This inspiring, practical guide to goldwork and silk shading is packed with both traditional and innovative techniques, six samplers and 24 stunning projects.
Learn how to create exquisite works using either goldwork or silk shading, and then learn how to combine the two disciplines for visually stunning results. Learn to select the threads, materials and equipment required; plan out the order of your work; transfer your design to fabric; frame up your fabric; and discover inspiring stitch techniques to achieve the results you want.
Using nature as inspiration, develop a glittering range of exquisitely worked flowers, fungi, trees, bats and dragonflies, with each piece accompanied by detailed instructions and essential top tips. The book features original designs throughout, and you will be encouraged to extend your skills to create your own beautiful embroideries, helped by exercises, projects, diagrams, full-size templates and stunning photographs.

Needlepainting, also known as thread painting or silk shading, is a form of embroidery that creates a realistic, lifelike effect using a single strand of thread and one simple stitch the 'long and short' stitch. You can create gorgeous colour gradients, magical details and flowing stitch directions that are perfect if you want to embroider flora and fauna.
Inspired by nature and the changing seasons, Emillie has created five new and exclusive patterns for the book, four that reflect each season in turn and one special design that brings the natural year together into one showstopper embroidery.
In this book Emillie generously shares her tried and tested tips and techniques, including advice on materials, transferring designs onto fabric, and fully illustrated explanations of the stitches and skills needed. The five in-depth projects draw on Emillie's love of nature, including motifs that she is best known for such as flowers, foliage, bees and toadstools. This book is the culmination of all of Emillie's skills and years of experience in this wonderful, meditative art form. Each design has around 60 detailed step-by-step photos, showing every stage of the process, so that even complete beginners can follow along and create beautiful embroideries. If you have been considering learning the art of needlepainting but are unsure where to start, then this book is for you! Plus, high quality iron-on transfers at the back of the book allow you to transfer the designs directly onto fabric up to ten times, with some wonderful bonus patterns for smaller motifs too.
This beautiful book will become an indispensable and treasured guide allowing you to paint with thread the Emillie Ferris way.

A new, larger format edition of the classic reference work on silk shading by the Royal School of Needlework (RSN). The Essential Stitch Guides provide a set of definitive works on traditional embroidery techniques.
Graduate Apprentice Sarah Homfray throws light onto the beautiful craft of silk shading, also known as painting with a needle, long and short stitch embroidery or thread painting. This book reveals the history of the craft then moves on to the materials and equipment required. Next, Sarah covers design and using colour, simplifying and demystifying this often neglected area of embroidery. The main part of the book then covers all of the essential stitches and techniques through clear, step-by-step diagrams, coupled with beautiful, close-up photographs showing how they can be used in a finished piece.
Key traditional techniques are included: the fundamental stab, split and long and short stitches; along with couching, padding, adding beads and sequins, and knots.
The book ends with beautiful and exquisitely-worked examples and covers working with different fabrics, threads and incorporating painted backgrounds.
The RSN teaches hand embroidery to the highest standard and is respected all over the world. It not only upholds the traditions of English embroidery that go back many hundreds of years, but is constantly taking embroidery forward in new and innovative ways. This series of Essential Stitch Guides has been produced in close collaboration with the RSN with the aim of providing a set of definitive works on traditional embroidery techniques.

Exquisitely detailed and worked in silk floss thread with tiny size 12 needles, Victoria Matthewson's embroideries are a masterclass in thread painting, and shine with vibrant colour and life.
Many people think of bees as being the only pollinators but, in fact, a wide variety of insects help with the pollination of plants, including butterflies, moths, wasps and beetles all of which make wonderful subjects for embroidery. Starting with key stitches and techniques, this inspiring and practical book contains nine step-by-step embroidery projects. Choose from nine key plant and pollinator combinations including the dogrose and greenbottle fly, ox-eye daisy and hoverfly, and fennel and seven-spot ladybird. Each stunning project contains fascinating entomological insights about each pollinator and its plant, verified by the experts at the charity Buglife. With a foreword written by TV naturalist Iolo Williams, and a comprehensive design and stitch guide, this gorgeous and informative book will inspire you to observe and capture the beauty of these vital ecosystems.
The book will suit people with some previous embroidery knowledge, or ambitious beginners.

Book in English
Take a walk through the stunning stitched world of renowned embroiderer Chloe Giordano, and discover not only her unique way of working with sewing thread but also a sublime collection of her exquisite textile art, inspired by her love of the natural world.
Taking one project from conception through to completion, see how Chloe plans her designs, chooses colours, selects threads, blends colours and finally stitches her designs in order to create her beautifully detailed embroideries. Packed with Chloe's guidance on every aspect of the process, including hooping and framing, this book will inspire you to create stunning thread paintings of your own.
In the second part of the book, wend your way through a beautiful gallery of Chloe's work showcasing her popular, intricate embroideries that celebrate wildlife both big and small from foxes, fawns through to hares, rabbits, mice and more. All are accompanied by the back story and inspiration behind the piece, offering a fascinating and exclusive look into Chloe's creative process.
For needle-painting that will astound you with its lifelike, delicate beauty pick up this book and get lost in the magical woodland art of Chloe Giordano.

