More Books I Like and Use

When I was at Makers Faire, Rachel Hobson, of Craftzine, told me about her favorite book: The Stitches of Creative Embroidery by Jacqueline Enthoven, ISBN 0-442-11087-1. After a quick look, I hauled out my Iphone and placed an online order for it (fortunately the Faire had open wifi for easy access). The book arrived a few days later and I've been enjoying the book ever since (just a bit late on blogging about it).

This is one of those books that if you could only take 1 book which one would you take -- this one! Jacqueline has over 200 stitch diagrams, but to me that is not what makes this book valuable. It has a bit about how to use the stitch and how it was used historically; including pictures not just diagrams. While she does look at stitches in families, she is one of the few that I think successfully makes the case of how each stitch relates and builds on the prior stitch. She also shows via diagrams how groups of the stitch might relate or how different sets of stitches might work. The only real draw back of this book is the lack of color in the pictures of the historical items, but with museums putting more of their stuff online, this is not a serious issue since she does site sources.

Books I Like and Use

No list of books would be complete without Metal Thread Embroidery: Tools, Materials and Techniques by Jane Lemon. It comes in hardback and soft cover; published by Batsford. As some of you have guessed by now I love goldwork! It is all Linn Skinner's fault :)

While most of you know me as a historical embroiderer, I love experimenting with threads and in particular metal threads in modern and historical ways. I have taken classes from Linn, Michelle Roberts, and at the RSN when it was at Perry (now 2x a year 30 minutes away from me but I haven't had time - yet!). However, there is so much more to know and understand. Looking at something historical -- what am I really seeing? Looking at something I did, but I want more depth or detail? The book I go back to for basics, for inspiration, for understanding of the how/technique is Jane Lemon's. I learn more every time I pick up and look at this book.

Books I Like and Use

First apologies. I had planned to do a book a month and here it is nearly the end of 2 months since the last post.

When I need to look at a stitch or how a stitch is worked I tend to look in a particular book first -- Mrs. Archibald Christie's Samplers and Stitches. It has been republished many times and is easily available for less than $25. First published in 1920, it has over 240 diagrams and pictures of stitches. Each stitch has a how to diagram and many have a how to use diagram as well. For each stitch she discusses how it was used historically and if there are specific patterns that it works well with, those are mentioned and diagramed as well. It is my "go to" book for stitches.

The one problem I find with the book, is that the stitches are set out in families. If I don't know what family a stitch is in, then I hope that the Index will help me find the stitch. Mostly this works, but I have spent a bit of time searching. Still, when I found the stitch in another book, I still go back and look it up in Christie.

Books I Like and Use - Introduction to a New Series of Columns

Some people, like SharonB, have great bounds of energy and post fabulous stuff. They also do great needlework. I am finding that with so much of my energy going to administration, I stitch a lot less. I still do crafts and some embroidery, but less. Hence I have less to blog about. I have decided that I can still offer items of interest to the needlework world by doing a series of columns on books. These will be interspersed with my more limited blogging about crafts, ega, etc.

I think one of the the key things any embroiderer, historic or otherwise focused, needs is a good library. It need not be deep, but it needs some key ingredients. This series will try to focus on books that I like and use. Hopefully this will spur some of you to increase your library and/or help you spend your money wisely.

I will try to comment on and provide the following:
-Full name and source information on book
-Summary of book content
-How and when I use the book
-What level of ability will get the most use out of the book

This in now way is designed to replace the West Kingdom Needleworkers Annotated Booklist which can be found here . The annotated list is over 200 books and is designed as a quick reference.

With that introduction, I would like to start with a book that is so useful to me as a historical embroiderer that it sits beside my desk.
A Pictorial History of Embroidery
Schuette, Marie and Müller-Christensen, Sigrid
Frederick A. Praeger, New York, 1964
Over the years it has been reprinted with several different titles and in several different languages. It is currently available for around $200 for the Thames Hudson/Art of Embroidery version. This is the lowest I have seen it in some time.

It is divided into 3 sections. The first is techniques and materials. The second is a history of European needlework from early middle ages through the early 20th C. The third section is a catalog with around 500 pictures, mostly black and white, and details about each piece. The descriptions are not exhaustive, but do provide lots of insight into the construction of each piece. It is one of those books that you read parts of again and again. The pictures reveal more and more with each viewing. The more I learn, the more I return to this book for further insight.

It is not a book for the beginning embroiderer nor for the someone who is not willing to do indepth research. This book is a beginning, a middle, but not the end for research into historical embroidery.