BE book recommendation needed

I have Maria Freitas' books "Apples to Zinnias" and "The Art of
Dimensional Embroidery"; plus "Take A Stitch" by Rosalie Wakefield. I
don't care for RW's book at all neither the instructions nor
illustrations are clear; not a book for beginners. I love "Apples to
Zinnias" but her second book repeats too much of the information
contained in the first book. There are several different flowers but
she doesn't mention which colors she used for them. In the back of
the A-Z book is a list of threads needed to create the stitches in the
book. In the second book she only includes a list for her wreath
design (with only a b&w photo - no color) but not list of threads for
her other flowers.

I don't feel a have a full range of Brazilian stitces with these books
and would like one more to complete my BE library (actually, I would
like several but the guilt for buying them outweighs my want of them
'-). I don't want a book which replicates the stitches in Freitas'
books; nor to I want to buy another poorly done book. I have to buy
my books online and cannot browse through them first and need help
from those who might be familiar with my selections.

I have narrowed my possible choices to three: 1) "A To Z Of
Embroidered Flowers" Country Bumpkins Series; I have the A-Z of
Embroidery which is my stitch bible. 2)"Brazilian Embroidery
Instructions" by Barbara Demke Johnson because R. Wakefield refers to
it in her book. 3) "Brazilian Embroidery A Beginners' Notebook" By
Joyce Schulhauser because it is written for beginners and might help
in stitches that I don't do well.

Anyone familiar with these books who can advise which would better
complete my BE stitching books?

--
Hexe
HexxeATcitdeDOTnet
http://ikutec.com

Peggy Crawford had a marvelous book, but it's out of print - so can't
help you there. BRBR

OOP doesn't mean it can't be found; in fact, thanks to the Internet, it's now
easy to find out-of-print books. Some of the major sites a

tomfolio.com (especially good for needlework books)
bookfinder.com
alibris.com

So, what's the title of the book? And, is the author listed as "Peggy" or
"Margaret"?

Annie

Darn . . . I gave the book away to a friend who wanted to learn more
after Peggy taught a class on Brazilian at my forum.

Yes, it's Peggy (Crawford), not Margaret. Something about "Flowers of
Virginia." I wish I could be more helpful. I believe she wrote more
than one book. Her directions are wonderful, but only a stitch or two I
didn't already have in another book. Actually, I learned my Brazilian
from Madge Haycock (she's on the web somewhere, I just talked to her
this past summer), and got more training from Yvonne Burtan in
Australia. I don't like the neon rayon threads, so use the techniques
in *other* types of fibers. grin Someone sent me a skein (Classic
Stitches???) for the Study Box - of Cifonda: a beautiful red, and it is
not shiney. I was going to investigate this further, but other things
have gotten in the way. I will get to it, because I want to know if
there's really silk in it. grin It's been hectic here for months.

Dianne

FKBABB wrote:

Peggy Crawford had a marvelous book, but it's out of print - so can't
help you there. BRBR

OOP doesn't mean it can't be found; in fact, thanks to the Internet, it's now
easy to find out-of-print books. Some of the major sites a

tomfolio.com (especially good for needlework books)
bookfinder.com
alibris.com

So, what's the title of the book? And, is the author listed as "Peggy" or
"Margaret"?

Annie

Dianne Lewandowski wrote in message ...
Peggy Crawford had a marvelous book, but it's out of print - so can't
help you there. Although not the "latest", I've included a few below
that you might want to hunt up. The A-Z books are always good choices,
and much is being written in Australia these days, although much of that
is termed "dimensional" and they are combining it with raised work
rather than the purity of Brazilian. Yvonne Burton has a book that is
well received - both her book 1 (which I have in stock - it's out of
print) and her book 2.

thank you for the better defining my thinking '-) it isn't
necessarily Brazilian I am looking for but dimensional. i want to be
able to use all my threads not just Edmar which are not readily
available and take much too long for an order to arrive when i want to
stitch something NOW.

i had specified Brazilian because that seems to be where the
dimensional stitches are coming from. with this in thought then maybe
the A-Z would better fill my needs. i do so love my other A-Z.

From what I understood of your question, you
know the technique, but don't know how to put it together with good
color and design sense?

i think you just hit the nail on the head. i have the books but don't
have the confidence to put it all together.


Aside from a few stitches peculiar to Brazilian, and a few things that
"make it" Brazilian (like field flowers which is it's trademark), you
are ready to progress to "dimensional" embroidery with rayon and a
mixture of other threads. Anyway, below is a list of books that you
might want to hunt up. I've not seen any of them.

Johnson, Barbara Demke. Brazilian Embroidery Instructions. Salt Lake
City, Utah. Hawkes Publishing, Inc., 1980.


this book i am giving serious thought to because it is mentioned by so
many. and because i do my own Christmas shopping for myself, i went
to the Country Bumpkin website and ordered the embroidered flowers and
the bullion books (store returns two for the price of one '-)!!! of
course, i already have my Neil Diamond CD's which are also gifts; and
we have to select my salt and pepper mills this weekend '-)

--
Hexe
http://ikutec.com

You *really* should get Yvonne Burton's book . . . which will take you
to another level of stitching "Brazilian". She's written two. I have
the first in stock, but only a couple left. If this interests you, feel
free to email me.

