Embroidered Birds and their Habitats: Hand Embroidery Techniques and Inspiration

This stunning new title from master embroiderer Judy Wilford explores fascination with birds and the ways they interact with their surroundings. Through research she turned her collection of rough sketches and notes into drawings and finally the beautiful embroideries featured in the book.

The book is divided into three parts, working through the simplest to the more intricate or complicated forms of the subject. Each piece of work is divided into two areas and includes those elements applied to the rigid frame, to form the background or on-frame work, and those stitched off-frame on a hoop and applied later.

Part 1 covers the basic requirements of what you need, including design requirements, embroidery materials – fabrics, needles and threads – equipment, rigid frames, and your work space. It also includes a section on research and choosing a suitable bird and its habitat, concluding with a project that guides the reader through the entire process from inspiration through to working design, giving all the skills and techniques needed to complete a hand-stitched, low-relief panel based on birds and habitats. Part 2 explores processes and techniques used in designing and working more complicated elements. This project includes elements embroidered off-frame and applied to the work, such as tree trunks, branches, birds, nests and, of course, the birds. Part 3 includes further examples of the author’s embroideries, and drawn designs that could be used in future works. This section also includes information on finishing the work (mounting and framing), a stitch glossary, reference section and acknowledgements.

Though Judy’s focus is on Australian birds, the embroideries themselves will appeal to an international audience, and the processes and techniques she uses can be adapted and used by textile artists and embroiderers for a broad range of subjects.