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Crewelwork Then and Now

Exploring traditional designs and contemporary stitching

Hardcover (Paper-over-Board, no jacket)
$40.00 US
8-1/2"W x 11"H | 20 oz | 12 per carton
On sale Jan 13, 2026 | 216 Pages | 9781800922884

Journey through the vibrant, living history of crewelwork, from traditional Jacobean designs to innovative, contemporary projects.

Create 8 sumptuous embroidery projects, each with complete written instructions and a full-size embroidery transfer.


Written by world-renowned crewelwork experts Phillipa Turnbull and Hazel Blomkamp, this inspiring book provides a fascinating overview of how the art form of crewel embroidery has evolved over the centuries.

This stunning book contains:
  • 8 inspiring crewelwork designs each with detailed instructions, charts, and a full-size embroidery transfer
  • Designs from then and now: 2 designs celebrating historic embroideries; 2 original contemporary designs; 4 side-by-side designs (2 designs, each stitched by the two authors, for a direct comparison of how traditional and contemporary crewelwork can produce stunning and varied results)
  • A comprehensive illustrated stitch directory featuring over 80 stitches, divided into historical and modern ways of working.
  • Full-size embroidery transfers for each project

Phillipa, an expert on historic embroidery and the founder of The Crewel Work Company, reveals the rich history of crewelwork and celebrates its vibrant beauty. Through her stunning projects and inspiring insights, discover the traditional threads and stitches used and uncover a deep and direct connection to the embroiderers of the past.

Hazel is a globally renowned embroiderer and best-selling author, who focusses on innovation in crewel embroidery, experimenting with stitches, threads, beading and more to give her work a contemporary twist. Her joyful, visionary approach breathes new life into this traditional craft.
Hazel Blomkamp has dabbled with all the needlecrafts since childhood. When her children were babies she developed a passion for embroidery to break the tedium of life with toddlers, using it as her evening reward for having got through the day with her sanity intact. Her children are now young adults and she still embroiders in front of the television every night. She has been designing for the past 18 years. Preferring to design projects which appear to be traditional, she pushes the boundaries by introducing other forms of needlecraft into traditional techniques, exploring further in everything that she does. Along with designing, she runs a busy website from home. She teaches at her home studio, in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, and travels throughout South Africa and Australia teaching embroidery and fine beadwork. She is a regular contributor to South African and Australian embroidery magazines and is a columnist for South African Stitches Magazine. View titles by Hazel Blomkamp

About

Journey through the vibrant, living history of crewelwork, from traditional Jacobean designs to innovative, contemporary projects.

Create 8 sumptuous embroidery projects, each with complete written instructions and a full-size embroidery transfer.


Written by world-renowned crewelwork experts Phillipa Turnbull and Hazel Blomkamp, this inspiring book provides a fascinating overview of how the art form of crewel embroidery has evolved over the centuries.

This stunning book contains:
  • 8 inspiring crewelwork designs each with detailed instructions, charts, and a full-size embroidery transfer
  • Designs from then and now: 2 designs celebrating historic embroideries; 2 original contemporary designs; 4 side-by-side designs (2 designs, each stitched by the two authors, for a direct comparison of how traditional and contemporary crewelwork can produce stunning and varied results)
  • A comprehensive illustrated stitch directory featuring over 80 stitches, divided into historical and modern ways of working.
  • Full-size embroidery transfers for each project

Phillipa, an expert on historic embroidery and the founder of The Crewel Work Company, reveals the rich history of crewelwork and celebrates its vibrant beauty. Through her stunning projects and inspiring insights, discover the traditional threads and stitches used and uncover a deep and direct connection to the embroiderers of the past.

Hazel is a globally renowned embroiderer and best-selling author, who focusses on innovation in crewel embroidery, experimenting with stitches, threads, beading and more to give her work a contemporary twist. Her joyful, visionary approach breathes new life into this traditional craft.

Author

Hazel Blomkamp has dabbled with all the needlecrafts since childhood. When her children were babies she developed a passion for embroidery to break the tedium of life with toddlers, using it as her evening reward for having got through the day with her sanity intact. Her children are now young adults and she still embroiders in front of the television every night. She has been designing for the past 18 years. Preferring to design projects which appear to be traditional, she pushes the boundaries by introducing other forms of needlecraft into traditional techniques, exploring further in everything that she does. Along with designing, she runs a busy website from home. She teaches at her home studio, in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, and travels throughout South Africa and Australia teaching embroidery and fine beadwork. She is a regular contributor to South African and Australian embroidery magazines and is a columnist for South African Stitches Magazine. View titles by Hazel Blomkamp