Blackwork Supplies: Blackwork Fabric, Blackwork Books, Blackwork Threads

The fabric has been placed on a dark background so that it is easier to see the threads and holes of the fabric.

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ANTIQUE WHITE 32 COUNT BELFAST LINEN FABRIC

Belfast linen fabric is ideal for counted embroidery such as Blackwork and cross-stitch. The fabric has uneven threads giving the fabric a natural look and has 32 threads to the inch.

I use the belfast linen fabric for my blackwork Chickadee kit and the blackwork Fuchsia kit.

Antique White 32 Count Belfast Linen fabric is 55 inches (137 cm) wide.

COST

(MBLF) Yard of Antique White 32 Count Belfast Linen Fabric: $85.00 Canadian Dollars
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(MBLF½) ½ yard of Antique White 32 Count Belfast Linen Fabric: $43.00 Canadian Dollars
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(MBLF18) 1 x 18 inch by 18 inch (45 cm by 45 cm) of Antique White 32 Count Belfast Linen Fabric: $22.00 Canadian Dollars
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(MBLF½) 1 x 13.5 inch by 13.5 inch (33.75 cm by 33.75 cm) of Antique White 32 Count Belfast Linen Fabric: $9.00 Canadian Dollars
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The fabric has been placed on a dark background so that it is easier to see the threads and holes of the fabric.

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ETAMIN 32 COUNT COTTON FABRIC

Etamin 32 cotton fabric (from Austria) is ideal for any type of counted embroidery such as Blackwork, cross-stitch and even pulled work. The fabric has even weave threads so it is easy to see the threads and holes to count the stitches on. This fabric has a lovely soft quality.

I use the etamin fabric for my blackwork butterfly kit and the blackwork peacock kit.

The Etamin fabric is 70 inches (175 cm) wide.

COLOUR

Antique White

COST

(ME32F) 1 yard of Etamin 32 Count Cotton Fabric: $45.00 Canadian Dollars
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(ME32F½) ½ yard of Etamin 32 Count Cotton Fabric: $23.00 Canadian Dollars
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(ME32F) 1 x 14 inch by 14 inch (35 cm by 35 cm) Piece of Etamin 32 Count Cotton Fabric: $5.00 Canadian Dollars
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HEATHERFIELD 16 COUNT COTTON FABRIC

Heatherfield polyacrylic 16 count fabric makes a nice modern counted fabric ideal for Blackwork and cross-stitch. What makes this fabric particularly unique is the mixture of colours in the fabric to give it a natural look. The fabric is slightly on the grayish tone with flecks of dark grey, and brown (ochre) running randomly through it.

The fabric has even weave threads so it is easy to see the threads and holes to count the stitches on.

I have used the 16 count Heatherfield fabric for my Blackwork Horse embroideries.

The Heatherfield fabric is 52 inches (130 cm) wide

COLOUR

White Birch

COST

(MH161F) 1 yard of Heatherfield White Birch 16 Count Fabric: $70.00 Canadian Dollars
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(MH161/2F) 1/2 yard of Heatherfield White Birch 16 Count Fabric: $36.00 Canadian Dollars
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(MH1613F) 13 inch by 13 inch (32.5 cm by 32.5 cm) of Heatherfield White Birch 16 Count Fabric: $8.00 Canadian Dollars
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BLACK DMC FlOSS

This 6 strand cotton floss comes in a 8 meter skein.

(MTHBDF) Skein of Black DMC Floss: $0.65 Canadian Dollars
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BLACK NO. 12 COTTON PERLE

Size 12 DMC Cotton Perle - 10 gram ball of Black color #310.

(MTHCP12) Black (310) No. 12 Cotton Perle: $3.25 Canadian Dollars
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YLI Silk Floss

This 6-strand pure silk floss is packaged in 5-meter skeins.

The silk is wonderful in blackwork, heirloom embroidery, smocking, shadow work embroidery, samplers, cross-stitch and needle painting.

A single strand of the YLI silk thread is slightly finer than a single strand of the DMC floss, and is twisted.

(MTHYLIB) Skein of Black YLI Silk Floss: $1.50 Canadian Dollars
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TAPESTRY NEEDLES BY JOHN JAMES

Tapestry needles have a blunt end to the point of the needle so that the needle does not catch or pierce the threads of the counted fabric when working from one hole to the next. The tapestry needle has a long eye for easier threading and the needles range in size from small size 28 to large size 20.

Size 28, Packet of 5: Used on 32 count fabric to 50 count fabrics and for single strand of floss and YLI silk thread.

Size 26, Packet of 6: Used on 18 count fabric to 32 count fabrics with a single or double strand of floss and YLI silk thread.

Tapestry Needle Size 24 by John James, Packet of 6: Used on 18 count fabric to 32 count fabrics with a double strand of floss, YLI silk thread or a single strand of No. 12 Perle Cotton or a single strand of Kreinik #4 Metallic Braid.

