Well, it seems like I’ve let a week slip by since my last post. I really didn’t mean for that to happen, as I knew what I wanted to write about next. But, well, life happens. And things get in the way. I suspect many of you totally get that.
I love me a good used booksale for all the treasures to be found, for books never known about, heard about, ever seen before. That said, it doesn’t mean that I’m against buying a new book every once in awhile. I’m pretty picky when it comes to purchasing new books, but I found a treasure in this one. I saw it at the bookstore at Winterthur, actually, and learned it was a brand new book, having come out in August of 2018.
The full title is: Embroidered Treasures Flowers: Exquisite Needlework of the Embroiderer’ Guild Collection by Dr. Annette Collinge.
The guild collection referred to is the UK Guild, not EGA in the U.S. This is not an instructional book and does not contain any patterns of any kind. Instead, it is pure eye candy and inspiration and, indeed, reference.
I don’t think the table of contents really shows clearly how unique this book is.
Dr. Collinge takes the reader through a huge variety of techniques of needlework through her choice of items from the Guild’s collections. All of the items feature flowers, a perfect theme to tie together such variety of needlework styles. I loved this, just loved this. A couple of traditional samplers, some blackwork, some white work, some various styles of embroidery – all the types that I have come to expect in general books of embroidery/needlework. But also so many that I hadn’t seen, with some wonderful close-up photography. (Yes, some pages I was still aching for more pictures, more close-ups, etc.). Just to give you a taste of what is in these pages:
I certainly expected to find a sampler or two, this one being from the 17th century
And here a lovely piece of whitework embroidery from the early 20th century
Here, on this page showing a gorgeous needlepointed embroidery, you can see how the book gives an overall picture and a close up
Silk and metal thread embroidery from India from the late 19th century
Turkish embroidered scarf from late 19th century
Not only do I love the symmetry of this design, I love the technique of it being done completely in French knots
I’ve read up some on tambour work and seen some modern examples, but I’ve never been as impressed with it as I am with this example of tambour from the mid-18th century
There is even a chapter called “Embroidery with Unusual Materials.” This one? Fish Scale Embroidery. Yes. The white flowers are made of fish scales and the piece is from the 19th century.
I would have thought this was an example of goldwork of some type, done on netting. Not goldwork or metal thread of any type. That is straw. From the 19th century.
For a stitcher like me who enjoy seeing and trying out so many different types of needlework and seeing collections with variety in museums and exhibits whenever possible, this book was a wonderful collection.
On the last page, the author indicates that the next book in the series will feature birds. And a quick check just now has me realizing that the birds book is already out.