The Art of Embroidery Design - A Workshop for Developing Your Own Original Stitching

Christi Johnson, author of Mystical Stitches, offers embroidery enthusiasts an in-depth workshop to create their own unique mystical and spiritually themed designs. Combining instruction with a series of hands-on experiments and exploration challenges, Johnson shares her expertise in conceiving and realizing original motifs and designs that have special mystical significance to the creator.

An acclaimed embroidery designer and the best-selling author of Mystical Stitches, Christi Johnson teaches how to create original stitch designs and expand creativity, with sketchbook and sampler exercises and inspiring examples from a wide range of embroidery artists, both historical and contemporary.

This colorful sourcebook, packed with practical technique instructions accompanied by inspiring examples from a wide range of embroidery artists, is sure to jump-start every stitching enthusiast's creativity, and build the skills for making original designs. Written for all levels of stitchers, The Art of Embroidery Design teaches the value of establishing a creative practice, with hands-on sketching and stitching exercises to help anyone build confidence in their design skills, whether or not they can draw. Author Christi Johnson breaks the design process down into approachable steps including: developing a vision; choosing a color palette; using variations in line weight to create dimensionality; and achieving a range of textural effects. Dozens of photos of the author's own work are accompanied by historical examples from artisans in Mexico, India, Peru, China, Nigeria, and more. Profiles of some of the most inventive contemporary embroidery artists illuminate the sources of their inspiration, and round out the rich, full offerings of this complete workshop in a book.

List of contents

An Invitation to Personal Expression

Chapter 1: Practicing Creativity
Tools for Developing Your Unique Artistic Voice

Chapter 2: Embracing Tradition
A Tour of Soulful Embroidery from Around the World

Chapter 3: Decoding Design
An Introduction to Line, Texture, Color, and Composition in Embroidery

Chapter 4: Cultivating Vision
Practices for Finding Inspiration, Setting Intentions, and Strengthening Visualization

Chapter 5: Putting it All Together
Sample Projects for Personal Expression

Embroidery Basics
Stitch Methods
Acknowledgments
Index

 

About the author

Christi Johnson is an embroidery and textile artist and the author of Mystical Stitches. Johnson studied Fashion Design at Otis College of Art and Design and honed her craft in the Los Angeles fashion industry for nearly a decade, designing limited-edition embroideries for boutique brands. Now residing in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, Johnson teaches workshops in natural dyeing and embroidery and develops kits and booklets for aspiring artists and DIY enthusiasts. Johnson's garments, booklets, kits, and embroidered artwork are sold in maker studios and boutiques nationwide. Find Christi Johnson online at mixedcolor.net, and tune in to her podcast, Stitch Wish, for more inspiration. 

Summary

From an acclaimed embroidery designer and bestselling author of Mystical Stitches, an accessible how-to guide full of original stitch designs that will inspire readers to pick up a needle and thread.

Written for all levels of stitchers, The Art of Embroidery Design teaches the value of establishing a creative practice, with hands-on sketching and stitching exercises to help anyone build confidence in their design skills. Author Christi Johnson provides a workshop experience for readers looking to start from scratch. She breaks the design process down into approachable steps, including:

-developing a vision
-choosing a color palette
-using variations in line weight to create dimensionality
-achieving a range of textural effects.

Dozens of colorful photos of the author's own work are accompanied by historical examples from artisans in Mexico, India, Peru, China, Nigeria, and more, as well as profiles of some of the most inventive contemporary embroidery artists–it's a complete workshop in a book.   

Foreword

The bestselling author of Mystical Stitches teaches embroiderers of all levels how to create their own original designs with in-depth technique instruction combined with a rich, colorful range of inspirational examples, including historical examples from a range of cultures as well as contemporary stitch artists from around the world.

Product details

• Authors: Christi Johnson
• Publisher: Workman Publishing
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 21.01.2025
• EAN: 9781635867664
• ISBN: 978-1-63586-766-4
• No. of pages: 200
• Subjects: Guides > Hobby, home > Creative design; Handicrafts, decorative arts & crafts, CRAFTS & HOBBIES / Upcycling & Repurposing, Needlework & fabric crafts, Needlework and fabric crafts, Handicrafts, decorative arts and crafts, CRAFTS & HOBBIES / Fiber Arts & Textiles