter.
Gussy Up has been designed to fit into lid of a wooden box. It's a beautiful mix of everything you have learnt.
The project is broken down into steps so it isn't quite as daunting. I would of liked a few more how to pictures
but they are clear pictures of each section. The Nightshade project is a beautifully designed black and white project. This really gets you thinking as it's not what you usually what you think of when you think of crazy patchwork. This project measures 9 7/8" x 7 7/8". It's also designed for the lid of a box. Waiting for Santa is a beautifully designed stocking for Christmas. Rambling Vine measures 15 1/2" x 15 3/4" and is designed as a wall hanging. Savannah Winter measures 9 2/3" x 7 7/8 has been used as a lid to cover a sewing basket. There is lots to learn in this book and some beautiful projects to utilize all of your new skills. Each of the projects are amazingly detailed and use so many skills. You can learn so much from this book. If you want to learn crazy patchwork, it's well worth purchasing.
Hand-Stitched Crazy Patchwork is definitely a technique book. But it combines So Very Many techniques, that it’s more of a needleworker’s creative manual. It teaches you how to do certain techniques, while opening those techniques up to some fantastically creative applications. The foundation of the book is the notion of crazy quilting. But it’s not just a crazy quilting book. It’s a needlework technique book, first and foremost, and then a project book, with some projects grounded in crazy quilting and some projects surface embroidery that looks like crazy quilting.
Full review: http://www.needlenthread.com/2016/05/hand-stitched-crazy-patchwork-book-review.html
The book starts out covering materials, tools, supplies and so forth, as any needlework instructional book does. From there, Hazel introduces us to the basic techniques of crazy quilting so that, if you choose to apply the techniques in the book to crazy quilting, you have a foundation to work on. Then, she teaches us gobs and gobs of stitching techniques, from individual stitches… to stitch combinations…to simple and more complex needle lace techniques…to needle weaving techniques…to bead embroidery techniques… and more – including surface embroidery techniques like long & short stitch shading… and even tatting! And throughout all the instruction, there are gorgeous close-up photos of beautiful embroidery samples featuring the huge variety of stitching techniques offered throughout the book. After the techniques section, we get into the projects. There are five projects in the book, and while they all bear some resemblance to crazy quilting, they aren’t all crazy quilting projects. Some are embroidery projects that look like crazy quilting, but don’t involve patching together fabric. Each project has a thorough materials list, followed by step-by-step instructions for completing the project. The step-by-steps for each project refer the reader back to the technique instructions, so that the stitcher has a thorough understanding of how to accomplish each step. At the end of the book, you’ll find all the patterns for each stitching adventure!
In a Nutshell
Hand-Stitched Crazy Patchwork is oh-so-much-more than a crazy quilting book, so don’t let the cover or title fool you. If you’re looking for a crazy quilting book, oh yes! It fits the bill! But it’s also a surface embroidery book, a needle lace book, a needle weaving book, a bead embroidery book, a tatting manual, and a magnificent idea book.
Like all of Hazel’s books, it’s different! It goes where other needlework books haven’t gone before.
And it’s definitely worth putting on your wish list! In fact, I’d say it’s one of those books that’s going to sell out of the first printing. Just my guess. Could be wrong. But it appeals on so many levels, that I think a lot of people are going to want it!
Use a mix of embroidery techniques, stitches and embellishing to create crazy patchwork. You will find an amazing 160 techniques to try out. Five projects help you to make completed pieces. Combine many different needlework skills to create stunning new ideas. This book shows how to use ribbon embroidery, needle lace and weaving, tatting and beading. The instructions are very clear and there are good photos and line drawings throughout. The techniques section shows easy-to-follow instructions. The book has a traditional feel with a contemporary twist – the combination of time-tested techniques with practical projects.
