Six flamboyant crewel birds to stitch in popular author Hazel
Blomkamp's much-loved, sumptuous style.
In this fourth title in Hazel Blomkamp's series on crewel embroidery
with a twist, the focus is on farm and game birds. The birds give a nod
to current trends, most notably the Zentangle look with crewel-style
filling-in stitches and techniques. Crewel Birds is a celebration of
Hazel's signature techniques: a wide variety of surface/crewel stitches,
some of which are brand new and many with a different take or different
ways of combining stitches to make them more interesting.
Also included are needle lace techniques as embroidery stitches, loom
weaving techniques modified for embroidery, and unique combinations of
both of these. The incorporation of beads and crystals adds even more
dazzle to the intricate designs. There are six projects, each explained
with detailed step-by-step instructions and clear photographs, with
design templates and a full stitch gallery providing everything readers
need to recreate them with ease. The projects comprise a phoenix,
rooster, common pheasant, mallard duck, flamingo
and golden pheasant.
In addition to these sumptuous embroideries, Hazel explains how to hand
quilt the backgrounds and finish the edges with binding to put them
together in a 'rag book', as an alternative to framing. For embroiderers
looking for something different and new to stitch, and for those keen to
challenge themselves with more complex embroidery techniques, this book
is a must-have.
