Counted Thread Openwork Embroidery Book: Over 140 Motifs and Step-by-Step Diagrams

Openwork embroidery is famous for being the work of experts, and for one specific reason: it almost always requires pulling and cutting threads from the fabric, a delicate operation that scares any beginner. This book proposes something different — achieving that lace effect, that airy and translucent look, without pulling or cutting a single thread. Only with stitches.

Where this technique comes from

Openwork motifs exist in the embroidery of half the world: India, Germany, France, Iran, Ukraine, England. This specific technique — openwork by thread tension, without cutting — is one of the foundations of Dresden embroidery and Schwalm embroidery from the 18th century, two of the most refined whitework embroidery traditions that exist. Marie-Hélène Jeanneau has reconstructed it after years of research.

What it contains

• Over 140 stitches with their color diagrams and individual photographs
• The basic stitches that are combined to form decorative motifs
• How to build composite backgrounds, combining several openwork stitches
• Detailed step-by-step instructions for each stitch

What it is used for

Openwork motifs give a beautiful finish to curtains, table linens, lampshades, and any piece where light passes through the fabric — because that is where the openwork truly shines: when backlit.

Who it is for

For embroiderers with some experience who want to delve into whitework and openwork without the difficulty of cut thread. Also for those who collect traditional techniques: this is a serious reference book, the result of real research, not a simple compilation of motifs.

An idea

Openwork embroidery shines like no other technique on pieces placed in front of a window. A curtain or an openwork doily turns sunlight into part of the work — something no store-bought decoration can achieve.

Technical specifications

• Author: Marie-Hélène Jeanneau
• ISBN: 978-84-9874-793-5
• Reference: 203521
• Publisher: El Drac
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144
• Format: 21.5 x 28 cm
• Language: Spanish