Glorafilia: The Ultimate Needlepoint Collection

Rating:
Summary: Glorafilia is Glorious!
Review: I was immediately drawn to this book by its beautiful projects and sumptious photography. I'd been exposed to some beautiful tapestries and embroidered items and was wanting to learn more about textile art. This book filled that need and more. It's a feast to the eyes simply to turn each page and see the beautiful projects and designs.

I am an amateur painter and had never (before this book, that is) created anything with yarn or thread. The one thing about this book I could not escape is that the authors treat yarn and thread as I would paint. Most of these projects are textile ART, not craft, as so many other needlepoint or embroidery books I've seen seem to be. Luckily for an absolute beginner like me they're also easy. The authors break everything down and leave nothing to chance so you can duplicate the designs yourself.

Each project tells the type of canvas needed and what size(example: antique mono-deluxe canvas at 18 holes per inch), the type of yarn, number of skeins and colors, size of needle(s), a large color picture mapped out with the various yarns & stitches, the type of scissor(s) and tape(s), how to mark up the canvas, the various stitches used and finally how to finish it up into the final piece. Large tracing patterns are provided in the back along with chapters with instructions and diagrams and photos on how to make each one of the stitches used in the projects. Some of the projects can be done fairly quickly but others look like they could take quite a bit of time.

The projects themselves range from the first one being a pillow with simple geometric designs to others as bookmarks, rugs, pincushions, samplers to frameable pictures inspired by Japanese, Medieval or Victorian art. There is a project that allows you to stitch a pillow with a large calligraphic letter of your choosing and another frameable picture project inspired by Monet. There is also a chapter on applique.

Throughout each chapter the authors show many more of their creations beyond the projects provided in the book to let you see how they come up with their ideas. You learn from the projects but much of the book's information is about how to take what you learn and apply it to your own designs. If you want to go beyond the needlepoint craft kits available in hobby stores and enter the realm of textile art this book will help get you there.

Rating:
Summary: Glorafilia: The Ultimate Needlepoint Collection
Review: If you're looking for an historical book on needlepoint then this book is for you. Otherwise I would not have purchased it. Since I was looking for a book of reference in how to do certain needlepoint stitching.