Emma Broughton - Embroidered boxes

E MBROIDERED B OXES

E MBROIDERED B OXES

Emma Broughton

CROWOOD

First published in 2019 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2019

Emma Broughton 2019

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 564 0

Frontispiece: close-up of the crewelwork embroidery on the charm box from .

This book is dedicated to my mother, Janet Batten (19582015); without her unfaltering belief this book would not have been possible.

C ONTENTS

P REFACE

I have had a passion for boxes ever since I completed my large box project during my apprenticeship at the Royal School of Needlework. Although box-making has fallen out of fashion in recent years it is my aim with this book to bring it to the forefront of craft making. By using traditional techniques with contemporary designs and methods I hope that you will find constructing a box as fascinating and rewarding as I do. For me, embroidery (along with many other crafts) has been a lifelong love, starting with learning to make lace at the age of five.

I used to dream about spending all day stitching or working on other craft projects (probably from watching too many period dramas) and during my apprenticeship I was able to do so; now I am fortunate enough to have my own studio and the time to do just that. More and more people are now picking up the needle and are excited to learn the skills that I have gained during my apprenticeship and beyond, and it is a privilege to share my knowledge through teaching and by writing this book.

Close-up of the pulled work white rabbit and white ribbonwork roses from .

This guide will take you through the methods of box construction from basic to more advanced techniques in the form of projects with clear step-by-step illustrations and text, which can be adapted for your own use. I have provided illustrations for the stitches used in the embroideries and a working order; however, it was beyond the scope of this book to provide full step-by-step instructions for all the embroidery stitches due to the number of techniques I have used. Hints and tips have been included where necessary to help you in the construction of your box and stitching of the embroidery for it. I have also provided alternative design ideas in each of the chapters to help start you off on your box-making journey; I have included as many different variations as the scope of this book allows, but of course there are many more possibilities. Finally, I have included the suppliers from whom I purchase many of my materials, a stitch glossary, and a list defining more general terms.

I hope that the designs I have created will inspire you to create your own themed boxes, which can be a graceful or elaborate work of art and may even become an heirloom treasured by generations to come.

A BOUT THE AUTHOR

For as long as I can remember I have been practising one form of craft or another, whether it has been embroidery, painting, beading, quilting, patchwork, crochet or lace making; I usually have a project on the go, ready and waiting to be continued during any spare time. My mother was my most influential teacher; when I was growing up she was always working on several projects at once and taught me a lot of the crafts that I still use today. Learning just one craft is never enough and even now I still like to learn as much as possible and try my hand at new crafts.

Large box from my apprenticeship with goldwork, stumpwork and silk shading.

After taking a class in Goldwork Embroidery with Royal School of Needlework graduate Shelley Cox during the school holidays, my passion for embroidery really took off. Little did I know she would later be one of my teachers. It was through Shelley that I found out about the RSN three-year apprenticeship, and was able to progress my skills and become a master of my craft.

I started teaching during my apprenticeship and was given the opportunity to continue teaching day classes while studying for my degree. I had to stop teaching while I concentrated on finishing my degree in Textiles for Fashion and Interiors, specializing in printed textiles, and then worked in Closs and Hamblin fabric shop till I had our son.

For me the joy in box-making is seeing your design become a reality. It is different from stitching an embroidery design because you have to really think about how each box is going to be constructed from start to finish: making one mistake can affect the whole box. While I love every form of embroidery that I studied during my apprenticeship and each has its own unique challenges box-making was definitely one subject in which I challenged myself further: I wanted to include not one but two working locks within my design, which was based on a box from my favourite fantasy book series by Katharine Kerr.

The box opens to reveal the two lockable lids and a false bottom.

Once you have mastered the basics of box-making I hope that the instructions in this book will encourage you to design and construct your own boxes. It is vital to complete a detailed design plan, take your time and dont worry if you make a mistake because it can be corrected. You dont have to include embroidery on the boxes if you dont want to but I have tried to include as many different techniques as possible to provide you with inspiration. The more boxes you make the more confident you will become in constructing more challenging designs. My aim is to create modern designs that are adaptable and accessible to everyone, whether you are a beginner or an experienced crafter.