History books

TFolksOTR ) writes:
Hi,
Can anyone recommend a book(s) on the history of needlework?

Tami

"The Subversive Stitch" by ? It is a name that reminds me of Poland.
--
Jim Cripwell.
The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of one's life, any
time that is spent in stitching.
Adapted from a sign on The Cobb, Lyme Regis, England.

As a start, look for titles by Thomasina Beck and Muriel Baker. Do a
search at lacis.com, as they reprint many foreign and older texts.

It's really too vast a topic for any "one" book, and most authors give
an overview and then focus on eras, motifs, design changes, particular
techniques or themes, like "The Embroidery of Russia".

From all my reading, there's no way to trace particular stitches -
although it is thought that stem stitch was one of the first, as was
chain stitch. Each culture devised their own methods, but it has
definitely been man's passions to embellish for thousands of years, even
amongst the most primitive tribes/cultures. To my knowledge, the oldest
remnants of embroidery found are from Egypt and China (over 3,000 years).

Dianne

TFolksOTR wrote:
Hi,
Can anyone recommend a book(s) on the history of needlework?

Tami

Linn Skinner wrote:
SNIP
Lanto Synge's "Art of Embroidery" is in print, rather expensive and has
great photos but a bit hard going on the text ISBN 1 85149 359 X

Linn Skinner

Linn,

I just invested in this one. Ouch but worth every cent. The clincher was
the section on Heraldic Embroidery.

Now to find copies of Scheutte and Digby.

Cheers,
Jane

I have a book my friend Joseph sent to me titled "American Needlework" The
History of Decorative Stitchery and Embroidery from the Late 16th Century to the
20th Century.

I is written by Georgiana Brown Harbeson, published by Coward-McCann, Inc. in
1938.

On 23 Jul 2003 14:44:35 GMT, (TFolksOTR) wrote:

Hi,
Can anyone recommend a book(s) on the history of needlework?

Tami

On 7/23/03 11:01 AM,"Linn Skinner" posted:

Do you want a general book? A book about European embroidery? A book with
lots of good photos? More text than photos? Heavy? Light?

One of the best is "Embroidery, A History" by Pamela Warner ISBN 0 7134
6106 3 but it is difficult to find these days.

Thomasina Beck's books are good starts and well researched: "The
Embroiderer's Story" ISBN 07153 02388 as a starter

Heartily second this recommendation for "The Embroiderer's Story". Well
written, nice illustrations.

Or another out of print: "A History of Western Embroidery" by Mary Eirwen
Jones can sometimes be found at a reasonable price SBN 289 79655 5

Lanto Synge's "Art of Embroidery" is in print, rather expensive and has
great photos but a bit hard going on the text ISBN 1 85149 359 X

Great list!

ellice