Fast-forward to the fun part of machine embroidery with this gallery of ornaments, wreaths, Santas, trees, and other holiday motifs. Eliminate the time-consuming efforts of finding and copying patterns from elsewhere with the 100 motifs in this CD-ROM and book set, which are optimized for embroidery digitizing software. Use your creativity to personalize each design by selecting size, colors, stitch types, and other elements. The book offers a visual index of the designs, showing each one in black-and-white and in different color combinations. Each design is offered on the CD-ROM in both JPG and EPS formats.
Compatible with all major brands of embroidery software, these meticulously processed digital files assure accurate, self-contained stitch patterns. The suggested motif colorways are specified for threads made by Isacord; color conversion tables for other manufacturers are on the inside covers. The files can also be used in print and web projects.

Important Note about PRINT ON DEMAND Editions: You are purchasing a print on demand edition of this book. This book is printed individually on uncoated (non-glossy) paper with the best quality printers available. The printing quality of this copy will vary from the original offset printing edition and may look more saturated. The information presented in this version is the same as the latest edition. Any pattern pullouts have been separated and presented as single pages. If the pullout patterns are missing, please contact c&t publishing.

A gorgeous and inspirational book, showing how to create pictures with thread. Increasing numbers of textile artists and designers now use thread to draw with, on a wide range of mixed-media - including paper, flat fabric, manipulated fabric, various resistant materials including ceramics - experimenting with stencils and stitching, combining stitch with monoprinting, using both hand and machine stitch, and using everyday materials such as baking paper and newspaper to create one-off pieces. Packed with wonderful examples of work by contemporary makers, this book shows how to design and develop your own work using needlework, paper, print, sketching, and stitching.

An inspirational, practical guide by textile artist Letitia Thompson, the world of Mrs Bertimus! In this exciting new book Letitia shows you how to create colourful, contemporary, animal-themed stitched textiles with a quirky mix of vintage and whimsical style. Letitia's subjects range from playful, dancing mice to crafty foxes, their personalities skillfully captured in stitch using free-motion machine embroidery and hand stitching. The progression from idea to stitch is developed in easy stages, providing a valuable insight into the author's creative process and the methods she uses to achieve her stunning textile artworks. Starting with a comprehensive materials and techniques section, the book includes three step-by-step projects, templates, and numerous finished pieces to spark your creativity, resulting in a unique source of ideas and inspiration for textile artists of all abilities.

In 1598, Lady Anne Clifford wrote a letter to her father that featured a beautifully painted border. Inspired by that Shakespearian-era design, Jane Nicholas has created her own embroidery, stitched on ivory silk satin in stumpwork. It showcases 14 assorted flowers and fruits popular at the time, from the Apothecary rose, borage, heartsease, and periwinkle to redcurrants, barberries, plums, and strawberries. Use the border to surround a mirror or enclose a special photograph, monogram, or treasured memento.

Inspired by the past, Lesley Wilkins illustrates her techniques with a whole host of wonderful designs - flowers, plants, birds, animals and figures. She covers everything - from the materials to use and working with a chart, to getting started and how to stitch. Patterns are created by small stitched units which are combined in many different ways - some heavily textured, some delicate and light. Borders can be built up by repeating and joining motifs. Clear step-by-step photographs accompany the author's comprehensive instructions, and the motifs, borders, fill-in patterns and images are all charted, with inspirational pictures of embroideries showing how to build up finished designs.

Gary Clarke has mastered organza work with fabulous style and ease. This title features approximately 22 projects and additional designs for the reader to work. The subjects vary from fish, flowers, landscapes, nursery rhymes, fruit, lilies, birds, houses, Little Bow Peep and much more. Gary covers general organza instructions, framing, mounting, threads, fabric and needle stitches. The instructions for each design include watercolour paintings and line drawings. Each design has been worked in a different style, yet all could be worked in any one style, such as traditional satin stitch, couching, beading, cross stitch, stumpwork, applique and many more. Gary stresses the importance of mounting the works correctly, each design having been mounted differently.

The elegant form, fragile iridescent wings, mystical bead-like eyes and shimmering colours of the dragonfly have fascinated needleworkers for centuries. Jane Nicholas takes a close look at the anatomy of dragonflies and damselflies and their representation in natural history. She combines those observations with designs form as far back as the sixteenth-century and from throughout the world and then uses a variety of materials and techniques to build works of mesmerising beauty. Jane shares new ways of using unusual materials to interpret and create your own dragonfly designs. The projects - including a remarkable collection of nine creatures in a 'specimen box' - not only set off the dragonflies exquisitely, but they exemplify Jane's impeccable eye for detail and composition. This stunning book - fascinating for anyone interested in textured embroidery is a pure delight to read.

