The Art of Embroidery: Inspirational Stitches, Textures, and Surfaces [Paperback]

Francoise Tellier-Loumagne (Author), Sheila Paine (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 26, 2007

A unique, visually inspiring, all-color survey of designs and patterns for embroiderers.

Drawing on her extensive experience as a teacher and practitioner, Françoise Tellier-Loumagne has assembled a creative and inventive overview of stitches and fabrics, presenting hundreds of ways of embroidering with thread and other materials.

The author encourages readers—from the beginner to the more experienced practitioner—to be innovative and to experiment with the various techniques, drawing inspiration from the natural world and one's personal surroundings. Almost any material can be embellished with embroidery, and, with the aid of more than 500 photographs plus detailed diagrams and explanations, the book opens up endless possibilities for sophisticated designs. 500+ color illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Françoise Tellier-Loumagne has taught embroidery in France for more than thirty years.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (February 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500286396
• ISBN-13: 978-0500286395
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #623,826 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspirational book, March 13, 2007

By 

G. Howell "zspun" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Embroidery: Inspirational Stitches, Textures, and Surfaces (Paperback)

In a similar presentation to 'The Art of Knitting' by the same author, this book is a visual feast of colour and texture. It consists mainly of high quality photographs, usually close-ups, of natural and organic subjects - fields, lichens, plants, water, sky and more - interspersed with embroidery inspired by these images, sometimes with the two beautifully overlaid. The simple text complements the illustrations exceedingly well.
There are minimal technical stitch instructions; the reader does need a basic knowledge of the craft.
This is the perfect book for those who 'don't know where to start' in designing their own works.
An extremely elegant and inspirational work, perfectly marrying the craft and art of embroidery.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classroom between two covers, July 16, 2007

By 

KC "Wildlife photographer" (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art of Embroidery: Inspirational Stitches, Textures, and Surfaces (Paperback)

This is a fantastic book! I've taken several courses from Opus in London, and for 1/20th the cost of one class... this book taught me more than any of those classes due to Francoise's great pictures and comparisons of nature with all types of embroidery. It is a wonderful book for inspiration, although not a "how to" manual. You will not be disappointed.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiration from nature, August 23, 2007

By 

pleureur. - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Embroidery: Inspirational Stitches, Textures, and Surfaces (Paperback)

This book stands utterly apart from most embroidery books.

You will find no patterns to trace off. Instead, the author encourages budding embroiderers to be more creative with their embroidery by developing their own concepts and designs culled from the world around us.

The book (a very thick book, mind you, loaded with photographs) contains an assortment of ideas from nature and the encouragement to translate your vision into fabric and embroidery. This includes lots from the natural world such as trapunto quilting to mimic the texture and color cauliflower, the color combinations of a moldy orange, and the unfurling of the petals on a red flower. It also includes the intersection of the natural and constructed world, such as the stripes of railroad tracks and grass growing between. How can we take these textures and colors from our world and apply them to cloth?

This book is so gorgeous, I can only absorb it in small doses.