Inspirational Books

While looking for inspirations and technical advices I acquired a few great books on this topic.

In her book, The Art of Embroidery, Françoise Tellier-Loumagne has a great collection of of inspirational photos which she "translates" into stitched marks.

 She gives a short summary of the most widely used stitches and explains how to make them. This chapter is not really detailed, so if you are a beginner, you might have difficulty following the instructions. The book explores both hand and machine embroidery, creating abstract patterns based on natural examples.

 

Hand Stitch Perspectives from Alice Kettle and Jane McKeating is a reference book about some historical aspects of the embroidery and but it is also an emotionally moving pledge for a very personal and narrative craft with an outlook on contemporary practices. 

All in all, the book, though rather theoretical, is so rich with ideas, reflections, and viewpoints and if you're interested in hand stitching, a must-have.

I just loved Helen Parrott's Mark-making in Textile Art. This a kind of book you're looking for when you set out to make a journey and learn something new. It gives you ideas, offers advices, shares experiences in regards to both the practical and the creative aspects of the creative work. I loved her emphasis on exercising your mark-making on paper. It's so much faster and you can get a good idea, what the resulting stitched piece might look like.

These are the books I found most useful. Do you have any other good suggestions? Please leave comment and share with us!