Crewel Twists: Fresh Ideas for Jacobean Embroidery

Whether you refer to it as crewel or Jacobean, this free form of surface embroidery has been around for centuries and is still popular amongst needle artists today. Because of the nature of the fanciful objects and the tradition of using a large variety of stitches in one project, it lends itself to endless creative expression. In this book Hazel Blomkamp uses a wide selection of materials to update techniques and inspire embroiderers to explore whilst working loosely within the confines of crewel work styles. She shows needle artists how to be creative with fabric, threads, beads and alternative stitches, borrowing techniques from other forms of needlework, and still producing a product that is typical of the crewel or Jacobean style of embroidery.The original designs include: • Projects including beads and metal threads to add sparkle and texture to your work. • Monochrome embroidery making use of a variety of threads and beads, all within the same colour range. • Techniques employed in needle-made laces with designs defined by means of texture. • More traditional embroidery including shading and satin stitch and the many variations of trellis couching to provide texture and interest. The completed embroideries are displayed in ways that are not only decorative, but are useful in the home.

Table of Contents:
A fresh take on Jacobean embroidery Materials and techniques to inspire Beautiful, decorative embroidery projects for your home

About the Author :
Hazel Blomkamp has dabbled with all the needlecrafts since childhood. When her children were babies she developed a passion for embroidery to break the tedium of life with toddlers, using it as her evening reward for having got through the day with her sanity intact. Her children are now young adults and she still embroiders in front of the television every night. She has been designing for the past 18 years. Preferring to design projects which appear to be traditional, she pushes the boundaries by introducing other forms of needlecraft into traditional techniques, exploring further in everything that she does. Along with designing, she runs a busy website from home. She teaches at her home studio, in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, and travels throughout South Africa and to Australia teaching embroidery and fine beadwork. She is a regular contributor to South African and Australian embroidery magazines and is a columnist for South African Stitches Magazine.

Review :
If you are a fan of Jacobean stitching, or Crewel work as it is also known, you will love this book which presents a new slant on this traditional method. The author draws on the variety of stitches and surfaces available in Crewel work and updates the technique by using creative approaches to this traditional technique. Her use of metallic threads, beads and needle-made lace techniques bring new creative methods of stitching to an old technique. There is information on stitches which are beautifully illustrated, suggestions for threads and suitable beads, plus rich decorative illustrations of projects. She borrows techniques from other forms of needlework and integrates them beautifully into the traditional designs. Satin stitch, shading and variations on trellis couching are all well known methods and the author also uses these to create textured surfaces to enhance her projects. This book would appeal to the traditional stitchers who wish to develop their techniques to create sumptuous surfaces without loosing the richness of the Jacobean tradition.-Megonline.co.uk It is nice to see someone pushing the boundaries of traditional crewel work. Also known as Jacobean, this form of embroidery has been around for hundreds of years. Hazel's work is definitely traditional but has a twist, in that she uses materials not traditionally associated with crewel work. Her projects also use beads and metal threads and techniques used by lace makers. Great projects in this book. I very much like the way the projects are used in cushions and for useful additions to the home. Not sure about the comments on the Chinese, if I had been the editor I would have deleted that. Daylight lamps are surely the answer to embroidery and eye sight problems. Good instructions and photographs.-Yarnsandfabrics.co.uk/crafts In her new book Hazel explores the use of a variety of materials with the addition of beads and metal threads, to inspire more creative techniques, whilst maintaining a recognizable Jacobean, or Crewel, style. Beautiful coloured photographs show the detailed stitches, and full instructions guide the embroiderer through each project step-by-step, with suggestions of uses for the finished work. This book is highly recommended for the traditional stitcher, or anyone wishing to try a more contemporary approach to this most popular form of embroidery.-East Kent Embroiderers' Guild Whether you know it as crewel or Jacobean, this free form of embroidery has been around for centuries and is still popular today. Hazel Blomkamp uses a wide selection of materials to update the techniques in Crewel Twists: Fresh ideas for Jacobean Embroidery, whilst working loosely within the confines of crewel work styles.-Embroidery Lovers of Jacobean or Crewelwork embroidery should definitely get hold of a copy of this new book. The author takes a new approach with the traditional techniques of this form of embroidery to create six splendid projects you will find difficult to resist stitching. There are six substantial projects in the book and the first pair incorporate beads and metallic thread which adds sparkle to one and a sophisticated subtlety to the other. The second two projects introduce needlelace to Crewelwork with a gorgeous monochrome piece that replicates the finest Whitework and an open, less intense design which uses the needlelace panels effectively. The final two projects are more traditional in style and use the gamut of stitches and techniques found in Jacobean work to create richly embroidered design. All the stitches used are illustrated with large, clear diagrams, along with lots of general advice and each design is broken down into easy to follow steps.-New Stitches I have been a keen embroiderer for years and confess a love for Jacobean (or crewel) work but I have never attempted it. This is because I am allergic to wool, and as embroidery experts have told me many times, you have to work this style in wool. But rules are made to be broken, and somebody has now done just that and produced a whole book of Jacobean embroidery where no sheep have been involved.Cotton floss, shiny rayon threads, metal goldwork strands and beads - yep, got all that right here and used it for years. Feast your eyes on this sumptuous treat of a book and look at all that lovely Jacobean work made using these modern and wool-free materials. To begin the author goes through all the aspects of starting that often get forgotten. These include how to obtain the right glasses if you need them, how to keep the work free of grubby marks and other helpful tips. Choose your fabric, get the right threads and tools and then practice the stitches shown over the next few pages, including needle lace. Most of these are unique to Jacobean work and quite complex; they are explained with a single drawn diagram showing the stitch being done and with a few words on working. No, this is not a suitable book for total beginners but anybody who is au fait with embroidery and has made a few projects ought to be able to make something to be proud of. All the projects have been made into items other than pictures; there is a box, stool and several cushions and pillows instead. They are beautiful too, shining with vibrant colors in most cases or worked in monochromes or shades or ecru and featuring those lush florals admired in stately homes and museums. The instructions are detailed but aimed at intermediate and upwards stitchers on the whole but nothing wrong with that as there are plenty of other books on this subject for beginners. This is a beautiful book that will make any embroiderer itch to start stitching - but not because of any wool!-Myshelf.com Crewel work is often called Jacobean embroidery - but that's more to do with the designs than with the techniques. Traditionally stitched in wool, these crewel work designs are worked in a variety of threads, including stranded cotton, stranded rayon, cotton pearl and even lace-making thread. Beads, sequins and metallic threads are used to add sparkle and texture - and the resulting glitz really lifts the designs. Needle-lace stitches add another dimension to the embroideries, and traditional embroidery stitches such as satin stitch and many variations of trellis filling showcase the qualities of the different threads. Working with a fairly broad definition of crewel work, the ideas and stitches allow embroiderers to borrow techniques from other styles of needlework and produce a piece that is still recognisably Jacobean in style. A lovely book - it really makes you want to reach for your needle.-Stitch For embroiderers looking for some inspiration, Hazel Blomkamp's book is an exciting take on Jacobean embroidery. It uses a wide selection of materials to update techniques within the confines of this classic crewel style. The original designs include incorporating beads and metal threads to add sparkle and texture, monochrome embroidery and needle-made laces - a delightful resource.-Craft Focus