Earlier this week, I reviewed this very instructive and thorough Hedebo embroidery book – Guida al Ricamo Hedebo – and today, compliments of Stephania Bressan, I’m giving away a copy.
If you’d like a chance to win your own copy to add to your needlework library, read on…
I have to admit, my favorite elements in Hedebo embroidery are these little rings – these little detached wheels that are made individually and then attached to each other and then to the linen, usually as part of a border treatment, but sometimes, as an insert. I love them!
Down the road, I’ll tell you all about them and how they’re made. There’s a special tool involved, and I absolutely love mine, though I’ve only used it two or three times for Hedebo rings (though I have used it for other things!). So, next time we talk about tools, the Hedebo gauge will take center stage.
In the meantime, though, having your own copy of Ricamo Hedebo will help you figure out how the rings are made all on your own. So, enter today’s give-away, and who knows? A copy may end up in your mailbox in a couple weeks!
Give-Away Guidelines
To enter today’s give-away, please follow these guidelines:
1. Leave a comment on today’s article, on Needle ‘n Thread. Comments submitted via email or left on other blog posts are ineligible. To get to the comment box easily, just follow this link and it will take you directly there.
2. Please make sure there’s a recognizable name on the comment to help avoid confusion when the winner is announced.
3. In your comment, answer the following question:
What is it that appeals to you most about whitework embroidery?
4. Leave your comment before 5:30 am (Central Time, in Kansas, USA), Friday, May 9th, and on Friday, I’ll announce the winner. The winner will need to contact me with a mailing address.
That’s all there is to it! Do, do sign up! It’s a great book to add to your library! If you’d like to know more about the book, please read my review of Ricamo Hedebo.
Just a note: please keep in mind that the book is written in Italian. However, the diagrams and photos used in the book make the instruction on the technique very accessible, even if you don’t speak a lick of Italian.
I love the delicateness of it. I’ve never done any, but I dream of making my mother a whitework pineapple tablecloth (she would love it, and she’s one of those rare people who actually appreciate what goes into needlework)!
I would say I just love everything in whitework! I love the lace-like of some works. But the perfection of Satin Stitch we usually see in whitework is absolutely exquisit!
Thanks Mary and gazie mille Stephania!
Your examples of white work are incredible. I only wish there were enough time to learn and enjoy them all. One stitch at a time…
What appeals to me most about white work is the precision. Because it’s white on white, the smallest details matter – the weight and hand of the fiber, and the stitcher’s skill. Everything shows up!
Hi Mary, Thanks again for the lovely give-away! I love all whitework; I especially like the chance to focus on the stitches rather than the colours. I also like Hedebo because the finished pieces are quite sturdy and usable, and do not need to be framed and hung on already crowded walls!
Whitework is timeless!
Hi Mary, I love your blog and am following secret garden, Have also used your information re stitching monograms. I would adore to have a copy of this book as in recent months I have found a growing love of whitework and needle lace type work – which I am now beginning to explore stitching.
Regards
Sue Sanderson
London UK
I love white work because it looks feminine and pretty. I would love to do either placemats or a tablecloth for those special times when my whole family comes over and to eventually hand down.
I love the almost geometric patterns and the light airiness of the finished designs. And it reminds me of older generations.
Whitework is timeless!
Several years ago our EGA did a Hedebo heart class … but, looking at the pictures of this book the hearts were just drawn thread, nothing like this incredible technique.
Love this site, would live to win the book give away.
I have to say that the rings are intriguing. Am heading into my second class with Jette Findlay-Heath at EAC Seminar! May!!
Did not know that the rings were also Hedebo!!!
This makes the book and what you have presented as all theore interesting.
This is why I love your newsletter – I had never heard of Hedebo Embroidery. It is lovely and the rings are beautiful. Thank you for your newsletter – I am learning soooooo much.
I am going myself into hand sewing and my newest idea involves making my own old-fashioned underwear; I am looking into making some lacy decoration as well, may be this would be a good idea and I love knitting too; this reminds me a bit of this sort of thing;
I love this idea: handmade old-fashioned underwear! Mrs. Halsey, I’m going to have to give this more thought. Thank you!
I like the delicate and complex look of whitework, but what I like best…doing it in color. Is it still whitework then?
I love the clean look of the white and how versatile it could be whether it is white on white or on a multitude of colors
What a lovely book ! A few years ago , I was asked if I could repair some church linen , which had much whitework sadly worn through ….I took it in and gave it a good go , it was wonderful to be able to save these precious cloths and (and this is my reason ) it is so therapeutic to do….YES…. I would love to learn more about whitework .
I love how clean and beautiful the designs look. I hope I could master that work. I would love to make runners like that to duplicate the work my Grandmother did.
This is one of the most beautiful set of rings that I have seen. How I would love to learn how to make them. Thank you for the opportunity to learn how.
Love the open delicateness of this type of work. The book would make a lovely addition to my embroidery group’s library… Sigh, really is a case of so many stitches, so little time! Thank you Mary for bringing our attention to such a great little book.
I love the texture, the dimensionality and the subtlety of whitework. There is something that appeals to me above coloured work, but I’m having trouble deciphering what that is exactly. There is so much variety, from delicate open lace work to layers of padded Satin Stitch and white stumpwork, and I really enjoy white free-form surface embroidery. I hope to learn many styles of whitework, and I’d love to win this Hedebo Embroidery book! Thanks for the chance, Mary.
Oh, I would love to have this book! I am so passionate about cutwork and pulled and drawn work. My first cutwork was a pillowcase I made from a pattern I found in my grandmother’s embroidery/knitting trunk after she died. I had no instruction…just followed the pictures, and it actually turned out quite well. Amazingly, I still use it. I just loved making the little bridges across the cutwork, and I know I would have a ball making the little circles. Great find, Mary!
Thanks for all the great info. Besides your own wonderful site, you have provided guidance to some other invaluable resources. Thanks again.
It’s the delicate heirloom look of whitework that I love. It reminds me of what my grandmothers might have done and makes me feel connected to the past.
Whitework appeals to me because it looks so
pristine, fresh, beautiful and lovingly made
by hand.
Pat S.
I love white work! This Hedebo looks stunning. As I live in SA is there any chance of ever winning something? I love your blog though and read it daily. It is with amazement that I see your work. Where do you get the time?
White work makes an article look like artwork that can be displayed or admired in any room of the house. I love the wonderful instructional pictures. I adore the bold(wheels), as well as, the lacy fragile look one can accomplish with white work. Thank you for an opportunity to view and to win such a prize possession to add to my craft room.
whitework embroidery is so beautiful and delicate! I always envy anyone who can do cutwork and whitework. I’ve done Hedebo rings before, but no other Hedebo work and would love to learn. Thanks for the giveaway.
