ART OF EMBROIDERED FLOWERS

Search Press is very well known for its quality handicrafts publications, and this 2004 title was reprinted in 2017 and we have acquired stock. This new, modernised edition of Gilda Baron's inspirational, innovative step-by-step work explores nature through a combination of textiles and embroidery. Using painted and dyed backgrounds, and hand and machine embroidery, a number of techniques are employed when applying colour to the fabric, including batik, salt discharge and brushing dye into a wet surface. Beautiful pictures are then stitched and built up over the background in easy stages and the feeling of perspective is enhanced by the clever use of scale and colour. The Buttercup Field project introduces free motion machine embroidery and uses only two dye colours, blue and yellow but you will see how many colour variations and shades this can produce by blending, mixing and thinning and laying one transparent layer on top of another. As an alternative, the project can be completed with hand embroidery only. A photograph of a bank of yellow flowers on a coastline was the inspiration for the project. The next is Flowers by the Fence with a garden gate and splashes of colourful red and pink blooms. Near the End of the Day has a finished size of 12" x 10" with a background using yellow, green and black dye, then machine embroidered before over printing with magenta and mauve fabric paint and small-sized bubble wrap. The work is finished with French knots using coordinating colour thread and comparisons of the printed and unprinted sections show how the hand stitching brings the work to life with a 3D effect. There are blossoms and moody lochs, a panoramic scene and a sunset to finish using only the methods shown in the book to accomplish very beautiful pictures. Why not incorporate other skills such as felt making, crochet, tatting, beading and lace making or adding small areas of beadwork or crochet for interest? You might like to embroider raised flowers or leaves among cut flowers or the lace maker might want to make flowers or frame your handywork with a hand-dyed patchwork. The work featured is predominantly made with the methods shown in the three projects and the possibilities are endless. And you can make them much smaller in greeting card size. 80 page large softback, packed with colour photos. 20.3 x 26cm.