For the embroiderer who appreciates the value of beautiful stitches but also likes to break a few rules along the way, Rebecca Ringquist's Embroidery Workshops is a refreshing new resource for both standard and out-of-the-box techniques. Based on the popular classes Ringquist leads across the country, Rebecca Ringquist's Embroidery Workshops teaches everything from the "proper" way to form a French knot and transfer a design to a canvas to new ways to stitch three-dimensionally, work with non-traditional threads and fabrics, draw with thread freeform and mix and match machine- and hand-stitching. Also featured are instructions for 20 innovative projects, including a cloth sampler designed especially for the book (and packaged in an envelope at the back), table linens, wall art and clothing embellishments.

This beautiful, practical guide to creating and embellishing embroidered boxes is written by Heather Lewis, a tutor with the Royal School of Needlework. It contains a history of the embroidered box, from the seventeenth century to the present day, and features techniques and guidance for needleworkers wishing to apply their skills to a practical application of the craft. There are three projects to try: a small treasure chest with a curved lid, embroidered dragonfly detail and a false floor; a hexagonal box with a beautiful embroidered lid depicting afternoon tea, and an intricate stumpwork casket with a mirror in the lid and a hidden drawer. Each has a template and extensive instructions for preparation, embroidery and construction.

Each of these twenty beautiful needlepoint designs from Jayne Schofield is accompanied by a full-colour chart, key and general instructions. These fun, quirky designs in bright, contemporary colours are all small, measuring on average approximately 10 x 12.5cm (4 x 5in), though the designs come in a variety of formats and include tall, narrow designs as well as squares. All the designs are worked on 10-hole canvas and there is a broad range of subjects to choose from, including a country cottage, flowers, hearts, a festive reindeer, a hen, owl and some sheep, to name a few. So, whatever the occasion, there is bound to be a design that suits it perfectly. There are general instructions and a simple stitch diagram at the beginning of the book, so even those new to needlepoint will be able to accomplish all of the projects. At the start of the book there is a double-page spread of basic techniques. Jayne uses Anchor threads and provides the code numbers for the colours used; however, any suitable thread such as DMC or Madeira could be used.

Collecting insects, and displaying them, has long been the delight of natural history enthusiasts. In the 19th century, collecting butterflies and moths as serried rows in specimen boxes, or as decorative patterns in framed pictures, was a popular pursuit. Faithful to the tradition of these collectors, the Moth and Butterfly Specimen Box in this book is the third in Jane's series of stumpwork insect boxes, preceded by those in Stumpwork Dragonflies (2000), and The Stumpwork, Goldwork and Surface Embroidery Beetle Collection (2004). Lavishly illustrated in colour, with detailed step-by-step instructions accompanied by explanatory diagrams, this book will be a valued addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in textured and dimensional embroidery.

With the 100+ motif and border patterns in this book, it's easy to combine them to make your own personal cross-stitch designs. The 21 unique cross-stitch alphabets, made to coordinate with the motifs in a variety of styles-floral, lacy, Christmas and more-allow you to add words to complement your ideas. From flowers to cottages and houses, birds and animals to holiday and sampler-style motifs, there is so much to choose from! Borders add a professional touch to your designs, and a variety of letter styles help you personalize with names or meaningful words. Each motif is presented in chart form with a color key for ease of reference and a finished, worked example to show how the patterns should look when complete. If you are new to cross stitch or new to designing, an introduction to the craft covers all of the tools and equipment needed and demonstrates basic cross-stitch techniques from start to finish, plus gives instructions on how to graph and use your designs. Based on a simple grid and one basic stitch, cross stitch is easy to learn and master, so get started mixing and matching these beautiful designs into your one-of-a-kind creations!

This fantastic book showcases the prestigious Embroiderers' Guild's huge collection of embroidered animals through the ages. Featuring photographs taken especially for the book, items are displayed in full along with detailed images that show off the stunning variety of creatures at their best. Dr Annette Collinge's informative extended captions for each of the pieces give information on the provenance where known, and evaluate the quality of, and variety in, each of the works from her expert perspective. Rarely exhibited in public, these beautiful and important embroideries that span the centuries are now available for everyone to see.

