At Last, Jane Hall Opens Up

When Jane Hall published her first book, The Art & Embroidery of Jane Hall: Reflections of Nature, I was smitten.

I devoured every page and was impressed with her ability to capture the delicate, natural forms of flowers, leaves and butterflies while using needle and thread.  I was fairly desperate to know how she did everything.  And her first book left me wanting and disappointed.

I re-read the entire book twice from cover to cover just trying to decipher the smallest hints of technique.  But she gave only the briefest of clues.  And frankly, it left me feeling a bit sad.

That was until she published her next book which I pre-ordered and finally read this past weekend...
The Art of Embroidered Butterflies.

Finally she shares how she accomplishes such delicate precision...and I am so grateful.

She takes you with her on the walks through the meadows outside her home in the UK.  We see what she sees and then we are taken through her artistic process of how she translates the natural forms she studies into her own works of art.  

As someone who is seeking to create more precision in my own work, it's a thrill for me to absorb her prose and her process.  I highly recommend it to you, if nothing else than to soak in the beauty of her world, her supplies and her subjects.

That being said, this isn't a "project" book.  There are no patterns or supply lists.  And it's not likely that you will easily be able to copy her butterflies...she uses lots of antique silk threads and other supplies that are not so easily attained.

But you will be inspired and get new ideas for how to create more delicate and realistic embroideries.

Happy Monday everyone!