Beginner's Guide to Blackwork [Paperback]

Lesley Wilkins (Author)

Book Description

Series: Beginner's Guide to | Publication Date: May 1, 2002

Inspired by the past, Lesley Wilkins illustrates her techniques with a whole host of wonderful designs - flowers, plants, birds, animals and figures. She covers everything - from what materials to use and working with a chart, to getting started and how to stitch. Patterns are created by small stitched units which are combined in many different ways - some heavily textured, some delicate and light. Borders can be built up by repeating and joining motifs Clear step-by-step photographs accompany the author's comprehensive instructions, and the motifs, borders, fill-in patterns and images are all charted, with inspirational pictures of embroideries showing how to build up finished designs.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lesley Wilkinson discovered blackwork during her school years, when she visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. She has been fascinated by this technique, and also cross stitch ever since. Taking her inspiration from the wonderfully intricate designs of years gone by, she now designs and sells blackwork and cross stitch kits and charts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Search Press (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0855329378
• ISBN-13: 978-0855329372
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #366,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most inspirational blackwork book!, July 22, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Beginner's Guide to Blackwork (Paperback)

If you'd rather do blackwork than read about it, this is the book for you. This book is the best I've seen for blackwork patterns. These have a distinct medieval style to them which I love. The book includes graphs and photos of the finished motifs which I find helpful. Blackwork is relatively simple and one need not agonize over a few stitches and fabric choices. This book makes you want to pick up the needle and get started.

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book on Blackwork!, January 13, 2003

By 

"sharaht" (Ventura, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beginner's Guide to Blackwork (Paperback)

This book is very well written. It includes not only basics for the beginner, but wonderful charts for the experienced stitcher to work from. There is a brief history of blackwork. The section covering materials and equipment needed does a good job of briefly covering the items most commonly available to all stitchers. Other sections include: laying out a design, choosing fabric, tips on stitches and framing your finished piece. There are around 100 charts in the book including fill-in patterns, borders, and an alphebet. All in all, a great source book.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a beginner's book for blackwork, March 14, 2007

By 

Mararichi "mararichi" (Havana, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beginner's Guide to Blackwork (Paperback)

While the motifs are interesting and the sampler illustrations so clear a chart is not necessary, this is NOT a beginner's book. It only illustrates three simple stitches the running stitch, back stitch and cross stitch. The first two stitches are illustrated using the simplest technique of a straight line. If you find a pattern in the book with only straight lines, let me know. It does not explain how to map out the running stitch (the original blackwork) nor how to make the pattern reversible on the back side. Most of the patterns are complicated and I presume use the back stitch which is not nearly as neat. I also presume the patterns are not intended to be reversible and so no discussion references this technique. There are no charts which illustrate to a beginner how to stitch along the pattern making the back side as neat and tidy as possible. While I love the book for its authenic flavor in patterns, I am very disappointed in the lack of any explanation how to work truly reversible blackwork using the running stitch.