Machine Embroidered Art

Rarely do I find any book which includes Silk Painting, but Alison Holt uses silk painting as a background for her exquisite machine embroidery! This book is a delight for the eyes and could tempt anyone to try this gorgeous art. 

Equipment is covered concisely and simply, including silk paints, clear outliner and habotai 8. Followed by sections on taking source photographs, how to capture movement, cropping, combining photographs, sense of scale and which areas to paint or stitch. 

The section of colour is really informative. The paragraph on understanding colour is probably something we're all aware of but a nudge to the mind increases our execution when painting. I love the 'Painting Without Resist' example, which is fully explained in eight photographs and includes lots of tips. This is followed by 'Lacework Trees' which is so beautiful. However, this is just one example of many; the seascapes are wonderful, and although machine embroidered, would give lots of tips and inspiration to painters. 

The wonders of this book are too numerous to mention and defy description. Perfectly written and illustrated, with gardens, woodland and seascapes. As I love trees and seascapes, this is a book I would love to own. 

-- Margaret Dunning * International Journal of the Guild of Silk Painters *

This is a must-have instructional inspirational book for anyone interested in free-motion embroidery. Using just two simple machine stitches in various combinations, learn to create pictures from formal gardens and flowers to romantic seascapes, landscapes and woodlands. There are stunning step-by-step projects, photos and a great range of inspirational pieces. Learn to paint threads on hand-coloured backgrounds and blend stitches for stunning results.

* Machine Knitting Monthly *

The book is full of stunning pictures and lots of information about how the work is achieved. There are very clear step-by-step instructions on how to recreate a selection of pictures which really make me want to get out my machine and have a go. There is no specialist equipment needed for the stitching and the backgrounds are hand painted with silk paints which are readily available. I think this is a book I will get a lot of use from & would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to try machine embroidery.

-- Nicola Urmenyi * Amazon *

A well written book with great illustrations. I would recommend to anyone who likes to do free motion embroidery.

-- Gwen Higginbottom * Amazon *

Superb images, on lots of pages, with detailed descriptions of how to recreate the pieces yourself. It is very inspiring, and I am itching to get started, all sewing can be achieved with straight and zig zag sewing. I loved the seascapes and woodland scenes.

Sections include light and shading, and the book includes tips and hints to achieve the images yourself. The book is packed with ideas that you can adapt to achieve something unique.

-- Anne Tomma * Amazon *

This book is excellent, on opening the book you think the work is a photograph as the scenes are so realistic.  The instructions take you step-by-step through the process from start to finish and I look forward to having a go.

-- Heather Bell * Amazon *

This is a stunning book visually and would be an inspiration for any sewer. There are comprehensive sections on materials, how to plan embroidery and how to use light and colour. There are three main sections covering flowers and foliage, seascapes and trees and woodlands. These sections show you, step-by-step, how to build up pictures.  It is a beautiful book and well worth a look.

-- Kate Robinson * Amazon *

All you want in a craft book is there: stunning projects with clear pictures to guide you step-by-step so you can create your own masterpiece. The subtitle is painting the natural world with needle and thread. Well the natural scenes are beautiful and really true to nature. In my opinion it is also suitable for hand embroidery projects.

-- Henriet Simons * Amazon *

What a fantastic book. I didn't know that you could create such beautiful art just using a standard machine. Very informative and with step-by-step instructions, guiding you through each piece.

-- Debbie Prince * Amazon *

No, that picture on the cover isn't a painting - its actually an amazing piece of embroidery! Whether you fancy illustrating blooming gardens, tranquil woodlands or romantic seascapes, this book covers everything you need to recreate beautiful scenery using just two simple stitches. It even includes a showcase of Alison Holt's most exquisite machine embroideries.

* Sew Magazine *

Whatever type of sewing machine you have you can use it to make beautiful pictures. Just thread up your needle and put some fabric into a hoop and off you go. Well, there is a bit more to it than that which is where this book comes in…

If you have the four books by this author on free-motion machine embroidery covering landscapes, seascapes, flowers and woodlands you won’t need this book as you already have it. If not, this new compendium volume contains all four in a revised format. I always love a craft with infinite possibilities but a minimum outlay of funds and which has scope for plenty of recycling and using up oddments, and this is one of them. A simple swing needle machine capable of straight lines and zigzag stitch is the main item, backed up with a supply of threads, plain cloth, paints, embroidery hoop and inspiration. The first part of the book tells you what you need to buy and how to prepare the cloth, use photographs, plan you work, choose threads and background colours and stitch.

