The New Anchor Book of Crewelwork Embroidery Stitches

Book excerpt: Crewelwork is one of the oldest embroidery techniques; associated with the 17th century and often known as Jacobean embroidery, it is as popular today as it has ever been. Historically worked in soft wools on twilled linens, today's embroiderer is discovering just how successfully the techniques can be applied to stranded cotton threads and a wider variety of fabrics. Crewelwork embroidery is distinguished by its textured, almost three-dimensional stitches. This book outlines in step-by-step detail the working of 48 of the most versatile stitches, listed alphabetically for easy reference. Sixteen new embroidery designs show the stitches worked in context and trace-off patterns are included. The featured embroideries include traditional Jacobean motifs, contemporary flowers, and whimsical celebration designs. There are also ideas for using the embroidered designs on several small projects.