Helen M. Stevens' Embroidered Birds (Masterclass Embroidery Series) [Hardcover]

Helen M. Stevens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2003 | Series: Masterclass Embroidery Series

In Embroidered Birds, the third title in the Masterclass Embroidery series, Helen shares her secrets of how to achieve amazingly lifelike effects in pure silk thread. In five fascinating chapters Helen explores a variety of birds that are linked in different ways either by their proximity to man, such as domestic and ornamental fowl, or by habitat, such as waterbirds. Each chapter culminates in a masterclass project with colour templates for many of the birds described. Easy to follow step-by-step colour photographs illustrate the working, in progress, of the designs to ensure that perfect results are achievable.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The latest edition in expert embroiderer Stevens's Masterclass series shows experienced embroiders ways of working in the opus plumariam ("work of feathers") style, which is characterized by stitches "in fluid, ever-changing sweeps of color" that "create an illusion of three-dimensional life and movement." Stevens's birds, here depicted in large color photographs and drawings, are brilliantly hued and very life-like, and her captions and text offer insight into the different species' habits and habitats. In the five masterclasses offered throughout, Stevens shows how to embroider birds such as barn owls and great crested grebes, listing the different stitching techniques she employed, the colors of silk she used and the order in which she progressed ("Infill the eyes with straight stitching in black...highlight in white seed stitches.... Work the beak in Champagne yellow in a wedge of radial opus plumarium"). Stevens's colorful volume will please and inspire the skilled textile artist.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Helen M Stevens has become internationally acclaimed as an embroiderer and designer since opening her studio, True Embroideries, in 1981 She lectures extensively and her unique work is now in collections throughout the UK and overseas. Helen has published six books previously with David & Charles Helen lives near Ipswich, Suffolk.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: David & Charles Publishers (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0715313118
• ISBN-13: 978-0715313114
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #524,787 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful study of birds, February 17, 2004

By 

J. Yoon (Ashburn, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Helen M. Stevens' Embroidered Birds (Masterclass Embroidery Series) (Hardcover)

This book has several beautiful study of birds. The photographs of her own work are truly amazing. The bald eagle, in particular, looks totally alive with a malevolent glint in it's eye. I really loved the egret with wispy white feathers that seemed to be blowing in the wind. The book includes a generous example of Helen's own embroidery that are not part of the classes. These, I think, are the best examples of what is possible. The main part of the book consists of 5 master classes that walks one through the step by step construction of the projects. However, her master classes looked way too complex for me. Instead I incorporate her method into my own design of a small bird and a flower. She explains her method, opus plunarium -- or layers of feathers used to create the illusion of depth, body, and movement, in the technique section at the back of the book. This method was especially convincing and life-like when used on the small bird, and very surprisingly, not too difficult to realize, even for me! I think Helen used mostly thick, flat, Japanese style silk threads (not silk floss, not twisted silk). Her work has a super-glossy look. These types of threads are not easy to find in the U.S. I purchases YLI silk twisted floss from Needlework.com. These produced matter, semi-glossy results, which I was quite happy with. The YLI silk floss came in 6 twisted stands, where each strand seemed to be about 1/2 the thickness of a stranded, twisted, cotton DMC floss. I would highly recommend Ms. Stevens' Embroidered Birds for your library. The pictures are lovely, and the technique will add wings to your embroidery.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice and informative, November 11, 2008

By 

Margaret C. Davenport "Southern Stuffin'" (PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Helen M. Stevens' Embroidered Birds (Masterclass Embroidery Series) (Paperback)

I am in the process of in-house "training" and this book, among others, by this exceptional artist is helping me formulate new procedures and ideas before I start a project.