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The Stumwork Goldwork and Surface Embroidery: Beetle Collection by Jane Nicholas.

Hardcover 424 pages

For the ancient Egyptians the beetle symbolized life rebirth and immortality and for centuries artisans have used the scarab motif to adorn everything from textiles and jewelry to the tombs of kings. This definitive collection of beetle-themed designs offers instructions for using the 17th century art of raised stumpwork embroidery the metallic threads of goldwork and glittering beadwork to create lifelike designs.

In this wonderfully sumptuous book Jane shares her methods of using beautiful threads and fabrics - and beetlw wings - to create beautiful designs and projects in many forms of embroidery.  Some are simplicity itself - an elegant beetle shape embroidered in glittering metallic threads to reflect teh irridescent colours of teh wing cases set in a paperweight for example.  Others are delightful floral pictures in which a glittering stumpwork beetle plays a starring part.

Lavishly illustrated in colour this book with detailed step-by step instructions accompanied by numerous explanatory diagrams is a fascinating addition tp teh working bookshelf of anyone interested in dimensional and textured embroidery.