(NT) Packet of Tapestry Needles: $2.50 Canadian Dollars
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Needle Minders - Needlework Magnets

Rose on Lilac

Curious Cat

Cranes on Navy

Nita's Peacock

Miller's Drangonflies

Example of Needle Minder on Embroidery

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NEEDLE MINDERS

Needlework Magnets

Beautiful and unique needlework magnets hold your extra needles while stitching your embroidery or cross-stitch. The raised areas of the minders (accept Nita's Peacock) are carved out of resin and have remarkable detail.

HOW TO USE THE MINDER

As many of us know it is easier to have 2 or 3 needles on the go at one time when working on an embroidery or cross-stitch so that you can carry the thread from one location on the embroidery to another. When you are not using one of the threads it is easier to leave the thread hanging off the embroidery to one side rather than finishing the thread and having to begin it again later on.

Sometimes when one has several needles on the go the threads become tangled. The best way to prevent this is to place a needle minder on the front of the fabric at the side of the frame, and place the separate magnet on the back of the fabric directly below the needle minder on the front. The minder is held in place by the magnet on the back. The needle and threads that are not in use can then be brought up to the front of the work and placed on top of the magnetic needle minder to keep the thread out of the way (see picture of needle minder in use on the squirrel embroidery below).

When you turn the frame over to finish a thread off you do not have needles and threads dangling off the embroidery as the needles are held on the minder.

NEEDLE MINDER SIZE

Approximately: 1 3/4 inches (4 1/2 cm) by 1 1/4 inches (3 1/4 cm)

COST

(TSSNM) Needle Minder: $10.75 Canadian Dollars
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18th CENTURY EMBROIDERY SCISSORS

3 1/2 inch collectors series embroidery scissors, with gold plated handles in fitted leather sheath. For thread cutting in embroidery, needle point and sewing. The scissors are made by Gingher and are of excellent quality. The blades are smooth and sharp with fine tips, excellent for fine embroidery work. More embroidery scissors.

SCISSOR SIZE

Length: 3 1/2 inches (9 cm) Width at handles: 1 1/2 inches (4 cm)

Width of finger/thumb holes: 5/8 inches (1 1/2 cm)

SCISSOR COST

(TSGST) Gingher 3 ½ inch 18th Century Embroidery Scissors: $55.00 Canadian Dollars
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TOOL TROLLEY

A tool trolley is a scissors holder with a retractable cord.

The holder can be clipped to a zipper on you jacket, attached to your top using a safely pin or worn on a necklace. The scissors are clipped into the other end.

As you are working you can pull the scissors and the scissors will retract out on a cord up 32 inches or 80 cm in length. When you have made your cut you can release the scissors and the cord will retract back in the holder. This is a great way to keep your scissors handy and close by rather than loosing them in the cushion covers on under things on the table.

TROLLEY TOOL COST

(TSTT) Tool Trolley: $14.00 Canadian Dollars
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Cost of Tweezers

$5.00 CDN

WHOLE SALE PRICE

$20.00 for 10 pairs of Tweezers

STAINLESS STEEL TWEEZERS

Non Magnetic

These very fine tip tweezers are excellent tools for a wide range of embroidery purposes. They make great unpicking tools to grab those tiny threads your finger nails just can't keep a hold of.

The tweezers are are also an excellent tool to use for turning the Pearl Purl on the outlines for the Blackwork Kingfisher and Blackwork Butterfly kits.

TWEEZER SIZE

Length: 5 inches (12 1/2 cm) Width: 1/4 inch (3/4 cm)

(TST) Stainless Steel Tweezers with Precision Tips: $5.00 Canadian Dollars
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(TST10) 10 Stainless Steel Tweezers with Precision Tips: $20.00 Canadian Dollars
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Sorry no returns on books due to Copy right laws

BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO BLACKWORK

Soft back book, 64 pages, written by Leslie Wilkins and published by Search Press Needlecrafts.

Lesley Wilkins shows how to create traditional blackwork embroideries using simple stitches on evenweave fabric. Step-by-step photographs and a wealth of charts illustrates how traditional motifs, patterns and borders can be combined to create stunning designs.

This book particularly useful when working your own designs as there is a photograph of the blackwork pattern worked on the fabric next to the paper pattern, this gives you a better idea for which pattern to use on the embroidery.

BOOK COST

(MBBB) Beginners Guide to Blackwork Book: $22.95 Canadian Dollars
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EASING INTO BLACKWORK

Soft back book, 27 pages, written by Mary Hickmott and published by Creative Crafts Publishing.

This beginners blackwork embroidery book gives you the basics to blackwork embroidery with some simple blackwork designs to work.

BOOK COST

(MBEB) Easing into Blackwork Book: $25.95 Canadian Dollars
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BLACKWORK

Soft back book, 48 pages, written by Leslie Barnett and published by Simon & Schuster.

