The Children"s Book of Embroidery
The ideas in this book aim to show how versatile and exciting embroidery can be as a craft for children. Almost any subject can be a starting point for a design in fabric and thread. The author encourages children to look for ideas in their everyday surroundings, to make prints and rubbings and to use items such as feathers and pipe-cleaners for special effects. Helpful two-colour diagrams introduce the basic stitches, as well as some more unusual ones such as buttonhole rings and backstitch wheels. The children"s own work shows how effectively these can be used. A section on colour explains how to achieve striking or subtle effects. There is a chapter on techniques with illustrations of children"s work in applique, canvas work, needleweaving and felt sculpture. There is also an introduction to the idea of stretching and mounting of finished work. All the embroidery shown in the photographs was designed and made by children aged from 4 to 14 and the ideas aim to show how much fun embroidery can be at school or at home. The author, a teacher and embroiderer, was responsible for the creation and organization of the Embroidery and Textile Project for schools in Berkshire.