Lending

I'll rate and review it properly when I've had a chance to make something up, but at least I can for sure say that she got all of her natural history right. Not only will you learn about the history and practice of embroidering dragonflies, but you'll learn about dragonflies, too!

Beautiful book full of damselflies, and dragonflies to make. A must have book for embroiders. ( )

After taking some classes with Jane, I felt ready to read her books. And I have a design I want to do, with a dragonfly in it. So I sat down with this book this evening.

As prelude to her stumpwork designs, she discusses, and provides examples, of dragonflies as design elements in English needlework back to the 16th century. She took pattern books, and interpreted their designs in thread. Then she talked about the natural history of dragonflies and damsel flies, and the parts of their bodies. And then she talks of the many ways one can create a thorax, an abdomen, a head, and wings. Some of her examples were stitched using unique materials, and she does not suggest that the reader go out and buy, for instance, emu-skin (which she did use on one dragonfly), but rather to explore the materials available.

An excellent historical and practical overview of embroidery and dragonflies, followed then by the practical methods of creating stumpwork examples. Recommended. ( )