Beginner's Guide to Goldwork

by Ruth Chamberlin, Mary Corbet (Foreword)

Goldwork is the art of embroidery with metal threads, and has been prized by religious orders and royal households throughout history for its opulence and intricate stitchery. Those who love traditional embroidery can now learn the essential techniques and create their own exquisite embroideries with this easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide.

Through careful and detailed instruction, Ruth Chamberlin teaches you how to stitch beautiful goldwork motifs, which together form an impressive sampler to show off their work. Covering a range of designs, stitches and techniques, with templates throughout and examples of the author's inspiring work, this book provides a firm basis on which to build future projects and continue on your goldwork journey.

This popular and enduring book by Ruth Chamberlin now returns as a Search Press Classic, with the addition of a foreword by the illustrious embroiderer and world-renowned blogger Mary Corbet (www.needlenthread.com).

Genres: Nonfiction, Crafts

80 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jo Bennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are, like me, unable to get to classes to teach you goldwork this book is the next best thing. Chamberlin takes the reader gently through introductory pages about her training at the School of Embroidery and a bit of the history of goldwork, before going on to introduce the materials and equipment you need.

There is a really clear Getting Started section which shows you how to prepare and frame your fabric in a slate frame, transfer a design and begin and end gold and coloured threads.

Chamberlain shows you how to create a sampler and double page spread is given over to each stitch: laid stich, couching, padding (floss, cotton, card and felt), satin stitch, long and short stitch, brick stitch, using kid and basket stitch.

Each spread begins with a section about the stitch and lots of great tips so that your effort will come out as well as possible. Then there are numbered steps clearly illustrated by really good photographs.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for a beginner, if you have always wanted to try Goldwork embroidery this book is a good start. From the choice of materials to the instructions of each stitch the directions were easy to follow.

[Regina Linn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent/Beautiful

Beautiful book for the beginner like me, and I suppose for the person who is experienced in embroidery. The one thing I did not like was it is scanned in two pages on my phone. I found this very cumbersome and annoying as I constantly had to shift and increase/decrease to view. Otherwise, I would have given it 5 stars.