Dianne

Hexe wrote:

Dianne Lewandowski wrote in message ...

Peggy Crawford had a marvelous book, but it's out of print - so can't
help you there. Although not the "latest", I've included a few below
that you might want to hunt up. The A-Z books are always good choices,
and much is being written in Australia these days, although much of that
is termed "dimensional" and they are combining it with raised work
rather than the purity of Brazilian. Yvonne Burton has a book that is
well received - both her book 1 (which I have in stock - it's out of
print) and her book 2.


thank you for the better defining my thinking '-) it isn't
necessarily Brazilian I am looking for but dimensional. i want to be
able to use all my threads not just Edmar which are not readily
available and take much too long for an order to arrive when i want to
stitch something NOW.

i had specified Brazilian because that seems to be where the
dimensional stitches are coming from. with this in thought then maybe
the A-Z would better fill my needs. i do so love my other A-Z.


From what I understood of your question, you
know the technique, but don't know how to put it together with good
color and design sense?


i think you just hit the nail on the head. i have the books but don't
have the confidence to put it all together.


Aside from a few stitches peculiar to Brazilian, and a few things that
"make it" Brazilian (like field flowers which is it's trademark), you
are ready to progress to "dimensional" embroidery with rayon and a
mixture of other threads. Anyway, below is a list of books that you
might want to hunt up. I've not seen any of them.


Johnson, Barbara Demke. Brazilian Embroidery Instructions. Salt Lake
City, Utah. Hawkes Publishing, Inc., 1980.



this book i am giving serious thought to because it is mentioned by so
many. and because i do my own Christmas shopping for myself, i went
to the Country Bumpkin website and ordered the embroidered flowers and
the bullion books (store returns two for the price of one '-)!!! of
course, i already have my Neil Diamond CD's which are also gifts; and
we have to select my salt and pepper mills this weekend '-)

--
Hexe
http://ikutec.com

Hexe wrote:

--
Hexe
http://ikutec.com

Great website, Hexe! Thank you for sharing!


Elizabeth
--
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~living well is the best revenge~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The most important thing one woman can do for another is to illuminate
and expand her sense of actual possibilities. --Adrienne Rich
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dianne Lewandowski wrote in message ...
You *really* should get Yvonne Burton's book . . . which will take you
to another level of stitching "Brazilian". She's written two. I have
the first in stock, but only a couple left. If this interests you, feel
free to email me.

Dianne


okay, after the two A-Z books which i ordered yesterday, i will allow
myself ONE more book on dimensional embroidery '-)

why would her book be better than "Brazilian Embroidery Instructions"?
will she take me away from having to depend upon Edmar threads? will
she show me more than Freitas? i want a fuller range of dimensional
stitches and how to use them, does she do this? from the description
given on your website, it seems to contain more than just flowers
which is what i am looking for.

not to criticize you, but it would help immensely if a site selling
books would show us a few inside pages so we can "browse" online.
amazon does this for some books which i appreciate but not when the
fools show us title & index pages!!! i was sadly disappointed several
times by ordering transfer books from then which were not browsable.

since i trust you, your knowledge & experience, i will do as you
suggest. i will email you with the credit card info.

--
Hexe
http://ikutec.com

"Dr. Brat" wrote in message ...

Great website, Hexe! Thank you for sharing!


Elizabeth

thank you!!!! i have let depression get the most of me and haven't
yet completed it '-( but i will have to now.

i want to teach dimensional embroidery because it is not done here, i
made some notices in English & German for embroidery classes and also
for a Crafting Bee which i would like to start because my craft
interests are so varied. i placed them on several communtity bulletin
boards but got no responses.

we have a twice-weekly free neighborhood paper called the
"Wochenblatt" which i had Alu call to see if they would be interested
in doing an article on me. a man came out asked some questions (in
his limited English and my limited German) and took some very terrible
pictures (i am the most unphotogenic person alive). the article was
in yesterday's paper. a woman called very much interested in learning
embroidery and starting a group and she speaks very good English '-)
she is a potter which i always wanted to learn maybe we can swap
lessons. she is coming today to talk, maybe we can get a group
together and she can help me get the word out.

i feel i need a group even if it is a cost-free crafting group to keep
me from falling into depression which too often immobilizes me. maybe
their/her enthusiasm will give me the motivation i need.

also our small community has leased the train station to use as a
community center. Alu is a founding member of the group and we will
have two days a year in which to use the Bahnhof for our purposes. i
want to display and sell the works i/we create and invite other
handcraft artists to join us for an exhibition. i tend to let myself
down much too often but my sense of responsibility would not allow me
to let down a group.

--
Hexe
http://ikutec.com