Reversible Blackwork by Ilse Altherr from Leon Conrad Designs

Reversible Blackwork by Ilse Altherr

Reversible Blackwork by Ilse Altherr

Exclusive autographed copies of this hard-to-find book now available in the UK through Leon Conrad Designs. First in a series of three.

The author describes this as ‘an embroidery book with complete instructions on how to achieve excellence in technique through step-by-step instructions and “Pathfinders.”’. She provides several outline patterns for use, and goes through

A beginners’ project of a ‘Holiday Owl’ for Christmas is included to get stitchers started using her approach.

If you are someone who can’t see the point of (at least) trying to do Blackwork reversibly, read on ….

Her arguments for making blackwork reversible (or as reversible as you can get it) are as follows:

* You are a neat person, you manage a well kept home, even in areas not visible to visitors.
* You are an avid stitcher, chances are that many of your friends are also; they will turn your napkins and placemats over the way china lovers will turn your cups and saucers over.
* The threads under your work will show through the fabric, depending on its sheerness, either clearly or in shadow form. So will all “tails”!
* It will be much easier to unpick (and we all have to occasionally), if you know which path you followed – you will know which path to go back.
* YOU WILL KNOW if nobody else will!

And that alone is justification enough for me!

Along with shading, design and pattern choices, design transfer techniques for free outline designs, she includes information on starting and finishing threads. She then describes in detail how to work 36 different traditional blackwork filling patterns reversibly. The patterns on the back may vary from those on the front in some cases, which adds to the excitement and allure of this particular way of working Blackwork Embroidery.

PRICE: Ł20.00/$32.00 + p&p

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