The rest of the book contains chapters on the themes contained in the earlier books so you can learn how to stitch flowers and foliage, create bosky woods, show the sea in all its moods and produce various landscape types. These pictures are beautiful, depicting very British scenes in the main (or at least northern temperate) and there are numerous exercises to try and several larger projects to work through. The projects all have plenty of staged photographs and this book is aimed at those who are new to this craft, while containing much material of use to those wanting to perfect their skills. Throughout are many of the author’s many pictures with captions explaining various points and lots of tips for better work. An excellent guide to free-motion machine embroidery that teaches most of what you need to know.

-- Rachel A Hyde * myshelf.com *

This exciting title showcases textile artist Alison Holt's exquisite machine embroideries, whilst teaching the reader to 'paint' their surroundings using two simple stitches. It is a must-have instructional and inspirational book for anyone interested in free-motion embroidery.

In this new book, crafters can learn how to create beautiful machine-embroidered pictures of all aspects of the landscape, from formal gardens and flowers to woodlands using various combinations of just two simple machine stitches. Information on silk painting and colour mixing is also included.

All the techniques are broken down into clear, step-by-step instructions' with numerous helpful photographs and a great range of inspirational pieces. Alison 'paints' her threads onto hand coloured backgrounds, blending her stitches and achieving stunning results.

This book covers everything that is needed to complete each project, including the materials required; how to compose a picture from photographs that have inspired you; achieving perspective; light and shade; painting backgrounds; and all the basic stitch techniques you need to know. There are stunning step-by-step projects so that the reader can put into practise their newly-acquire skills.

* Craft Business *

With two simple stitches, a straight stitch and a zig zag, the author Alison Holt demonstrates her talents beautifully.

This book is just amazing and very pleasing to the eye. As a creative person, but not a good one I might add, I envy her talent.

The projects in this book can not only be sewn, but also painted, so depending on your own preference, you can have a go at creating and even designing something with a stunning effect. You can also add organza, beads and ribbon to give definition to your chosen piece.

The landscapes and seascapes are full of life, the colours vibrant and the subject is beautiful.

The 10 projects are accompanied with instructions, techniques and ideas how to create the perfect picture.

Of course for most of us this will take some practice, but I love this book, and even if I can achieve just one beautiful flower or a frothy wave then I would be happy.

-- Tracy Shephard * Amazon *

Issue March/April

Alison Holt has been working with creative machine embroidery since the 1970s, 'painting' with thread in her unique style. Her forte is capturing natural landscapes in stitch - from coast to countryside - in realistic detail. Using two simple stitches (straight, zig-zag), Holt explains how to stitch portraits of your surroundings using free-motion embroidery, drawing on other techniques such as silk painting, colour mixing and working with photographs. She breaks the process down into clear stages, illustrated with helpful photographs and examples. An excellent investment for those interested in mastering pictorial machine embroidery.

* Embroidery *

Alison Holt is a graduate of Goldsmiths in London, where she studied fine art, textiles, and embroidery. She chose freehand machine embroidery as her medium and “started to explore her love of gardens and the countryside”.

Alison has perfected the reproduction of nature to the point that her embroideries seem like photographs or paintings, until you look closer and realise the added layer of texture and dimension that the stitches provide. The technique she has developed to such success over the decades for her commissions, courses, lectures, workshops, and books also incorporates silk painting. “More textured areas, such as rough seas and windblown grasses, lend themselves to stitch, whereas smooth areas, such as distant sea and sky, are better represented by silk painting.”

But you don’t have to be good at sketching or painting to give machine embroidered art a go. “Machine embroidery has a life of its own and some wonderful effects can be achieved without particular drawing skills.” The book shows you how to transfer a design to fabric, as well as how to use silk paints if you want to approach your work from that angle.

In Machine Embroidered Art, Alison takes readers through each of the steps required to stitch a scene of natural beauty. She starts with a rundown of the materials and equipment you’ll need, most importantly a sewing machine – any machine will do, although one with the ability to do zigzag stitches is recommended. Threads, supplies for silk painting and a list of “other equipment” are given in detail, setting you up for early success.

Alison works from photographs and always has a camera handy to shoot inspiring scenes. She then uses these and any sketches she may have done to create a design. She takes readers through the art basics of composition, balance, contrast, movement and more in the planning chapter, before moving on to light.

Machine Embroidered Art is comprehensive in showing how Alison creates her works of textile art, and how you can do the same. Her skill and mastery of a sewing machine are evident. But it’s the pages and pages of incredibly lifelike landscapes and natural scenes that make it an inspiring read.

Read the full review HERE.

-- Kelly Fletcher * Kelly Fletcher Needlework Design - www.kellyfletcher.co.