The Feller Needlework Collection: Volume I

This is one of the most beautiful needlework books I own. The Feller Needlework Collection:Volume I published by Needleprint is a visual feast for the eye and rich food for the imagination. It is an inspiring book, full of gorgeous images, interesting text and a few lovely surprises.Having just discovered Needleprint, I spent hours last weekend reading through the articles and soaking up the images. It's an interesting site full of historical information. events in the embroidery auction world, exhibitions worldwide, an online list of links to needlework collections, patterns for sale and free patterns. If you're one of the few who hasn't discovered it yet, take time to look. You'll have a happy couple of hours. When I found the book on the site, I did some further investigation on the internet and decided that it looked like a book I would love to own and wouldn't mind the rather high price tag.It arrived a few days after I ordered it and it has been my constant companion on the train ride to and from school for days. (I carry it in the box in which it arrived in my backpack. I'm not taking any chances - it's too beautiful!)The dust cover is heavy, smooth paper with an image of one of the pieces highlighted inside the book. The hard cover is soft green with white printing, very understated.Inside, the photographs of the pieces of needlework are clear, perfectly lit and sharply in focus. There are at least two photographs of every piece; one of the whole embroidery and one or more of close up photos of areas of each piece in detail. It's like being right in front of the embroidery in person. Even in a museum we can't get this close, look this carefully or this long at an embroidery piece. Usually the light is too dim, it's behind glass and there are other people wanting to see it and we need to move on.Each piece has information including the title, date, dimensions, stitches, materials (threads) and ground fabric. There is a description of the story the piece depicts (i.e.The Judgement of Solomon), historical background, what the piece might have been used for if applicable, symbolism in the piece people of the day would have recognized and often details elaborating on the workmanship.In addition to all the beautiful photographs, there are short essays about needlework. One of my favorites is an essay entitled "Learning the Skills". It is historical background and information about where women learned their needlework skills and who taught these skills.There are embroidered pictures, many of which depict scenes from Bible stories, coifs and caps, an embroidered box, a pair of wonderful embroidered shoes, some gloves that appear as if the hands for which they were made are still inside and an entire section on samplers.There are pieces done completely in tent stitch, pieces of raised embroidery and beaded pieces.At the back of the book is one of the two surprises; a Pattern Catalogue with individual images taken from pieces in the collection drawn for us to use in our current embroideries. There is one in particular I love - a grinning lion! The biggest surprise came when I carefully removed the dust cover so I wouldn't rip it and I noticed that it was a large cover folded in half over the book. I opened it slowly, wondering why they would have used all this paper when it didn't seem necessary. The second surprise, inside the dust cover is a complete pattern for one of the samplers inside the book!This is the kind of book that anyone who does needlework would love. It would make a superb gift. For yourself or someone very special.