My mom had linen towels that she inherited from her mother. The bath towels had geometrical/stylized flowers white work done on both ends with a fringe. During my childhood, the towels (and the rest of the laundry) were dried outside, so they had the outside smell – sun+wind. Mom made sure that the towels did not “bake” outside on the sun, and while still slightly damp, she would iron them.
Mom told me the towels were part of my grandmother dowry, stitched in Vienna together with bed linen. Most of the linen got lost/stolen/used/cut/burned during WW II, but the bath towels survived,and not used anymore to preserve them!
Jakica
I love everything about whitework, but especially the delicateness of most forms as well as the purity and cleanness. My grandmother loved all whitework and passed this love on to me. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to win this book! It would be well used!
Every time I read about a different type of embroidery/needlework, I find myself searching further. I would love to win a copy of this book as I think I would enjoy doing something like this. It is so pretty.
I love, love, love all types of whitework, perhaps because it reminds me of my favorite thing, lace! Because it’s only done in white, the complex lacey patterns and textures show up so crisply. For me the thought of decorating a room with dark woods and whitework is very elegant.
I am interested in all sorts of white work and am working on a piece of corded whitework. I love the contrasts you can build with different stitches and different threads – silk, cotton, and different weights. I am trying to learn all I can on the different kinds of work and how they relate to their countries of origin.
I like how elegant it looks yet clean and simple. It reminds me of fine china and crystal somehow. I would love to explore it more.
I love all embroidery, but I am also a great fan and collector of lacework and antique whitework. What I find most appealing about it is the simplicity of the materials involved. White or ecru thread, and a needle, tatting shuttle or crochet hook, depending upon the technique, with these things one can craft intricately beautiful items.
I love whitework embroidery! It’s classic look is what appeals to me. I like the broad range of effects a needleworker can obtain with it, and the challenge of working it. Thanks for the chance to win!
I usually prefer color in embroidery, but there is something about lacy cutwork done only in white that just sings to me. I especially love how the images in the book put the examples on a blue background, it really makes the embroidery pop. I tend to do the same when I use lacy whitework table linens; I almost always put a colored cloth beneath to make the embroidery really stand out.
Thanks so much for the giveaway chance 🙂
I like whitework because you can focus on the stitching without the distraction of color. Not that I don’t love color too.
What appeals to me most is the uncluttered soft appearance of whitework. Even with very intricate designs, it always has a clean and soothing freshness about it.
I love the way it shows off texture, proving (definitively!) that colour variiations are not required to create something beautiful. I love the variety of effects that can be achieved in Whitework. I’ve never done Hedebo, but will be happily immersed in five days of it at the Embroiderers Association of Canada’s annual Seminar later this month!
The elegance. I love the elegance and the delicate beauty of white work.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the look of this. I would have thought it was crochet. Would love to learn this.
ANS: White work is so simple, nostalgic, clean and soothing. I want it all around me.
I love the beauty and flow of white work. It has subtle grace, and reminds me of my lovely mom and my childhood. I’d love to actually learn to do it myself! Thank you for all you teaching and inspiration Mary!
It is so delicate. There is a simplicity and beauty in all kinds of whitework. The tone on tone of the different textures of different stitches or different threads is exquisite. It needs nothing else to shine through as the most beautiful type of stitching! Love whitework!
I have just been given a white work cloth and have spent hours pouring over it to see how it was done. Some of the lace is similar to the Hedebo lace edges. This book would help me to replace one of the edges.
Thanks for the giveaway, Mary!
I me a big fan of whitework when it involves needlelace. Other forms of whitework, not so much.
Fortunately, hedebo is right up my alley. I’d love to add this book to my collection.
Carol S.
Oh, how I would love, love, love this book. Being Italian (I actually enlarged the text around the pictures you initially posted on Hedebo to read what was described in the book) and loving all aspects of lace, pulled thread and punto antico tecqniques, it would be wonderful to own such a book. In any event, I have already checked into purchasing this book for my library. Thanks for bringing such great information on your site.
This is a most interesting technique. A gauge for the wheels sounds exciting. It’s always nice to have consistent rings.
I love whitework! It’s elegant no matter which embroidery technique you use. Of course white embroidery is beautiful for weddings, but white goes with everything, so you can use it for everything knowing it will go with all your home interior color schemes.
It can be dressed down with cotton thread or dressed up & elegant with silk thread. Plain white on white isn’t boring at all given all the techniques & types of threads available to us.
I love the little rings/wheels too! I’ve never done any Whitework embroidery, but I would love to learn. Looking forward to hearing about the tool. I’m a tool person:)
Thanks Mary and Stephania.
As a great fan of Hedebo, I would love a chance to win this beautiful book. I have the Danish books by the Greve museum, but this one is new to me and the photos you showed have me drooling!
I am two needle lace fillings away from finishing a round tablecloth in Hedebo, I have been working on this since April last year!
Dear Mary.
It reminds me of lace. I love all handwork. Thank you for all the eye candy and inspiration you give to all of us!
Ok, I won’t be upset about not winning the last 700 giveaways I have entered IF I can win this one! haha! Whitework? I LOVE it because it is all about TEXTURE!! One cannot rely on color at all to add “interest” to the embroidery. And one can combine such a variety of needlework (all in white, of course). And in the end it has a delicate, pure, textural air about it.
While I love bright colors, white work intrigues me because the design comes alive solely through the stitches and threads. I also found it is easier to hide your mistakes, like finding a polar bear in a blizzard!! Happy Stitching,
I would love to use this technique on a special garment for a child! Beautiful!
Oh, wow. Thank you both for this giveaway!
I love whitework. The colour restriction means that the focus is entirely on texture, the stitches and the techniques, and you need to pay attention in a way that other styles don’t demand. It’s like the difference between Baroque and Romantic music; one allows you to sink in and relax – which is great! – and the other is all nuance and texture. You can’t hide!
I love whitework because if its sublety. It requires close observation to really appreciate its intricacy, which somehow seems to parallel the close attention and time it takes to create it.
I love to do Battenburg lace and it looks like this
Hedebo embroidery would work well with it, and I could brush up on my Italian at the same time 🙂
I’ve been hesitant to try this technique. This book makes me want to try!
All these years I’ve wanted to know how do the various whitework embroideries. Finally through your reviews I have been introduced to the books I needed to learn. Why do I like whitework so much? I think it is the elegance of the look, the many techniques and the challenge. I also remember my mother doing cutwork but it is wasn’t the same as I know it now How I wish I could show the many things I have learned from you, Mary. She would have been thrilled. I also remember a home-ed teacher showing me how to do hemstitching.I went home full of excitement telling my mother about it. she wanted to learn too but I lost contact with the teacher so didn’t know where to get supplies or to learn more. I guess I have always had a love affair with whitework. Now there is another book to learn from. I’m 75 now and don’t intend to stop learning. Thank you, Mary for all the wonderful new things you introduce me to.
I love whiteboard and needlelace. It offers more challenge than some forms of needlework and I like to keep older, less popular, forms of needlework going.
