Library Journal – Jan 15, 2025
Ukrainian author Popova brings a new vision to crewelwork. Rather than using traditional crewel wools, she creates patterns with the varied stitches and techniques of crewelwork but updates them with cotton floss, perle, and specialty threads. This book uses these threads in contrasting color palettes, and both light and dark fabrics as a base, to show how the same pattern can look startlingly different depending on color choices. There are eight patterns included: four simple “doodles” to practice on, and four complete night and day designs, all with stitch guides. From simple to advanced, each pattern shows how to adapt color choices to create the desired effect. The book includes clear photographs of both process and finished products, as well as an illustrated stitch guide for all the crewel stitches used in the projects. The style is conversational and engaging, with the author’s individual voice coming through.
VERDICT Sharing crewelwork designs with a focus on fresh colorways, and using threads that many stitchers are already familiar with, this book gives an updated look at the potential of traditional patterns. Popova offers practical crewel inspiration and fun ideas for contemporary embroidery.
Mary Corbet’s Needle ‘n’ Thread – July 2025
Contrast in Crewel Embroidery is an excellent book for those who like to explore color and stitch choice on different embroidery ground fabrics, and it gives the reader a good springboard for ideas about choosing colors for embroidery projects while taking the ground fabric into consideration. The book also presents a vast array of stitches and techniques that are suitable for crewel work and other surface embroidery techniques. The projects and instructions are clear and easy to follow, and they are suitable for beginners and beyond. If you have a love for color and for stitch variety, you will find this book a useful asset in your needlework library!
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