Beginner’s Guide to Crewel Embroidery: Creative Animals & Plants Inspired by Chinese Aesthetics

Warm and soft to the touch, wool yarn is distinctive in its own way, unlike delicate cotton threads and ornate silk fibers. Wool yarn exudes the beauty of natural simplicity, and is full of the essence of life. Even better, because of its thickness, even beginners can use it to create full and three-dimensional embroidery pieces. In this embroidery guide, which blends Eastern and Western aesthetic tastes, author Chen Daiyu draws inspiration from the classic ancient Chinese poetry collection The Book of Songs. She combines crewel embroidery with enigmatic flora, trees, fish, insects, and birds, creating work that is both pure and romantic, while also being rich in imagination. With this book, you will: - Follow high-resolution images and detailed step-by-step instructions to practice crewel embroidery techniques for 10 different animals and plants. The difficulty level of the projects progresses gradually, and each one comes with a stitching plan and color plan manuscript, allowing you to gain a deep understanding of the author’s creative process. - Master basic knowledge about crewel embroidery, including its history, tools, materials, and stitching techniques. The book also includes pull-out pages at the end with complete line drawings for each project, making it easy for beginners to get started quickly. - Skillfully combine different elements to create crewel embroidery pieces that resemble paintings, embellishing everyday items and making life more enriching and enjoyable. - Appreciate the unique appeal of Chinese aesthetic taste, and explore the author’s bold and individualistic designs to gain a refreshing source of creative inspiration. This beautifully bound book has a lay-flat binding, making it convenient to use. It is our hope that it will provide you with an enjoyable embroidery experience, awakening your creative passion with the warmth and imagination of wool yarn.

Chen Daiyu graduated from the Design Art Department of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, and holds a master’s degree from the University of the Arts in London. The focus of her research was the contemporary application of embroidery. After attending the Royal College of Embroidery to study embroidery techniques, she founded the Daiyu Embroidery Studio and became an independent embroidery artist. She excels at crewel embroidery, goldwork, blackwork, whitework, canvas embroidery, silk shading, and the application of embroidery in the field of jewelry design.