Alice in Dunedin
Hello Mary, What I love about any form of Whitework is the shadows that fall from the texture…its so delightful and intriguing !
I try my hand at all forms of needlework including whitework but haven’t tried Hedebo and would dearly love to see what I could achieve with this book !
Thank you Mary for the great resources that you provide.
I have always love whitework, and I think Hedebo embroidery is so beautiful. It is clean, fresh, delicate, feminine, has a definite European quality about it, and reminds me of wonderful memories looking at my mother’s and grandmother’s whitework embroideries! It has always been a favorite of mine! Thanks for all your wonderful articles, Mary, and especially the one on Hedebo embroidery!
The elegance and simplicity of whitework – the epitome of tone on tone – belie the intricacies and complexities of this embroidery. Put simply, I admire and love it. Thank you.
Mary, have you ever felt that time was slipping away from you? I am starting to feel that way. I love, love, LOVE. Needlework! I want to know and be proficient in all forms of needlework. I have been embroidering since my grandmother taught me how to do crewel work when I was about 6-8 years old. Every time I see a beautiful piece of needlework which I have not tried I want to learn it. Lace, who amoungst us does not love lace. I bought an antique wedding gown (when I wasn’t even dating anyone at the time) because it was all handmade
Battenburg lace, and yes I did wear it for my wedding 6 years latter! Please count me in for even though I have way more in my stash than I could ever embroider, I would love to learn more, and more, and MORE!
I like the way you can manipulate the threads in so many different ways. It reminds me of lace.
White embroidery appeals to me for so many reasons. I really love the different textures that can be created and the balance between the negative and positive spaces. I am fascinated by the sheer variety of beautiful techniques that can be achieved with these two simple materials: white thread and white fabric. It’s a testament to the ingenuity of embroiderers worldwide who achieve so much with so little.
I just love the delicate look of white work. My home is full of antiques and although I am new to White work – I would love to add pieces to enhance to antique look in my home. As well as adding to those little garments for future grandchildren.
I love the pristine, “simple” color paired with the often-found elaborate embroidery.
Thanks for a chance to win this book. I always use Hedebo button loops to close my needlebooks. In addition, I have started to learn the cutwork and I can wait to read what this reference has in store for us. Have a wonderful weekend and keep up the great work on your blog.
Thank you, Mary and Stephania for this great give-away.
Whitework is something I haven’t tried, yet, but I love the delicacy of fine Whitework. I also love intricate monograms on crisp linen. I could look at that all day! One day I may be brave enough to try.
This book looks gorgeous! Thanks again.
What about whitework appeals to me most? I have to give two answers: 1) Whitework offers something for everyone. It encompasses a variety of techniques, from the blocky to those of incredibly delicacy. It often uses simple stitches, but also may require complex, challenging new stitches. It appeals to those who love sheer geometry and those who want to create a flower garden. 2) For me, whitework evokes the world of the past — a world of women in Regency dresses, a world of prie-dieus, a world of hope chests with monogrammed linens.
I like working on white work, it is peaceful and delicate. You could carry it everywhere, on one piece of fabric, one piece of thread, one needle. It is my favorite for waiting room.
Thank you very much, you are so generous.
Excuse the way I wrote in English.
Nicole
Wow! I have never seen this type of embroidery! This could be equally sweet on a Christening gown, or gingham curtains in the baby’s room! Those rings are so appealing! Delicate enough for a girly style item, but could also look like little train wheels for a little boy item. I guess you can tell I plan to learn this for the babies (grands and friends’ babies) in my future. It would not necessarily need to be made in white…which opens up many more possible uses…
This book look swonderful! I am an avid fan of all types of whitework (was lucky enough to take a class from Bunny Bryson when in Scotland several years ago) and this is one more technique that I would love to add to my arsenal!
The clean lacy look.
Dear Mary,
Thank you for the chance at winning this book. These circles Redmond me, very much, of Dover buttons. I am guessing that they are made in much the same way, then put onto the background, then connected. If I am wrong, I will just have to read your posts and then the book.
Wow, what isn’t there to like about white work? It looks so clean and fresh, it is easier to pick out threads. And there is such an endless variety to it. There is drawn thread, pulled thread hardanger, hedebo, , swalm, reticlelo, Italian, Portuguese, Ukrainian White work etc. and if one wants they can mix and match techniques. The more I study it the more interesting and challenging it becomes. And of course it is beautiful to look at with a certain wow factor all it’s own.
Thank you for the give away. I had this book on my “oh well, I’ll never be able to get one” list.
I love the beauty, timelessness, and versatility of white work. Whether on apparel or on something that will become an heirloom, it’s beautiful.
Needlework of this type absolutely enthralls me! I recently was looking for information on reticella and ending up in an emailing conversation with a lady in Italy. It amazes me, not knowing the language how easily we can pick up all things needlework 🙂
Thanks for this website, Mary. It is the best ever! I love the daily information – learn so much!
I like the elegance of whitework. The stitching speaks for itself … There is no competition with color. I also like white on white because it seems to add a texture as well as a design.
I thank you and Stephania for introducing me to a type of embroidery I was not acquainted with.
I have been intrigued by this type of needlework as long as I can remember. Many tablecloths, doilies, and even flour sack table toppers are a part of my childhood memories. I have tried some of this kind of work, but only trying to replicate without any instructions. I am one who tries to figure out how things are made. I would enjoy very much learning from this book.
I think the thing that appeals to me the most about whitework is its delicacy. I like monochromatic color schemes anyway, and white on white is the absolute zenith of monochromatism.
I like whitwork because the stitchery is highlighted-not the colors or the scene. One can clearly see the workmanship and design.
I love the clean, crisp, pristine look of whitework embroidery. And the fact that it reminds me of my grandma!
I have loved whitework since I saw a whitework quilt many, many years ago. Whitework seems to bring out the best in a stitcher.
I like whitework for how it gets used to dress up simple everyday things like curtains or table linens.
I too love the rings. They make such a nice finish for the edge but I can see using them in my crazy quilting for edges and for other bits.
I love the unique look of Hedebo. The book would be a wonderful addition to my embroidery library.
I would like to win that book because I love learning new techniques.
Why do I love white work? Because it makes something looking a bit like lace, with the open work. But also because I have seen my late grand-mother doing Richelieu when I was young. I started doing white work last fall. It makes me feel linked with her, even though she died more than 25 years ago.
Oh boy, does this look interesting.mI have an antique piece that is damaged, and I have no idea how to begin repairs. this would help greatly in my endeavor to repair this lovely piece.
Thank you once again for the opportunity.
I love how subtle and beautiful white work is. I’m particularly charmed with this Hedebo work, since I’ve lived in Denmark and learned some embroidery there. I recognized that it was Danish right away, and it sure would be handier for me if the book was in Danish! I’d love to try this out.
