Stitchscapes

Book excerpt: Forty different hand-embroidery stitches, plus a host of creative ideas for using them, generate a range of amazing textures that will delight anyone who enjoys needlework. In what will clearly become a classic of the craft, Jan Beaney analyzes in detail the eye-catching effects that an embroiderer can achieve through the use of different background fabrics, unusual threads, and various needles. She asks questions such as "Can the stitch be worked in circles?" and "Can it be worked upside down?" and illustrates some of the possible answers. All the orthodox methods of working a canvas are discarded; unique, original techniques reign, and the colorful photos show the wonderful results.