This book covers everything from creating a design to choice of fabric, threads and stitches with many stitch diagrams and suggested patterns. A host of beautiful Blackwork pictures, both traditional and modern will inspire any enthusiast and there are even ideas for working with coloured threads.

The book covers a wide range of pictorial ideas for designs in Blackwork by a variety of embroiderers and is a inspiration to stretch the mind.

Some particular favourites of mine from this book is the Goldalming Youth Orchestra by Sonia Head which is good example of working the Blackwork embroidery with out outlines to emphasize the edges, and Leslie Barnett's Blackwork patterns worked as a sampler on hand made felt variegating the colour of the felt and the colour of the thread from Black to White.

BOOK COST

(MBB) Blackwork Book: $25.95 Canadian Dollars
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THE ART OF ENGLISH BLACKWORK

Soft back book ring bound, 187 pages, written and published by Jane D. Zimmerman.

The Art of English Blackwork is a great reference book, it is packed with graphed Blackwork patterns that can be incorporated into a design for Blackwork.

This is book is designed for those who wish to create their own Blackwork embroideries. There are no set designs to work from the book, that is left up to your imagination.

When creating your designs for Blackwork, the designs should have large open areas to establish a repeat Blackwork pattern i.e. flowers with large petals and leaves.

Jane explains how to transfer the design onto the fabric then all you have to do is choose one of the many Blackwork patterns featured in the book.

This book makes a good accompaniment for my Blackwork kits. If you are concerned about making your own Blackwork designs, try one of my kits first to learn the process.

BOOK COST

(MBAEB) The Art of English Blackwork Book: $62.00 Canadian Dollars
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TRADITONAL BLACKWORK SAMPLERS

Soft back book, 64 pages, written by Leslie Wilkins and published by Search Press Needlecrafts.

Step by Step photographs and clear charts show how simple stitches on evenweave fabric can be used to create wonderful historical samplers.

This book features some great bands, alphabets and animal and floral motifs to create your own sampler. The book also has some beautiful charted samplers to be worked.

BOOK COST

(MBTSB) Traditional Blackwork Samplers Book: $22.95 Canadian Dollars
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WHY CALL IT BLACKWORK?

Soft back book, 36 pages, written by Marion Scoular and published by Indelible Inc.

This is my favourite Blackwork book for choosing designs for my Blackwork projects.

Marion gives excellent tips and instructions for design inspiration, choice of patterns, shading, how to transfer a design and 14 pages of Blackwork patterns with about 18 designs on one page. It is a very valuable book if you are inspired to create your own designs.

This book makes a good accompaniment for my Blackwork kits. If you are concerned about making your own Blackwork designs, try one of my kits first to learn the process.

BOOK COST

(MBB?) Why Call it Blackwork? Book: $25.95 Canadian Dollars
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I can provide the Goldwork Materials required to do the Goldwork projects in the book. You may buy the materials from me separately or already made up into a kit for each project.

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To see kit and metal thread costs.

Royal School of Needlework Book

Embroidery Techniques (My Choice Book)

Soft back book, 160 pages, text by Sally Saunders, designs by Anne Butcher and Debra Barrett, published by Brassey's.

A very Comprehensive Embroidery technique book produced by the Royal School of Needlework where I took my three year training in hand embroidery - apprenticeship course and spent a further two years in the workroom. See my Personal History for more details.

Recommended for all embroiderers. The book has sixteen step-by-step projects ranging from easy to hard in four embroidery techniques.

It is a valuable source of reference and a beautiful book for the needle crafter's library.

This book is great accompaniment for any of my embroidery techniques.

BOOK COST

(MBRSN) Royal School of Needlework EmbroideryTechniques: $32.95 Canadian Dollars
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Book includes the following:

Four main chapters explore the popular techniques of silk shading, Goldwork, crewel work and Blackwork.

A detailed introductory section discusses preparation and finishing for needlework.

Each Embroidery technique features a historical background, a comprehensive stitch glossary and four designs with step by step instructions and photographs.

Designs include a crewel work Jacobean leaf sampler, a aged face in Blackwork, a silk work Iris and an intricate Goldwork purse.

History of the

Royal School of Needlework

Founded in 1872 by Queen Victoria's third daughter, Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, the school enjoys the patronage of members of the Royal Family. H.M. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, is the School's current Patron and its President is H.R.H. the Duchess of Glouchester. The Royal School of Needlework specializes in the restoration and conservation of all textiles using traditional hand embroidery techniques.

The School's main objective is to ensure that the traditional skills of hand embroidery are passed on to the next generation.

As well as short courses in a variety of needlework techniques, they run an apprenticeship scheme and a one year certification course that attracts keen embroiderers from all over the country and abroad.

Visit the Royal School of Needlework site for more information.

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