This is a beautiful needle craft! I would really love to learn more about it!
I did some research on the Hedebo Embroidery after your post about the book. I love those little rings and hope to make some for the wheels of the VW Bug I’m doing in bobbin lace. thanks for the giveaway.
I would live to learn this! Those rings grabbed my eye.
I am a member of five EGA chapters and lip over trying new (to me) techniques, most recent was reticello. If I receive this book I will definitely do a project and promise to lead a meeting teaching this technique.
I love the visual crispness. The challenge, because you can really see every detail. And, if you use washable materials, white work makes a great travel project. A limited number of materials are required.
I really must make those circles.
I love the delicacy of whitework!
I have just bought a white blouse for my mothers 103rd birthday. I would love to add some whitework to it and this book would be a great help. I love white on white…..it looks so clean and fresh. To finish off her blouse would bring back memories for her of when we sat on the porch and did needlework together.
Just wanted to add that I enjoy your newsletter so much. I have learnt a lot and hope you will continue for a long time giving us ideas and how to info.
Oh wow, another new type (for me anyway) of embroidery. I love the look of this. Kind of has the look of lace. I like trying new needlework, and this would be just the thing for me. I would love to have this book. Thank you for another great give away.
When I first read your article the other day, I was intrigued since I had never heard of Hedebo before. I enjoy hand embroidery. I love white work or single color work since I have a hard time matching colors the best way. I have been wanting to do cut work and Hedebo resembles that.
Hope I win the book!
Oh, cool give-away! Please send it this way.
I like whitework because it depends on texture to form its design. No matter the technique, whitework’s lack of color forces the embroiderer to reconsider how design elements interact to create a cohesive design. The risk of creating a flat or featureless piece is much more present in whitework, so you have to learn how to design with subtly which is a challenge.
I think white embroidery is delicate and so clean and fresh looking. I Have tried it, but have a hard time with evenness.
White on white has always been my favorite for
delicacy and beauty.
Only one color to work with. No trying to figure
out between light, very light and lightest of a color.
I have not done much whitework, but can see the possibility of using it. I have been a crazy quilter for many years, but am itching to expand my techniques to include other types of embroidery. I would love to be the owner of this book.
love the lacey finish!! white laces are more beautiful!!
-Berina
The elegance of white work requires no color to express itself. The book offered will bring hours of creation and inspiration.
I love whitework and have many pieces. There is so much variety and the embroidery shows so well. The rings look very interesting. I have done Hedebo, but not the rings and look forward to your articles on making the rings. The book looks wonderful. Thanks for offering it (also thanks to Stephania Bressan).
I believe that white embroidery on fine white cloth is very rich and allows for the light to play on it in an elegant way.
I love all white work it looks so delicate and very classic. Such clean lines and yet every stitch can be seen and they are perfect. There isn’t a white work out there doesn’t draw my eye to and I always wish I could do such works.
Would love this book to learn how do this white work. There are no lessons to be had here so I need a good book to learn fro, Thanks Mary for the wonderful opportunity once again. Have a great Day everyone
Hi – Lace! I love it and I want to learn more. I do some needlelace and Hardanger as a part of my stitching but I want to try all kinds of lace techniques.
Thanks for a great giveaway. I would love to learn how to do this.
Judy C
Hi Mary,
The Hedebo embroidery is very intriquing and unique. My daughter is getting married next spring and I’m wanting to surprise her by making the ring bearer pillow and to my surprise this book contains a pattern for making a pillow….a very special one. I would love to make this one as it would be a pillow my daughter could pass down in generations as it has the special whitework.This type of handwork is just something extra special and has always amazed me with its special touch of art. I find it great therapy and would love this book. Thank You for giving us all a chance at winning this valuable book.
I love the many different styles that make up “White work” and am always finding new ones to try. I expect that I shall always find it to be new and refreshing with new options to learn and try.
I love whitework because it Looks so elegant and timeless. Its something that i could pass down to my children.
So delicate and feminine. I love the cutwork areas with edges lovingly covered in stitches. Looking at photos you posted I really enjoyed one of the edgings. I crochet edging on many of my creations and hope to take an online tatting class this fall. I never knew all the names (or that they had a specific name) for the various types of whitework until I joined your blog. Thank you for sharing!
There are so many styles of whitework that are simple, beautiful, and elegant. In working white on white, color does not define or distract from the design. Perhaps what is most appealing in stitching whitework is the challenge of creating perfect stitches with perfect tension in the attempt to successfully complete a piece that is flawless in its lacy intricacy.
there is something really classy about white on white. And as i follow the work in it’s intricacies i realize it is as fine as lace. I can only wonder at how much of depth and involvement such works must demand. No other meditation would be necessary!
I love the elegance and refinement that you see in whitework There is such precision in the stitching. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
I love the timelessness of whitework – always beautiful, always fresh, always appropriate. I enjoy your blog so much, and would love to win a copy of this book. Thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks for the opportunity to win this gorgeous book, Mary. Those rings that you love remind me very much of tatting. I’m a needle tatter, and they look like they would be simple to make using that process.
White work embroidery is simply elegant. It always makes me smile! ♥
I love the beauty of whitework, the complex yet simple and timeless look of this embroidery shows the care and love its made with.
The most appealing thing about it is that it’s a new skill. It’s something I’ve never tried before, and I would love to learn this type of embroidery. Looking at the examples of the scalloped edging on the pages you posted, it reminds me of the way needle tatting looks and cutwork is fascinating to me.
I’m liking those little circles too! I’ve enjoyed reading about this
technique. Thank you for offering this giveaway!
Terry
I can’t wait to learn more about this method of sewing…and the tool.
I look forward to your daily emails. The encourage me to sew a few stitches…everyday!
Thank you For this opportunity. I absolutely love the looks of whitework and Hebedo embroidery! I haven’t succeeded in doing it properly but attempting it. It the lacy looks of it that makes my heart flutter 🙂 . My mother has done cutwork and other types of embroidery and I would love to learn to do it like she did, It would a wonderful memory to keep.
Cathy
I love whitework because you can do very different things with it than you can when using colour. I recently bought a pack of Silk Mill threads with all different shades of white. Together they make up the very palest rainbow. I haven’t decided what they are going to be yet, but I know it’s going to be stunning.
Something like that, from a distance, will just look white. It’s when you get closer that the tones will come through and the real beauty of the piece will shine.
I just love the book you reviewed and the delicate lacework that that I saw. It just so happens I am going to Italy next week – what a perfect opportunity. Thank you for the wonderful
work you do.
I am fasinated with Hedebo embriodery. I thought I had tried most of the embriodery techniques but this one is new to me and I am looking forward to experimenting with it. Thank you for your wonderful articles on embroidery. I read everyone of them with great interrest.
Susan
I have been slowly working my way through different whitework techniques and have Hedebo on my list and have been looking for a great reference book.