From the beginner to the experienced stitcher, these 12 original and beautiful designs, each with detailed stitch instructions, will capture the imagination through embroidery.
Detailed patterns, diagrams and simple, unique instructions throughout. Working any of them will help master the main techniques of Jenny McWhinney's form of thread painting. This gorgeous full colour book will delight any embroiderer who sees it and will be a must-have for her many fans.

From serene florals to cheery nursery rhymes this gorgeous book features blankets to suit every taste. The designs include cheery wool-embroidered blankets, a delicate shawl, a sweet bassinette blanket, and contemporary designs perfect for the nursery or the living room. New stitchers and experienced embroiderers alike will enjoy the lavish photography and easy-to-follow instructions.
The book features seven blankets and three bonus projects. Each project features detailed instructions, fully illustrated with colour photographs and helpful diagrams.
Comprehensive construction details for all projects

Each aspect is clearly illustrated by example and includes tools for selecting colours, choosing shades that enhance our embroidery, why some shades blend better than others, and the importance of contrast with light and shadow. There are projects to represent each colour group including stunning roses, camellias, fruit and the much sought-after bee-eater birds, but the highlights of the book for any stitcher have to be the chapters on colour combinations and complementary colours. These include more than 200 stitched examples with DMC thread keys, plus schemes to help choose colours for your own projects.
Colour Confidence in Embroidery is the first of its kind on this subject and a valuable resource for any embroiderer. Although based on long and short stitch shading the principles could be applied to any surface or counted thread embroidery.
Easy step by step instructions accompanied by numerous diagrams and photographs Thorough explanations for using different colours and shading for various uses Stitch guide and colour reference charts included

Being a self-taught embroiderer, Trish understands the need for clear instructions and has spent many hours exploring the simplest way to present project instructions so that they are simple to follow. With comprehensive thread listings, numerous step-by-step photographs, clear illustrations and row-by-row instructions, all the designs presented in this book use readily obtainable DMC/Anchor stranded cotton.
This book provides 15 embroidery projects from the numerous kits that Trish Burr has been providing by mail order for some years - a variety of embroideries featuring traditional flowers, and two small, colourful and delightful South African birds, the little bee-eater and the raquet-tailed troller.
The embroideries are divided into three levels, from complete beginner through to more intermediate embroiderers, and will also be helpful to those with some experience who are looking for smaller designs to use for gifts. Each level is carefully designed to take you onto the next stage of needle painting and includes all aspects of the technique, plus an introduction to long and short stitch and its variations - basic, curved, different shapes and feathers.

Everyone loves bears and this adorable quilt by renowned Australian artist Jenny McWhinney, features twelve unique and irresistible embroidered character bears. Perfect as a memorable gift for a loved one, or a cosy addition to your home, Jenny firmly believes that everyone can embroider her designs, making this an ideal book for both embroiderers and quilt makers. Featuring vibrant illustrations, full-size patterns, step-by-step photographs and construction guide for the quilt are all included.

In a fusion of crewel and surface embroidery, Trish Burr has broken boundaries with her unique sense of colour and shading by interpreting a mix of thread painting and Australian wool embroidery. With clear illustrations and step-by-step instructions, the 17 achievable projects use the minimum of stitches to create exciting effects. The skillful blending of wool, silk and cotton guides the beginner and inspires the experienced stitcher to create this unique style of embroidery. The numerous step-by-step photographs, illustrations and row-by-row colour keys make following the projects an effortless task and a joy to stitch.

Trish Burr has selected beautiful flowers and interpreted them in her own unique style to present a stunning collection of embroideries. Meticulous in details, these flowers are brought to life by the use of lustrous threads and an intuitive use of simple stitches. With clear step-by-step instructions and full size templates, this beautiful book will be a 'must have' for any embroiderer's library.
With clear step-by-step instructions and full size templates, this beautiful book will be a must-have for any embroiderer's library.

Delicate embroideries inspired by the wonderful flower paintings of the 19th century botanical artist Pierre Joseph Redoute. Discover one of Trish Burr's finest works in her incredible collection of hand embroidery titles. 17 paintings are reproduced in amazing detail using the simplest of stitches to create a remarkably complex effect. Step-by-step instructions are included for each embroidery - fabric, thread, stitches - which will allow both the novice and the experienced embroiderer to create their own stunning botanical collection.
Be inspired by Trish Burr's masterful recapitulation of Redoute's magnificent designs.