Shakespeare's Flowers in Stumpwork (Milner Craft Series) Hardcover – September 1, 2015

Having a BA in English, I delight in Shakespeare. I love everything about Tudor--particularly Elizabethan--history. I love doing embroidery and studying the history of needlework. I may want to venture into stumpwork. My husband is from England so we visit the castles and cathedrals and, especially, the Victoria & Albert Museum to see the insanely gorgeous embroidered pieces. The earliest stitch-signed and-dated embroidery sampler in English is the Jane Bostocke sampler of 1598, right smack-dab in the middle of the time-frame of this book. I held this historic piece in my hands in the Textiles Department of the V&A and almost cried with joy. (Ok...I did cry.) There is something about 3-D embroidery based on flowers of 5 centuries ago that makes them especially beautiful.If you like embroidery with Elizabethan designs but a little less difficult than stumpwork, make SURE to read:Exploring Elizabethan Embroidery (Elizabethan needlework)I really appreciate Jane Nicholas for doing the research and analysis it took to make this book. She has gone beyond exclusively Shakespeare to other contemporary Elizabethan and early Stewart contemporary writings, art work and drawings such as the 1618 plan for the standard gardens of a great house. Even though I've visited such places in England, I didn't realize that they were planned from the beginning to have different sections. I appreciate just the little fact that Elizabeth I's favorite flower is the pansy except...you really have to do a lot of digging in the book to find this out: it's in the chapter entitled "Heartsease" beginning on page 82. This is the wild pansy or Viola tricolor also known as Love-in-idleness and Johnny-jump-up. There is no index so you literally need to read the whole book unless you know what flower the Heartsease is. The story is great though: A Midsummer Night's Dream has Oberon referring to the magical and medicinal qualities of the Love-in-idleness flower which turned from white to violet and became a love potion for Cupid's arrow. "Heartsease" also refers to the flower being ascribed to helping heart problems by boiling the petals and drinking a glass-full every morning.Jane Nicholas is already the foremost author on stumpwork; in fact, she has authored the most books on this technique of embroidery; these are only a few:Stumpwork Medieval Flora (Milner Craft Series)Stumpwork Embroidery Designs and Projects (Milner Craft)The Complete Book of Stumpwork Embroidery (Milner Craft Series)Stumpwork Embroidery: A Collection Of Fruits, Flowers & Insects For Contemporary Raised EmbroiderySo she knows what she's talking about. However...like the other reviewer...I think her drawings are a little too small; and her directions are not always clear. For example, in the chapter entitled Techniques, Equipment & Stitch Glossary, the very first step in "Mounting Fabrics into an Embroidery Hoop" is on page 237."1. Place the main (background) fabric on top of the backing fabric[,] then place both fabrics over the inner ring of the hoop...."I need 2 pieces of fabric? How come no picture or diagram? I hike back to the introductory chapter "Overall Requirements" on page 24 and read about background and backing fabric but that's it: no diagrams or discussion how to fasten or even whether to sew these two layers together. This is especially confusing since most stumpwork is either raised--sometimes with padding--or has an additional layer of embroidered wire sewn on.This is not a beginner's book. If it were meant to be one, I would give this book only 3 stars. Because you can rely on any of these books, in addition to the author's other books, I can heartily recommend this book for its beauty, authenticity of design and nice presentation.These 3 books are in Ms. Nicholas's own Bibliography:Samplers and Stitches: A Handbook of the Embroiderer's ArtThe Stitches of Creative EmbroideryMary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery StitchesFor more info on basic embroidery techniques, you can consult:Stitch Sampler: The Ultimate Visual Dictionary to Over 200 Classic Stitches

This book is beautifully written with clear patterns and explanations about the source of the choice of flowers, the reference to the plays is particularly fun. The patterns and stitches range from projects beginners will enjoy to things even an experienced person will find challenging.I paired this book with Helen M. Steven's Embroiderer's Countryside, who has a pattern for bindweed with trumpet shaped flowers. I was able adapt that pattern to fit the scale of the pattern for honeysuckle in this book to add yet another flower to the sampler suggested here.This is the best most accessible book of Elizabethan patterns I've seen.

This is another of jane Nicholas's amazing books. I think she has the best instructions of any needlework author out there. When I'm using her books I never have any questions that are not answered in a manner that even a beginner can not understand. I have a vast needlework library that I have been collecting for 50 years and hers are still my favorites.

This is a beautiful book that incorporates embroidery with history. I look forward to using these floral designs in future products as well as learning more about the flowers during the late 1500's. I was somewhat surprised at how small some of the designs are meant to be, but that can easily be remedied by scanning the diagrams and enlarging them.

purchased for a friend for her birthday as she like to do stumpwork. Lots of beautiful flowers in this book along with the Elizabethan meanings of the flowers, great book for someone into historical embroidery

Good book for embroidery ideas

Jane's books are are top class. This one is a favorite. so much care and research into her work.She also is one of the best stitching teachers out thereSimply the best. I admire Jane Nicholas very much.

I purchased this volume because I already owned the author's other titles on stumpwork. The illustrations and instructions are clear, the photos are exactly what I expected, and I'm pleased to add this to my bookshelf even if I may never create a plant specimen from Shakespeare's era.