Jan Beaney | Mr X Stitch

Stitch Rhythms & Patterns by Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn, published by Double Trouble Enterprises Introduction This is a go-to book for ideas; it is not a book designed to influence our every move, rather they are inspiring us to create our own take on the subject matter they present. 'We hope that the joy of stitching and pattern making is evident' - That's what Beaney and Littlejohn hope we will glean from this publication. However so much has been said about stitching and using nature to inform our work. Is their anything new to learn about stitch rhythms? We think so! About the artist Both artists have years of both teaching and writing experience. They have led many classes and are well informed on their topic; we can trust their opinions. They have written a number of books on such a wide amount of art and embroidery related subjects. Who is it aimed at? This should make for personal more fulfilling work if we decide to use it..... Those with an interest in embroidery and design, with a keen eye for stitch rhythms and patterns and honed in areas of interest. In other words it is designed for those who really want to further their skills and not just create a direct stitched copy of what they see in front of them. Content The book itself is divided into five main sections, covering areas of interest, such as water, trees and gardens. There is also an introduction and several final pages documenting useful information and stitch samples. Contents of this publication. The landscape layout works well, allowing for the pages to develop, for example below we can observe how an initial painting gets used to create a stitched piece (right): From sketch to stitch. The Useful Information section gives us helpful hints and explanations. The artists have illustrated their stitch samples beautifully, with photographs such as this one. What makes it special? We have to mention again the artists use of their Fine Art and collage skills to show the development stages of their work: From fine art skills to stitched piece. Photography Each separate area of inspiration has been photographed to make us want to be right there: Gardens as inspiration, wouldn't we all want to visit? They have obviously invested time and energy into getting good photographs of their work - a job worth doing for all of us. What is wrong with the book? Stitch Rhythms & Patterns is heavily weighted with natural imagery, covering gardens, trees and florals. If this isn't your style, you may lack enthusiasm. Conclusion In the introduction we mentioned that so much had been written about this subject of nature influencing art. However these artists have shown that we can always learn something new, there is always a different way of looking at the same topic. Their fresh imagery and ideas certainly wont get old. Stitch Rhythms & Patterns is available to purchase right here!