I love the delicate simplicity of whitework – the laciness, the tiny stitches. It reminds me so of my great-grandmother who put a lacy edge on most everything and could change a simple tablecloth into a work of art.
Thank you for your reference site and your newsletter – we have to keep sharing this information for the next generations.
-Julie K.
I love doing Whitework. First of all it is so varied, there are so many different types. I especially like doing Cutwork and Drawn Thread work. The Hedobo book looks fascinating. My fingers are just itching to give it a try. I know I would love it. Thank you so much for the chance at the book Mary.
Whitework has a daintiness about it, an airiness and yet it is sturdy. It lasts generations, if properly cared for. My daughter’s home in Hungary is full of their version of whitework and it was made generations ago! But there is also the historical aspect. When doing any whitework, you have to feel you are following in the paths of so many women. They used what they had and made things that not only lasted and decorated their homes, but inspired other women to build upon their techniques. To do all of this in white threads on white grounds is also a leap of faith. Think of the conditions women had to endure centuries ago in homes minus central heat, vacuums, washers…and still their pieces endure and remain white.
One comment about your hedebo tool. I took a class in hedebo recently and the teacher used small Allen wrenches as hedebo tools. They come in all sizes and work just fine. Less expensive an investment as well.
Although I enjoy embroidery in general, I love whitework because I don’t have to negotiate with different colors. It is delicate and beautiful when it’s complete. Io amo il ricamo!
What always amazes me about whitework is that the artists spent all those hours making something so delicate and beautiful that can only really be viewed up close.
This is a lovely book. Would be wonderful to have in my library
I think what appeals to me about whitework is that its beauty is timeless. What we create can be loved and cherished just as much 50 years from now as when we first finish it.
Celeste in CA
Hello I would love the chance to give this form of whitework a go. A great many years ago I did some montmelick and enjoyed it but life intervenes and all the other forms of embroidery out there to try so I would love this book to get me back into it. Sharon
I have been teaching myself this lace technique, so when I saw your review, I bought the book!! I am waiting for it from Italy, and the pastor of my church, who is italian, can help me if I get confused LOL!
So often I’m drawn to embroidery by all the beautiful colors, but I love the way white work really lets the stitches shine!
It’s beautiful and looks like lace! You could “finish off” so many projects with this.
I like that you can create something textured and dimensional using one color that probably isn’t used too often with other forms of embroidery.
Hi Mary! Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. I have no idea how to do whitework embroidery! I’m following along on the hummingbird project and definitely consider myself a beginner but I love love love embroidery. What I like most about whitework embroidery is how I feel when I look at the pictures. It brings back sweet memories of my great grandmothers tatting and I have wondered if it is a similar technique…
Have a beautiful day!
The simplistic, yet intricate and beautiful look!!
The greatest appeal of whitework to me is the focus on the needlework itself. We’re not distracted by color, and instead we see the wonderful variations of what can be done with a simple needle and thread.
Additionally, there are the subjective qualities. The purity and calmness of whitework are very appealing. Whitework suggests a mood of refinement and elegance to me, or a fresh summer day with just the right amount of breeze in the air. It’s timeless and reminiscent of a less hurried past.
I love the elegance of whitework. I have always been interested in the whitework on collars and cuffs in bygone ages.
I’m a catholic and love how white work enhances the beauty of the Latin Mass. I would love to learn and teach others to make white work for this purpose (especially my two daughters) and the only way I could do so is by book because I know of no one who dose it in my area. In fact I put the book into my amazon wish list for Christmas just after reading the article on it yesterday!
I love the range of textures and shading possible while using just white on white. Everything from the most delicate, fine traditional stitching through to bold, chunky contemporary interpretations. This book would be a great source for my punto in aria stitching.
Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
The thing that appeals the most to me is the simplicity. Sometimes less is more!
I LOVE this book. I did a class on hedebo this March with Susan Greening
Davis, which included an authentic Hedebo stick. Whitework is beautiful
Because it is so subtle, but the uses for the Hedebo itself are endless.
I added a Hedebo edging to my guild name tag, and am using it to do
An edge for some Christmas ornaments. Once I knew the basics I
Started seeing ways to include it in all kinds of projects. Thanks for
The chance to win a copy, I should be so lucky!
I was introduced to white work by Tracy Franklin and Nicola Jarvis’s book Contemporary White Work. What I was so impressed with is the texture!
When using a monochromatic color scheme, the stitching (delicacy and density) takes front stage. I don’t know anything about Hedebo and would love to have this book in my collection. The rings would add the perfect touch to many of my embroidery projects.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us.
Sincerely,
Stacy H.
Growing up I had this type of embroidery as runners on my bedroom dressers! I love the white heavenly openness of the designs that seem to look so fragile but hold up to a lot of wear and tear. I’ve never tried Hedebo so will have to add it to the list off “things to try”. I am a visual learner so I love the fact that even though it is written in another beautiful language…..we can still learn and comprehend what to do by the pictures! Happy May everyone!
Grace from Minnesota
I think I could stick with whitework for the rest of my embroidering life. Texture has always interested me more than other aspects of embroidery, and whitework presents texture in its purest form.
I love white, how clean it makes things look & how things pop around it- the colors around it & the detail of the embroidery.
I have always been fascinated with whitework. The beauty is in the stitching, not the color. I did a small whitework project years ago and enjoyed it – I want to do more of it again.
I like the simplicity and delicateness of old whitework embroidery and the fact that modern interpretations include so much variety. My German ancestors did whitework — I have some photos of my great-great grandmother working on a tablecloth and my father still has the tablecloth. I would like to create some pieces of my own — probably not on that same scale.
What appeals to me most about whitework embroidery is its timelessness. It can be old-fashioned or modern but always looks bright, clean, and fresh. I also like that so many different cultures have a whitework tradition.
White work seems so “clean and pure” I am doing a white work with cut work. would love this book
The thing I love about whitework is that its beauty lies simply within the texture of the stitches; there is no color to distract the eye. No matter how complex the pattern, whitework just looks so clean and fresh. I love the pieces that look like lace!
I think what appeals to me most is the texture. I love reticello embroidery. I did a little bit of reticello in a national EGA seminar class in 2010 and am taking a reticello class at a regional EGA seminar in June. I think it is a little similar to Hedebo. I love they way the light plays off of the tone on tone textures. I also want to learn more about the “how” it is done. I’m sure now I will also want a Hedebo gauge…. I read your blog every single day and have learned to much about techniques, stitches, and art.
For me it’s the contrast in texture and shine of the fabric to the thread, and how beautifully the pieces display on a darkly polished wood table. So clean and deceptively simple. A very elegant way of working 🙂
this is something I have wanted to try but not had a good source for instruction
I love the intricant yet delicate designs made with the whitework. I haven’t tried it yet, but am eager to learn. Thanks for the chance to win.
For several years now I have been taking classed and buying embroidery books with different types of white work or embroidery I can do as whitework. Thus book would be such a help to me in learning all the different techniques.
