Hand Stitched Crazy Patchwork

Book excerpt: Crazy patchwork has long been a popular subject amongst quilters and embroiderers, allowing them the freedom to be creative and to incorporate a broad range of techniques into their work. In this beautiful book, expert needlecrafter Hazel Blomkamp explores a wide variety of hand-stitching techniques and produces five stunning projects in which everything is created using just fabric, a needle, threads, ribbons and beads. She provides expert guidance on embellishment techniques such as beading, embroidery (with both thread and silk ribbon), needlelace, needle weaving and tatting, as well as on patchwork and quilting. Three projects are worked completely from scratch, and even the patches themselves are created with a needle and thread. The fourth project is a traditional crazy patchwork with hand-stitched embellishments, and the fifth project combine a traditional crazy patchwork with a Jacobean embroidery panel. The book will draw in both embroiderers and quilters, and inspire them to combine their skills in new and exciting ways.