A few months ago, I was introduced to a lady over eighty years old who has been embroidering for thirty years. She knows very old techniques, ways of approaching the work that our grandmothers practised. From this encounter, and from twenty years of stitches learned, reworked and refined, L'Encyclopédie des brodeuses was born.
It is not a book. It is not a PDF. These are pages you embroider, page after page, to build a piece that will last: more than 130 stitches and variations, month after month.
The cover is the very first page of your encyclopedia. It brings together twelve stitches, a foretaste of what awaits you as the pages go by: spiderweb stitch, chain stitch, filling fly stitch, stem stitch, bullion knot, crescent blanket stitch, stem stitch filling, quarter buttonhole wheel stitch, French knot, lazy daisy stitch, fixed popcorn stitch and eyelet stitch.
This cover is made for all embroiderers: for those who have never embroidered and want to start on solid foundations, for those who have been embroidering for years and finally want to understand why some stitches don't work for them, and for those who have mastered the technique and simply want to build this piece, page after page. We all come away with the same skills, each at her own level, each at her own pace.
Fabric colour: bis
Page dimensions: 20x28 cm
Level: progressive
This complete kit contains everything you need to embroider with confidence:
• Printed fabric
• DMC embroidery threads
• Embroidery needle no. 9
• Technical sheets for the stitches and colours used
• Explanatory sheets for the stitches used in this project with link to a step-by-step embroidery video tutorial
• Colour chart with thread colours
• Visual of the finished piece
All videos are detailed for both right-handed and left-handed embroiderers.
❓ What is the difference with the Embroidery notebook?
In the Notebook, each stitch was presented in its simplest form. In L'Encyclopédie des brodeuses, each page is dedicated to a stitch or a family of stitches, with all its variations, from the most accessible to the most elaborate. Many new stitches as well as old traditional techniques also make their appearance.
❓ What does the kit contain, and how much does it cost?
The complete kit at €54 includes the printed fabric, the threads, a needle and all the instructions. The kit without threads, at €40, includes the printed fabric, a needle and all the instructions: the DMC thread references are given on the technical sheets, so you can embroider with your own threads. In both cases, you choose your fabric in bis or white.
❓ What supplies do I need in addition to the kit?
Scissors and a 10 cm embroidery hoop. We also recommend a set of no. 9 needles, as the kit only contains one. You will also need a piece of lining fabric of your choice, approximately 25x35 cm: it is not supplied, so that each encyclopedia is unique. You will personalise it on the back of each page. For our cover, we backed the fabric with iron-on wadding to give it more body.
❓ I am left-handed, is it suitable?
Each stitch is filmed both ways: Christel's hands for right-handers, Manon's for left-handers, with close-ups. Manon also shares her own left-handed tips. You no longer have to mentally reverse the movements you watch.
❓ Do I need to subscribe?
No, there is no subscription and no commitment. You choose the page that appeals to you, whenever you like. Pages already released remain on sale.
❓ How will I be supported?
Every month, a SAL awaits you on our Facebook page: a live session to embroider the current page and ask your questions. Join the group L'Encyclopédie des brodeuses. The replay remains available with no time limit on our YouTube playlist. You have access to the videos of all the stitches, at any time.
Each element is designed to offer a pleasant, smooth and accessible experience, from the first stitch to the finishing touches.
We reserve the right to modify the supplies depending on availability, while guaranteeing equivalent quality.