What do I love the most about whitework embroidery? it doesn’t have to be white! I think that Hedebo would easily be incorporated into other embroideries adding depth to designs,
I love the subtle texture of whitework whether elaborate or simple–layer upon layer never gets to be “too much”, and even a sparse design can be incredibly striking in its own unpretentious way
whitework embroidery has the most delicate beautiful look . The all white gives it that delicate pristine clean look
Ohhhh like you I love making these little wheels. They are fun. This embroidery is one of my favorite because it looks so elegant. I learned this technique in the 1990s at DA days in Pawleys Island SC with Ginny and Ken Thompson and the Danish instructors they brought over for 2 weeks of classes in September. I have used it as lace edging on some projects, but not whole projects. I would love to study it more depth and this book could help me do it.
I had never heard of Hebedo embroidery but when I saw it in your newsletter I loved it. It reminds me of my grandmother who made beautiful table runners and doilies of work similar to this. I love the airiness and the simple beauty of whitework and those little circles are charming. I would love to add Hebedo embroidery to my stitching. Thank you for the inspiration you give me everyday. I’m a better stitcher because of you
I love the clean detail of each design. The circles appear as if they were hand crocheted. I think it is the perfection of each stitch that is so captivating.
It has so much texture and depth. It is just awesome and it looks beautiful anywhere or anytime. I adore it,
Shelia in Oklahoma
I love the monotone texture of whitework. It is elegant and classic.
My favorite part of white work is the fact that it is white. That allows the stitches to take center stage. It looks so beAutiful and elegant!
A recent project at our Whitework Club was a small needle case made of 28 count linen. The outside edges were done in Hedebo stitch. Learned a new word and a new stitch. One of the ladies had a Hedebo book in Japanese. Pictures made translation unnecessary. I also took your recommendation and ordered some of the ‘Haft Richelieu’ pamphlets from Laci’s. Stitching is a universal language with many interesting dialects. Would be thrilled to win this book!
As a child I was taught everything about textiles by my GrandMother so I could help with the family business of wedding gowns. Everything was white! When I left home everything turned to color, now the white is calling me back as I have been making white on white handkerchiefs for friend’s Birthday presents this year. My way of inviting friends to use cloth instead of paper on their noses.
What I love about whitework is the dimension of texture it gives to the cloth. I sometimes get lost in the texture and fail to actually see the design.
I love your detailed and informative blog. Thank you for sharing your creative processes with us. I have an auntie with severe arthritis. She does a lot of this kind of work, trying to keep her hands functioning. She would love this book.
I’ve done a little white work but not much, and having recently discovered that my ancestors did Ayrshire work, I’ve gotten a bug to really dive deeply in. This would be a great way to kickstart myself – and now that my kids are mostly grown, I can DO things!
I’ve seen this types of work but didn’t know that it was called Hedebo work. Whitework is just so elegant. Tone on tone like that is so sophisticated.
I’m drawn to whitework embroidery for its beautiful simplicity, yet its challenging complexity. The needle lace in the openwork intrigues me very much as I like to tat, embroider, crochet, knit.
Thank you for the offer and give away.
Donna Jeanne Koepp
There is something almost ethereal about whitework. A quiet room with just a little soft new age music and a whitework project…what more could a real stitcher want?
Dear Mary,
Whitework, Richelieu work is Angelic. These rings remind me of a crochet cloth I made many years ago. I bought the Alabaster Linen for the Secret Garden project, this beautiful linen had me thinking that I would love to make an Alter Cloth.I am picturing Linen/rings against the white marble, a little square cloth for the Chalice. I am working on a Punto Antico project by Patricia Girolami, whitework is timeless, even the simplest embroidery on a white piece of linen exalts it. Bellissimo, grazia Mary 🙂
I love hedebo, I myself have done some Hvidsøm, which is a late kind of hedebo. I like the lacy delicate character and the whiteness. Since I am danish I have a number of books on hedebo and I would love to add this to my collection.
Tania
I love the understated beauty of white work. I also love how the rings show the correlation between embroidery and tatting, another craft I find fascinating.
I’m fairly new to embroidery, having just gotten back into it after many years. I learned as a kid, but only the back stitch and satin stitch. I am learning so much!
Once again, Mary, you have done what I love about you, and why I actually voted you as my number 1 embroidery blog/website.
And no, this is not a suck-up, because I would love to get the book anyway. I really do, because I am absolutely mad about white work in general – and no, I can’t tell you why, it’s something that just draws me to it – in fact, off-white work is even better. And needless to say, the lace I make is also usually creamy white. But then there is the neatness and order of whitework… It touches the spirit, that’s all I can say, and I believe you know what I mean, because I have discovered we seem to have much the same tastes and ideas…:-)
That’s also why I love Schwalm embroidery too. And thanks to you, you directed me to a lovely lady.
But now I come to the bit I just HAVE to share here, as I believe there are many who feel like me…
Your blog stands out heads and shoulders because your embroidery is your PASSION, just like most of the people who look forward to your daily email always filled with useful tidbits, book reviews, how to’s, and most of all, your FREE ADVICE, your FREE PATTERNS, your FREE TIPS, and I can go on and on and on…
I am reasonably new to this way of ‘visiting’ on needlework websites, and short of Luzine Happel who also turned out to be a very dear lady, I have bumped into some others who seem to be operating ONLY on the MONEY wheel…
It is such a very, very sad fact that some people who were gifted by God with the talent to create beautiful things, to bring beauty in the lives of so many people, in tiny daily doses the way you do, and who after all, go to the effort of popping an email to their ‘followers’ too, that very few ever bother to add that tiny little bit of extra that would have cost them NOTHING, but what would have added a spark to the day of those who received it…
Instead, their knowledge comes at a price ONLY, and gets crammed into books or lessons that most people will never be able to go and attend, and when you just want to try out something new, without buying a book, it’s just tough luck… Greed is a very sad part of our daily lives, and there are VERY few people who are not caught up in that world.
THANK YOU for doing what you do, and being who you are, it really is MUCH APPRECIATED!
May I ask you one favour please? Could you point us to some more Italian book sources on for instance Punt a’ broder, and the other typical Italian embroidery techniques?
Needle lace is another of my great loves:-)
Sorry about the long mail – I just had to…!
I make similar circles for my embroidery, although they are made in different colors, depending on the design. The only white work I do is lace crochet, too bad I can’t include pictures.
I reviewed this book, can’t afford it, and would LOVE to own and use it.
White work is so simple and yet complex at the same time. You would think that just white would be boring; but it is anything but. The contrast achieved by the various stitches and threads used present a surprise to the viewer. It brings comfort in it’s simple use of only one color; but challenges because of the textural techniques used. It seems to be a study in conflict…working only in white…as though searching for color and not finding any suitable; but, in reality is full of peace and harmony. It speaks to my heart.
