The Embroidery Stitch Companion

The practical, indispensible, inspirational guide that every embroiderer needs.

Compact enough to travel alongside your needles and threads, this is also a sumptuous visual guide to needlecraft, allowing you to embroider whatever you want, wherever you want.

From making sound stitch choices to finishing your work with a flourish, the techniques within the book are those that the author uses and frequently revisits, and are simplified to ensure that the art of embroidery is within anyone's reach.

If you are a beginner, you will find all the information you need to get started, and soon gain confidence in your skills. If you are an established and confident embroiderer, the book includes plenty of tips and ideas to help you progress your work even further. 

Dip in and out of the book as you wish, and follow your own creative embroidery aspirations! The book starts out by introducing all that you need to become an embroiderer, and then explains the basic techniques: preparing your fabric, threading the needle, and even displaying your work in a hoop.

Learn a selection of simple stitches, before progressing to more complex stitches that will take your embroidery skills to the next level.

Let costume designer Coline Bavois, and The Embroidery Stitch Companion, become your indispensable guides to this timeless needlecraft.

Book Contents

CONTENTS

Introduction 4

PART ONE: Embroidery essentials 6

Fabrics 8, Threads 10, Needles 12, Scissors 14, Embroidery hoops 15, Erasable marking pens 16, Transfer papers 18

PART TWO: Basic techniques 20

Preparing the fabric 22, Transferring designs 24, Securing the fabric 26, Thread best-practice 30, Threading needles 33, Starting to stitch 34, Fastening off 38, Final touches 42, Displaying the embroidery in its hoop 44, Decorative ideas 48, General advice 50 

PART THREE: Stitch guide 52

Running stitch 56, Laced running stitch 58, Backstitch 60, Whipped backstitch 62, Stem stitch 64, Couching stitch 66, Chain stitch 68, Detached chain stitch 70, Fly stitch 72, Blanket stitch 74, Feather stitch 76, Cross stitch 78, French knot 80, Bullion knot 82, Straight stitch 86, Scattered straight stitch 88, Satin stitch 90, Shaded satin stitch 92, Planning a design 96 

PART FOUR: Further ideas 98

Using appliqué to attach embroidery 102, Embroidering a T-shirt (or other stretchy fabric) 108, Embroidering with beads 112, Further creative inspiration 125

Acknowledgements 128