March is Reading Month!

I love a good read, but I also love to trawl through textile and embroidery books - perfect for inspiration.

I have always loved to curl up with a good book, but I find that I don’t seem to have the same amount of time to read as I used to. I generally have a book to hand which I dip in and out of, but, like many, quality reading time is often confined to holidays beside the pool!

Although I may not have the time for a novel, I do find myself referring to the many sewing and embroidery books I have accumulated over the years. I love to explore new techniques and observe how other sewists approach them. I find myself lost in the beautiful photographs, marvelling at how talented some people are, and planning how I can incorporate such techniques into my own work.

Don’t Overthink It - Do It!

Over the years, I have completed City and Guilds courses in both creative and machine embroidery. I have found them to be both immensely challenging and totally inspirational. If you have ever considered embarking on one of the courses available, I would highly recommend it. From day one of the first course, I was totally hooked, hungry to learn more and more, amazed that I could achieve incredible results. The courses enabled me to realise that I could create beautiful items from fabrics and threads, and that there really are no limits to the possibilities.

The courses exposed me to a whole host of talented makers from around the world. I began collecting their books as invaluable reference material when designing assessment pieces. I was amazed at how generous these textile artists were in sharing their work and methods. Detailed accounts of how to achieve a particular effect accompanied by beautiful photographs meant that I could incorporate some amazing techniques into my own pieces. Below are some of my favourites and those which I recommend should you wish to try out some new techniques and create some amazing pieces of your own.

Layers of Stitch

Contemporary Machine Embroidery by Valerie Campbell-Harding and Maggie Grey. Batsford 2000

ISBN: 0-7134-8653-8

One of my earliest purchases and, to this day, one of my favourite books to browse is Layers of Stitch. It is a ‘sweet shop’ of machine embroidery skills, beautifully photographed. I think the thing which really captured me was the (then) new technique of digitising drawings and photographs using a computer, which was quite mind-blowing at the time. Using technology to manipulate images before stitching opened up a whole new world of opportunity, and I found it so exciting.

Source: Layers of Stitch Maggie Grey and Valerie Campbell-Harding. Batsford 2000

From Image to Stitch

Maggie Grey. Batsford 2008

ISBN: 978-1-906388-02-7

I have several books by Maggie Grey, but this publication from 2008 was incredibly influential to me. I was fascinated by the way Maggie used printing onto papers, fabrics and other materials as the starting point for her embroidery. This technique helped me enormously. I find a blank piece of fabric rather like a blank piece of paper - quite intimidating! It can be a daunting task to make those first marks or stitches on an expanse of nothing, but it feels much safer to begin when the background is already coloured or marked in some way. Again, the rapidly developing use of computers was exploited to great effect and became fundamental to my work at the time, and I found the whole concept of combining the use of computers with fabric and thread so fulfilling. It opened up a whole new world to me.

Source: From Image to Stitch Maggie Grey. Batsford 2008. Hazel Credland

Surfaces for Stitch

Gwen Hedley. Batsford 2000

ISBN: 0-7134-8666-X

When embroidering, I really enjoy building up textures. This book by Gwen Hedley was a constant companion to me whilst working on pieces for the City and Guilds courses. Gwen introduced me to incorporating unexpected elements into my work, blending them into the backgrounds before stitching. Everyday materials such as clingfilm can be stitched and heated to create some magical effects, and studying her work led to many happy hours of experimentation, especially in creating 3D embellishments. Innovations with smart materials give the embroiderer or textile artist such scope for creating truly extraordinary works. If texture and rich embroidery interest you, then I would urge you to seek out this publication.

Source: Surfaces for Stitch Gwen Hedley. Batsford 2000

The Art of Embroidery

Inspirational stitches, textures and surfaces

Francoise Tellier-Loumagne. Thames & Hudson 2006

ISBN: 0-500-28639-6

I received this most beautiful of books as a Christmas present nearly 20 years ago. It showcases some superb examples of embroidery alongside the photographs which provided the inspiration. Stunning images feature on every page of this book, all nature-based, from landscapes to macro photography and everything in between. I love to use nature as a source for my work, and this has to be one of the best and most inspiring books I have ever seen. If you can find a copy, you will not regret it!

Source: The Art of Embroidery. Francoise Tellier-Loumagne. Thames & Hudson 2006

Organic Embroidery

Meredith Woolnough. Schiffer 2018

ISBN: 978-0-7643-5613-1

My favourite method of stitching is machine embroidery, in particular on water-soluble fabric. I learnt this technique on the first City and Guilds course I enrolled on, and I was immediately hooked. I adore the delicate and lace-like qualities produced once the background fabric is washed away, and I used it in many of my finished pieces. Meredith Woolnough is a professional artist and educator working in Australia. She uses free machine embroidery on water-soluble fabric to create the most beautiful works exploring the beauty and fragility of nature. Her unique approach results in three-dimensional pieces, which are often shaped or moulded once the background fabric is washed away. Her work is often mounted using a technique where it appears to float above the surface, creating shadows which further enhance the lightness of the embroidery.

Source: Organic Embroidery Meredith Woolnough. Schiffer 2018

Just want a book to read?

I hope that you have found something in the selection of books above to inspire your sewing or perhaps encourage you to try out a new technique. But if you are simply searching for a new book to lose yourself in, perhaps ‘Threadneedle’ by Carrie Thomas will fit the bill. A saga about a family of witches, torn apart by a curse. It’s my next read, recommended to me by a friend, and the title appeals to me too!

Happy sewing - and reading!