One of the many joys of PieceWork magazine is the breadth of topics in its pages, not only the global and historical richness of needlework, but the diversity of crafts and techniques— from textured knitting to Irish crocheted lace, and from surface embroidery to the geometric precision of Japanese craft traditions. Discovering, creating, and sharing this diversity of needle arts techniques is PieceWork’s legacy.
Now, just in time for summer, the talented crew at PieceWork has stitched up ten fun and portable projects and gathered them in a delightful eBook collection: On-the-Go Projects. Of course, this collection features our hallmark variety of needlework techniques: crochet and knitting for easy, portable projects; embroidery and quilting for detailed, meditative stitching; tatting and kumihimo for intricate lace and braiding; fabric folding for clever, compact creations.
Floral Inspiration
From embroidery to fabric folding, flowers reign. A ribbon-embroidered Victorian-style pink daisy wreath is the perfect summertime project, featuring a delicate and detailed floral design. Craft a different type of flower, or a whole colorful bouquet, following a clever fabric-folded design from the traditional Japanese craft of tsumami.
Left: A Summer Wreath in Silk-Ribbon Embroidery. Right: Kanzashi Flowers.
Seasonal Rhythm
On-the-Go Projects follows a seasonal calendar, adding a sense of rhythm and anticipation to the lineup of designs. Whipstitch a heart sachet for a beloved Valentine, tat the Irish-inspired shamrock bookmark, or quilt colorful “fiesta” potholders ready for a backyard summertime party.
Left: Tat a Lucky Charm! Right: Fiesta Quilted Pot Holder.
Past is Present
We’ve drawn on one of our favorite resources, Weldon’s Classical Needlework, to create sun-inspired crocheted lace earrings as well as a handsome headband to knit based on a design from Jane Croly’s intriguing 1885 book, Knitting and crochet: A guide to the use of the needle and the hook.
Whether you knit, tat, crochet, or stitch, this new collection of projects for on-the-go offers something for every needlework enthusiast. The focus on small, travel-friendly projects makes it the ideal resource for summer crafting.
~Karen
This simple-to-make headband has a slip-stitch selvedge to make the edges nice and smooth.
Karen Brock is the editor of PieceWork magazine. A compulsive knitter, spindle spinner, and sometimes weaver, she admires all facets of traditional craft and traditional life.