Kathy
I love whitework, especially the variety! With just one colour, you’d think it would get boring but there are so many different ways of applying the stitches to get different results, it never is boring. Plus, the result is just so pretty <3
Whitework is so lovely and what a beautiful book, I hoop so, that I win the book.
Maria
When all color is taken away, there’s a beauty in the texture, the shadows, the openwork. I do hardanger work and have tried using color, both in fabric and thread, but I always come back to white. It’s elegant. My 91-year-old mother is Danish. She didn’t learn and unfortunately lost her mother (a needleworker) at a young age. I would love to carry on the tradition. Thanks for featuring Hedebo work, Grandma would be pleased 🙂
I love whitework because of how simple yet elegant it is. It can be worked for heirloom clothing, to decorate your home, or just because. Using just white on white you can concentrate on the design of the artist and the detailed workmanship in the work.
Thank you, Mary, for sharing with us all. I love your site! Deborah
Whitework…. I like the lacy quality, and how the single color lets the texture speak instead of getting lost in a symphony of colors.
Hey Mary,
Hedebo I know it,for quite a while I would have a start but do not know how to begin.
I have seen some beautiful work here in Belgium,but the way you have us a look at this beautiful embroidery kind of white work and cutting,I love it and I would Love to recive your
Give Away
greetings from Belgium
Vera
I love all forms of whitework – Hedebo, Schwalm, Ukraniam, Hardanger…. you name it! It’s like uncovering a hidden picture when you pull thread, or cut thread and needle weave a design. Jette Roy Finlay-Heath has lovely Hedebo designs/kits that she teaches all around the world. I only have two of her pieces, so far, and I hope to get more.
I am fascinated by the play of shadow, when there is only white and no distraction from colours. In addition, I never seemed to master tatting, and this looks like a viable alternative! hh
I think what I like most about whitework is that you have to get close to it to really see what is going on. It invites you to come closer and closer and the closer you get the more you see. It is also so fresh and clean looking, it reminds me of spring and fresh white sheets flapping in the sunshine
Hi Mary! I´m from Argentina and follows your great web because is the best way I have to learn how to broder (excuse my English please) In Argentina it has not enough resources even in materials concerning. I love whitemork embroidery because of its ellegance. I would love win the book too. Keep doing what you do, its A-MA-ZING!!!! Kisses and hugs for you. Paula.
Like your writing about embroderi,
i have try to make this whil
Birith Lund – Denmark
I love whitework because it looks so elegant. Even just a touch of it lifts the ambience in a place setting or even in a room. The finished pieces look so beautiful and you don’t even need to do a large area to get such lovely results.
What most appeals to me about whitework is the creation of pure design through texture. Matte versus shiny, smooth versus bumpy, solid versus open and lacy, the possibilities are endless and amazing, and yet all within a monochromatic scheme.
I just love the virginal look of all whitework and although I have not worked any yet it is on my bucket list.
I love how delicate it is. White on white embroidery has always fascinated me as long as I can remember. My great aunt would always be embroidering towels or pillowcases when she would come to visit. Would like to try this myself.
Thank you!
Barbara Downey
Whitework embroidery is elegant and timeless. It is just as much a part of the past as it is the future.
Although newer to embroidery, as a long time crafter I love to see old patterns and designs in new works. I first saw needle work and white work designs in the online Antiques Pattern Library in booklets from the 1920’s and it looked rather complicated. But the Hedebo Embroidery book with all its photos appears not as daunting. I can imagine the scalloped edges added to retro dresses and shawls! Making beautiful things is my escape after a busy night at work.
I love the purity of white work.
I love the delicacy of the cut work.
I just love this technique book. I did not know the name of this technique but
Have seen it on many old linens I have collected. excitd to know there is a wonderful book.
What’s not to love?!?!?
There are just so many possibilities with whitework. Flat or padded, fine lines where needed, the ability to go for a traditional or modern look…
So many stitches, so many possibilities!
Whitework has such a rich heritage, too. So many countries and cultures have some sort of whitework in their stitching development…it makes me feel a kindred spirit with stitchers of the past!
whitework is appealing by itself! I simply love it!
I think the little rings are dear! But overall, whitework is clean, elegant and classic. It can be applicable in so many pieces. Thank you, as always, for sharing your findings , knowledge and incredible skill. Sue
I like how delicate it looks and how unique it is.
I love whitework because that is what we use a lot of at my church. They are always asking me if I can do something. I love trying something new and I’ve never heard of Hedebo.
Part of the appeal of whitework is the contrast between simplicity and complexity; the simplicity of the colours and the complexity of the stitches and design. I think it is fascinating. Also, I don’t have to worry about colour choice!
When I see white designs on a white background, I am reminded of the beauty of freshly fallen snow, with animal tracks running here and there, and maybe a few snow angels.
I would love to win this book. Whitework embroidery has such a classic look and those little connected circles are like the Irish crochet I’ve been working on.
Stay inspired!
I love whitework on little girls’ heirloom dresses. The white embroidery contrasted with the pastel dress color is simple, yet beautiful.
Whireworks is one of my favorite embroidery types, maybe because it is probably the style I do best. I love the versatility and the clean and crisp look of Whitework. I have been doing quite a lot of Richelieu, and lately started with Schwalm Embroidery. Hedebo has always appealed to me, too, because of it’s playfulness. I have never come across good instructions, though, which is why I would LOVE to win this book. Thanks for the great giveaway!
I love white work embroidery for the simplicity of the design.
I would love to try Hedebo. My Father immigrated from Denmark in 1910 & I am fascinated in all things Danish! I have a few inherited needlework pieces which I treasure, as I would this beautiful book. Thanks Mary!
LOOKS SO COMPLEX YET AFTER SEEING THIS BOOK ON YOUR BLOG, I THINK I MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONCOR IT!
When I was a young child in Superior, WY, an Italian family lived across from me. At that time, they would have been called “people from the Old
Country”. They were very frugal in that they grew their own garden, sewed their own clothes. They had a refrigerator but preferred to use an “ice box” that was hung by their front door. When ironing had to be done, they used irons heated on the stove.
The mother, Julia, was a gifted needle worker. She made it mandatory to become needle workers, too. There was her daughter Margene and brothers Frankie and Bruno. Boys were not exempt from learning. I can remember watching do their embroidery. I was in awe. They did cut work embroidery that were masterpieces, surface embroidery so perfect that nary a thread was made incorrectly. I made a promise to myself that someday learn what they knew. I do a large amount of Hardanger. Reviewing that book last evening brought so memories back to me and my desire to learn is even stronger now!
I love whitework because I think it is very sophisticated and elegant.
HellIo Mary
Ever enjoying your news letter, I have a plump file containing each as a wonderful resource. Thanking you often.
