Shay Pendray's Inventive Needlework: Techniques & Inspiration for Gold Work, Painted Canvas, and Shading

by Shay Pendray

Author and needlepoint designer, Shay Pendray captures in writing for the first time her award-winning tips and techniques for stitching, from the basics--starting and stopping thread, laying multistranded threads, and framing--to embellishing, combining stitches, and new innovative couching techniques. More than just an ordinary needlepoint book--enthusiasts will find answers to questions found nowhere else Readers will learn how to select composite stitches; new couching techniques and using metallics on canvas and metal threads; combining counted needlepoint stitches and embroidery; and embellishing canvas with silk--there is not a more complete reference on the market that addresses silk--types of silk and when and where to use silks. Suitable for needlepoint stitchers of all skill levels this reference combines full-color photographs and illustrations to demonstrate each technique.

Genres: Crafts

142 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2004

Reviews

[Judi · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the advanced embroiderer looking for some new techniques and challenges. There are few projects in the book, lots of instructions, tools and techniques.

[Richard Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inventive Needlework is beautiful. It provides in-depth descriptions of three types of needlework: goldwork, painted canvas, and shading. The gold work section introduced me to a new type of needlework. It also convinced me that I wouldn't want to do any significant amounts of it. However, the techniques are applicable elsewhere and will be useful. There are several good tips and instructions in the painted canvas work. I especially am grateful for ones that will help me keep the twist of yarns more consistent and to lay fibers flatter. The shading was also interesting, and I will stitch darkest, lightest, and fill in the middle from this time on because of the instructions. I don't think that I will use this book as a frequent reference, but it is a very useful and delightful volume.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book on embroidery techniques.

This book is extremely informative on the techniques of Japanese embroidery and includes numerous examples on how to successfully complete a stitch or prepare a thread. One example is of a gold thread rolled onto a koma, which technique is not discussed in several Japanese embroidery textbooks used to teach students.