Inspiration and practical tips on incorporating the everyday into textile art.In Embroidering the Everyday, acclaimed textile artist Cas Holmes explores the 'everyday' and the 'domestic', generating a wealth of inspiration and raw material to create textile work that resonates with time and place.Cas invites us to re-examine the world and use the limitations sometimes imposed by geographic area or individual circumstances as a rich resource to develop ideas for mixed media textiles in a more thoughtful way. With techniques and projects throughout, the book explores: *How to be more resourceful with what we have to hand, including working with vintage scraps, homemade dyes and papers, and even teabags and biscuits. *Rediscovering family history and how photographs and objects can provide inspiration, including Cas's own exploration of her Romani heritage. *Drawing inspiration from our local landscape and how it changes through the seasons. *How to transform materials with mark-making, printing, image transfer, collage and stitch.Packed with inspirational work from the author, and other leading practitioners who place the everyday at the heart of their work, this treasure trove of ideas, techniques and practical projects is an essential guide for our times.

Silk ribbon embroidery enthusiasts all over the world have been discovering the work of renowned Ukrainian embroiderer, Tatiana Popova. Here she teaches all the essential techniques and stitches you need, including traditional ribbonwork and thread embroidery, as well as new ways of working that she has developed herself to make silk ribbon embroidery easier. The second part of the book is devoted to 20 stunning projects inspired by the seasons, each accompanied by numerous step-by-step photos, diagrams and instructions. These include vibrant floral arrangements as well as romantic and whimsical designs such as hearts, owls and posies, and there are ideas for seasonal gifts such as an Easter wreath, a Wedding Day heart and a Christmas star. Ten of the designs feature full-size images to scan and print on your fabric before embroidering. Whether you are new to ribbon embroidery or an experienced embroiderer looking for inspiration and expert guidance, Tatiana's beautiful book is one you will turn to again and again.

In this first book in her new Sewing Room Secrets series, Debbie Shore walks you through every aspect of machine sewing, revealing her top tips and providing in-depth and helpful guidance every step of the way. Starting by looking at sewing room essentials, Debbie then guides you around your sewing machine and explains all the tools and materials you might need, including wadding/batting, interfacing, fabrics and threads. There's a handy troubleshooting section to reassure and guide you when you encounter problems. Debbie covers the key techniques you need to know, including inserting zips and piping, using shirring elastic, free-motion embroidery and applique. Debbie's focus is on craft and home items, but she also includes some dressmaking and quilting tips for those looking to explore other areas. The ten beautiful projects help you learn the techniques as you progress through the book, beginning with a simple pincushion before moving on to a pillow cover, a tablet case, a drawstring bag, a sewing machine mat and more.

This latest addition to the Transfer & Stitch series covers a huge range of designs of butterflies, bees and an assortment of bugs, to be embroidered onto clothing or home furnishings for a unique, quirky finish. Designs range from traditional, life-like insects to edgy modern steampunk designs. These intricate motifs can be rendered in metallic or variegated threads to give them a colourful, insect-like sheen. There are over fifty designs to choose from, starting from tiny ladybirds up to larger-scale grasshoppers, and each one comes with an iron-on transfer that can be applied directly to fabric.

Hardanger embroidery, which originated centuries ago in Scandinavia, has a rich and fascinating tradition. Its eight-pointed star is a universal symbol found in embroidery as far away as India. Gathered in this volume are all the hardanger stitches, techniques, and designs any embroiderer could wish for, along with 50 stunning projects, from samplers and bookmarks to a wedding cushion and a christening gown. Along with classic white designs, there are projects using colored and metallic threads, and even beads. With everything from basic stitches, such as kloster blocks, to intricate tassels and Maltese crosses, this is a comprehensive guide to hardanger.

Want to show your love for animals in your sewing projects, but feel you need to sew more practical pieces for your home? Look no further than this gorgeous book by designer Helen Rhiannon! In Sew Practical Pets, 18 whimsical and imaginative animal-themed projects have been designed not only to add character and colour to your home, but also to serve as functional items that will last for years to come. From useful items such an owl doorstop, a snake draught excluder and a sheep hot water bottle cover through to an elephant tea cozy, fox pillow and doggy oven mitt, there is a cute and handy little creature for every room. For kids (and the child within us), Helen has also included beautiful cat and dog toys and an animal-shaped apron. Key techniques and basic materials are detailed at the beginning of the book, and all of the projects include easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions. Templates for all the animals are provided on a fold-out sheet at the back of the book. For sewers of all abilities, bring a touch of playfulness and practicality to your home today with these fresh faux animals that you'll soon love as much as the real guys!