Customer Reviews

Redoute's Finest Flowers in Embroidery

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although you can't "Look Inside" this book at Amazon (currently, anyhow), the cover is exactly representative of the projects inside. This is no encyclopedia of a billion stitches, but a book focused tightly upon reproducing Redoute's beautiful botanical prints in "thread painting."

There were several things about this book that stood out for me:

Not the Kitchen Sink
--------------------
Trish Burr wisely restricts herself to a relatively few stitches: long-and-short, satin, stem, split, bullion knot, French knot, and perhaps a couple more. They are presented clearly, in diagrams and words (and photos in some cases), and followed by a small sampler. Then come the Redoute projects...

Clear Presentation
------------------
Each flower (there are 17) is presented in the same format:
- First, a large-scale photograph of the stitched piece, along with a list of needles and other materials.
- Then, three line drawings: one for the pattern outlines, one to define which areas are padded or detailed, and one to show color placement.
- Another, smaller photograph on the same page spread as the diagrams
- A verbal explanation gives details on stitching each part of the flower: which stitches, in what order, how many strands.

Ms. Burr writes in her Introduction that she aims for clear illustrations and good explanations, and she has achieved her target admirably. Although the format as I've described it may sound repetitive, I found it refreshing not to have to flip back and forth between pages, searching for color keys or stitch info--and equally refreshing not to have all the directions crammed into one cryptic diagram. (Anyone who has ever struggled to decode the projects in "A to Z of Ribbon Embroidery", for instance, knows what I mean. Sumptuous photos of the projects, but figuring out how to reproduce them is murder.)

Unusual Selection of Subjects
-----------------------------
It's easy to find embroidery books on English flowers, and many of them are truly gorgeous (Helen Stevens' Masterclass series comes to mind), but if you're looking for something different, something... well, something French!, this may be just the thing for you. Instead of pinks and cornflowers and foxgloves, here are lilies and iris and camellias and magnolias. Roses, morning-glories, and a few exotics like amaryllis, bird-of-paradise, and poppy are also represented. Again, the cover illustration gives a good idea of what you'll find inside. It ain't no cottage garden!

Achievable
----------
All projects are stitched using easily available DMC embroidery floss. None of the stitches are jazzy or difficult. The instructions are so clear that even a relative novice should be able to achieve exciting results. (Again, Helen Stevens comes to mind, but alas, as a counterexample. I love looking at her books, but they have never given me the slightest bit of confidence that I could do work like that.)

=============

All in all, an excellent book, well worth the money. Bravo, Ms. Burr!

I bought this sight unseen which is unlike me but this surely would cause me to try that again !!! It is a needlework book of a higher level. By that I mean the novice and the expert can do it; only skill improves the work appearance. It is fully creative embroidery. I am making all 17 project designs and developing them into a moire quilt or cushions. The designs are smallish (5" or so ) but can then be incorporated into whatever your heart desires. They are very fast to do with any fabric of your choice for any textile idea you might hae in botanicals.

The book provides all of the information anyone would need to teach themselves to embroider at home. The results are terrific. The author has done a superb job of recreating Redoute's elegant flower portraits. There is a great deal of value packed into this small book. Worth the price

Until now my only stitching has been Cross Stitch, but
having seen this publication it just makes me want to try to re-create just a fraction of the wonderful work Trish Burr has put into this book.

She makes it seem so easy, which I am sure it is not; it is
all very well explained, colourful, easy to follow and anyone
interested in stitching should have a copy.

My recommendation to all those stitchers out there "Buy a copy".

I have found this book to be a disappointment, but only because I already own Trish Burr's Long & Short Stitch Flowers. The text is basically a copy of Long & Short Stitch and the embroidery appears to be not as refined. No need to own both.

There are several good reviews of this book, but I want to add my delight in buying it.

1. Every flower on the cover, and all flowers inside the book, have complete project instructions: photograph of complete flower, line pattern, exact thread color, and stitching instructions.

2. The stitches which make up the flowers are simple and demonstrated in large clear line drawings. Even though there are only a few stitches Trish Burr combines them to make densely textured embroidery.

3. Each completed flower is about 5 or 6 inches. The flowers can be used singly or in combination. I embroidered a single magnolia in the corner of a throw pillow for my youngest daughter's college room, an A for amaryllis on the corner of a baby blanket for my only grandbaby, and I'm getting brave and I'm going to make a wreath of them on a comforter for my own bed.

4. Probably not so important in the area of needlework, but still important to me, these patterns have a neat history. Each project is headed with the plate number and the Redoute book from which is was taken. I loved browsing through the Redoute botanicals which I would never have looked for in the library had not Trish Burr taken paintings from the book and turned them into patterns clear enough even for me to follow.

Needless to say, I would recommend this book of patterns to anyone whether experienced or just beginning in embroidery.

I love this book ,it has so many beautiful projects in it.I have been learning to needle paint or thread paint which ever term you prefer..And I found this book very helpful..