Today, I want to highlight a new book by Tatiana Popova that’s recently been published by Search Press.
The book is Contrast in Crewel Embroidery: Modern Designs on Light and Dark, and the title clues us in on the unique angle that Tatiana has taken in putting the projects in this book together.
Now, if you’re not familiar with Tatiana and her books, you can read a little more about her through the following articles:
Interview with Ukrainian Designer Tatiana Popova – on Inspirations Studios
The Seasons in Silk Ribbon Embroidery – my review of her first book, which is on silk ribbon embroidery.
Tatiana also authored a book called Crewel Embroidery: 7 Enchanting Designs inspired by Fairytales, published by Search Press in 2020.
As mentioned above, Tatiana has approached her newest book from a unique angle – working in contrasts, and specifically, working the same designs on contrasting ground fabrics, as in light vs dark fabrics.
I think it’s an interesting approach, because we don’t often think about how the ground fabric emphatically affects the choice of threads and colors in an embroidery project.
Can we simply take the same colors of thread used on the same design, and stitch out them with equal results on dark fabric or on light fabric? Not really. The color of the fabric drastically impacts the choice of thread colors in any embroidery project – and more specifically, the depth of color or intensity of color is a crucial point to consider when selecting thread colors for any project.
Normally, a project that is embroidered on light fabric is not going to play as well on dark fabric, and visa-versa.
So I think this is a really interesting approach to embroidery – presenting the same projects on contrasting fabrics – because it teaches us how colors play together, and what works and doesn’t work on light or dark fabrics.
In Contrast in Crewel Embroidery, Tatiana presents four small “doodle projects” that are provided as instructive pieces, to learn the stitching basics.
Then, she presents four main projects that are each presented in two different color ways on contrasting ground fabrics, to explore the difference between stitching on light vs dark embroidery grounds.
The book begins with information on the tools and materials needed for this type of surface embroidery, followed by instruction on planning colors and choosing stitches. Then, the four doodle projects act as instructional pieces, so you can get the feel for how stitches and colors work together.
The doodle projects are small projects in themselves. They are small, manageable, and delightful – suitable for framing or finishing.
These small projects are simple enough to be accessible to beginners, but complex enough – with a good variety of stitches and techniques – to be interesting and fun for more advanced stitchers.
The spread above features one of the four main projects focusing on the light / dark differences in color choices. Notice how Tatiana did not simply stitch the same colors on the darker ground fabric that she used on the light ground fabric. Instead, she relies on colors that really create a contrast on that dark ground fabric.
Throughout the book, you will find plentiful tips to help you stitch the various projects.
You’ll also find a thorough stitch dictionary, highlighting instructions for all the embroidery stitches used on the various projects. The instructions are presented in photos and diagrams, and are very clear and easy to follow.
There are over 135 stitches and techniques presented in the book, so definitely a lot of information that will help any learner build a solid repertoire for stitching!
You’ll also find the designs for each project, along with a materials list, a stitch guide, and instructions for completing the project.
In a Nutshell
Contrast in Crewel Embroidery is an excellent book for those who like to explore color and stitch choice on different embroidery ground fabrics, and it gives the reader a good springboard for ideas about choosing colors for embroidery projects while taking the ground fabric into consideration.
The book also presents a vast array of stitches and techniques that are suitable for crewel work and other surface embroidery techniques.
The projects and instructions are clear and easy to follow, and they are suitable for beginners and beyond.
If you have a love for color and for stitch variety, you will find this book a useful asset in your needlework library!
Where to Find It
You can find Tatiana’s latest crewel book – and her other books, including her ribbon embroidery book – available through Amazon. You’ll find them listed here on my Needlework Books recommendations page, among over 135 embroidery books that I own and love.
The link to my Amazon Needlework Books recommendation page is an affiliate link, which means that purchases made through that link may result in a small commission for Needle ‘n Thread. I use this Amazon page as a list for books that I recommend that are made available through Amazon by the book publishers, who do so with the authors’ knowledge and agreement.
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