Beginner's Guide to Drawn Thread Embroidery: (Beginner's Guide to Needlecrafts)

Patricia Bage's beautiful and inspiring book provides everything you need to know to create exquisite drawn thread embroideries. All the techniques are explained using detailed step-by-step photographs and diagrams, and the four projects at the end of the book, designed by Patricia in her own contemporary style, allow you to put all you have learnt into practice and create wonderful embroideries of your own.

About the Author :
Patricia Bage’s love of art and needlecraft began at the age of five, when her grandmother taught her how to knit. Her passion for knitting continued into her adult life, when she also became interested in canvas tapestries. She discovered cross stitch in the early 1990s, and in March 2000 she began her own design company, Patricia-Ann Designs. Since then, Patricia has exhibited at trade shows in the UK and the USA, and her designs are now available throughout the world. In 2002, Patricia did what she wished she had done at the age of sixteen – she enrolled at Maidstone College of Art and Design and was awarded a BTEC in Professional Development.

Review :
Winter 07 The author begins with a short history of this technique, it is one of the oldest forms of openwork embroidery developed to decorate linen and as a substitute for lace. The diagrams are extremely clear and easy to follow, not only for the stitches, but also showing the method of withdrawing threads to prepare for stitching, something which can be daunting for the novice. Suggestions for suitable materials are included. Instructions are given for using the stitches to make decorative pieces, based on traditional band samplers. These include other counted thread methods, and the use of beads and coloured threads, to give the work a more contemporary feel. Once again the diagrams are very clear. This book is good value and ideal for anyone wishing to try this form of embroidery. Wendy Lindesay, Liskeard Dec 07/Jan 08 Drawn thread embroidery can seem a bit daunting if you haven't tried it before, but it's such a satisfying type of embroidery and the results can be spectacular. The basic technique involves cutting and withdrawing threads to create open areas in the fabric; the open areas are then embellished in a variety of ways. Photographs show how the threads are cut and removed, there are clear step-by-step instructions for working a variety of stitches and four projects allow you to practise the techniques. The combination of traditional techniques with contemporary threads, colours and embellishments make this a delightful book. Sept 08 The author’s wonderful step-by-step diagrams, charts, photos and instructions lead you through to mastery of the art of drawn thread embroidery, without even realising you are accomplishing something that is supposed to be ‘difficult’! You can learn a catalogue of beautiful stitches from basic to more advanced, regardless of whether you are new to counted thread embroidery or not. The instructions are simply told/shown and easy to follow, without being condescending. A selection of stitch sampler projects are also included. If you are a fan of Patricia Bage’s embroidery patterns under the name of Patricia Ann Designs, you know what to expect and you won’t be disappointed. (The book is also a whole lot more economical than buying four individual chart packs or kits!) This book successfully finds the balance between projects and reference, making a wonderful addition to any stitcher’s library, beginner or not!