Why Increasing Your Stitch Vocab Is Important
I wrote both of my books Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery, Volume 1 and Volume 2 because I wanted to create a practical reference that you will actually use, while also guiding people to use stitches as a form of self‑expression. Rather than copying rigid patterns I hope my books help people explore “creative embroidery” with a little more confidence.
You will find that on a practical level these reference books Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery, Volume 1 and Volume 2 have useful features like a visual table of contents with thumbnail images of stitches which helps you quickly find a stitch. Every stitch is clearly photographed step‑by‑step photographs and there are both books left and right‑handed stitchers instructions and step‑by‑step photographs, making both books easy to use regardless of dominant hand.
Why do I have such an emphasis on stitches? One book of stitches is understandable but two? What are people to do with so many different stitches?
I see stitches as an embroiderer's language. So I always encourage embroiderers to explore and adapt stitches to their style. In contemporary embroidery, stitches are seen as drawing, allowing artists to use thread as a mark-making medium in its own right. In other words stitches are the way textile artists make marks. Mark making which is one of the most fundamental activities in all the visual arts. Mark making matters because it sits at the heart of artistic practice. Just as writers use words and sentences, artists use marks to communicate meaning. Stitches are the embroiderers marks; they can be a language just a brush strokes and inked lines are a language for any artist. Just as artists develop a personal vocabulary of marks that becomes part of their artistic practice an embroiderer can develop a library of stitches that they use as personal vocabulary. Hence both books introduce different stitches.
A stitched line records the path of the human hand. In a complex digital world stitches remind us that a real physical person, in another time made creative decisions, and left traces of their actions behind. These physical signs of mark making connect and communicate an authentic experience.
Exploring, adapting, mixing and matching stitches, and using variations on a stitch allows your embroidery to take on a life of its own as you develop your own style. Incorporating a range of stitches adds texture and dimension to your work. In fact a greater variety of stitches adds to your own style. Adapting stitches means you can tailor your stitches to suit the specific requirements of a particular project.
Both books focus on stitches that lend themselves to variations so that you can adapt, mix and explore stitches to make them yours and reflect your personal style. With Volume 2 I hope you discover more stitches.I have also illustrated the book with fresh and modern samples that inspire and provoke ideas. The idea is to unleash your creativity.
Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery, Volume 1 was released a few years ago which had a wonderful reception and people wanted more. It is still available.
My next book Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery, Volume 2 contains 114 More Stitches
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Blog Post By Sharon Boggon
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