I find white work not only beautiful but engaging, inviting the viewer to define and participate in an interpretation. Both visually satisfying and a memorable tactile experience. Even the humble French Knott is etched into my mind from childhood, and the thrill of discovery of subtle white on white delights.
Maurine
I love the clean look the white on white gives but still has a homey feel to it. This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time. Now I am retired I have more time to work on my handicrafts. My girls and their children love when I make them things. I have a new table I would love to do a white on white table cloth for. I love at something like that in the winter and it makes me feel like I am back to the sunny days of summer…and it brings back good memories of time I spent with my grandmother learning some of the handcrafts I do.
I love whitework, so crisp, clean and classy. I’ve never tried this myself, but would love to have a go at it.
Whenever I have visited museums or needlework exhibitions, my eye is always drawn to this lovely style of needlework.
White work is fascinating to me because it is all about texture. I love the play of light on the white-on-white. Always have been attracted to these techniques in neutral colors.
The rings shown in the book are gorgeous.
Susie
wow love the look and the challenge of it!!!
I have always loved whitework. The different stitches and their combinations make such varied final products depending on the technique. I have done Ukranian whitework, Mountmellick, among others. I have never tried Hedebo, but have always been interested in learning new techniques.
I just recently bought a book on Whitework. It didn’t really go into enough details on how to do it. I am working on a christening gown and think this would be a beautiful addition to it. It looks so delicate and the lace will make a fine heirloom for generations to come.
Thank you for this opportunity at just the perfect time.
Whitework is amazing to me because of the richness and complexity that can be worked into a piece ecen though it is all one color.
For the past 2yrs. I have been wanting to learn whitework, cutwork, Schwalm – but nobody to teach me. Maybe this book is a good place to start. Do you think so? or do you have another suggestion. Thx.
Mary,
Many thanks to you and Stephania for another great ‘giveaway’. White work appeals to me for several reasons . . . one is the simplicity of white on white and the opportunity to concentrate entirely on the stitches with no concerns about color changes/compatibility and design issues. I’m also drawn to the delicate laciness and the opportunities to manipulate light and shadow with the threads and drawing or cutting openings into the ground fabric. I’d love more information on how to properly make use of my Hedebo gauge.
Whitework – so clean, so pure and so beautifully precise.
I am of Danish descent and I love the curves of Hedebo and Schwalm. I fail at Hardanger –
Is it because of all the squares and straight lines? Maybe it is the Danish in me? Who
knows?
I would love to receive this book.
Sharon Gray
Winnipeg, Manitoba
I love all things whitework. Maybe because I am drawn to long , white victorian dresses and this looks just like the embroidery found on them.
I love whitework. To me it is fascinating how the use of different stitches and types of thread can create an intricate design with only white. I would love to win the book.
Hi!
I love the simplicity of whitework even if this embroidery is not always simple to do. I mean to be beautiful, the work has to be almost perfect. I also think that whitework permit a lot of creativity.
Nathalie
I think that the white work is so clean and fresh that to use linen with this embroidery must be a delight. I have never tried this sort of embroidery but am very interested just from your review and would love to win this beautiful book. Thank you for the opportunity.
Whitework — or any tone on tone embroidery focuses attention on the stitching more than when multiple colors are used. They each have their place, but I think it takes a lot of skill to make a whitework piece ‘sing’.
Thank you for another interesting question, and a wonderful giveaway. I’m interested to hear more about the Hedebo gauge. That’s a new one to me.
I love whitework because of the ceremony attached with working it. The extra hand washing, making sure I’m sitting in the ‘good’ room, opening the special bag (a white pillowcase) and peeling back the layers of tissue paper that encase everything.
Mary, the book has beautiful clear photography, which is very important to figure out technique. You do find very worthwhile books. Thanks.
What I like the most? The endless ocean of stitches! When color is taken away, the artist, the embroiderer relies on structure, dimentions, dencity of stitches only! Therefore whitework is very tactile, it invites not only to look, but to come closer and to touch and FEEL the embroidery.Always fascinating.
I love the timeless beauty of whitework. I’ve always wanted to learn how to do it, and this looks like a great way to start.
Thanks, as always, for the wonderful blog. I look forward to the update every day. Such beautiful pictures and great tutorials. Plus, as a novelist, I appreciate the care you take in writing your posts. Well done!
I love the clean and simple look of whitework which allows the delicacy of the stitches to show. I’m currently working on a white on white linen Hardanger table runner, but would learn to learn other whitework techniques.
I am a detail type person who also loves the challenge of hand work, so Hedebo fills that bill. I believe it looks much more difficult than it is, which is the beauty of most of the old time hand stitching. It is good that people are continuing to teach or learn these techniques. Thank you,
I would love to learn more about Hedebo embroidery!
Hi Mary-
Thanks for another giveaway!
I love whitework because I’m crazy about bas-relief… just the play of shadows and light invoking the design.
I also Love hedebo openwork and am trying to learn more about the technique.
I am CRAZY about all forms of white work. I don’t comment on many of the beautiful things you give away. I know that they would spend too much time on a shelf. This, on the other hand, will be used soon and often.
I forgot to mention that I like the tatting-like look of the wheels and other bridging techniques.
I live in a hot rugged ancient land – dear Australia. There is an abundance of rough, tough readiness here so when my senses are treated with a vision of exquisite delicacy it is so refreshing and calming. I enjoy the fact this work is a labour of love’, patience and skill. It is simply beautiful and I thrive on it. Thank you – the makers. X
I love doing Hedebo. I have the tool for making the circles and find it fun and easy to make them. I enjoy the scalloped edges done in Hedebo. I would love to own a copy of this book. I see a lot of lovely other lovely patterns that would be fun to try. When I visited the now-closed Sampler Museum in Celle, Germany, there were many beautiful examples of Hedebo.
I love white work for its precise delicate beauty. I do a lot of white work, from Hardanger, Schwalm, pulled and drawn white work. The linen is so beautiful to work with. I have never done Ricamo Hadebo, I would love to follow the directions in the book. The designs are beautiful and the instructional diagrams look fairly easy to follow.
For me it’s the holes… I love the lacy look of whitework. I’m not nearly so interested in whitework that doesn’t involve some kind of openwork. Thanks for another lovely giveaway Mary 🙂
I like the classic and delicate-look of white work.
There is something transcendent about it.
Elegance and simplicity to the eye
My favorite thing about whitework? Hedebo especially appeals greatly to me as my mother was Danish, I spent time in Denmark, it is where I learned many of my stitching skills. Cross Stitch, Hardanger, some embroidery, knitting and more. I have a number of whitework OLD pieces from my ‘mor mor’ or grandmother and my mother. I need to do more for myself…someday soon. This book would give me more inspiration and also pass on to my two girls who stitch Karin Eveland
There are not many books about Hedebo & I am delighted to know that this one is now available! I love whitework in general & as an avid embroiderer for some years, I would love to add this clear & concise book to my ever expanding library! I have done a small piece of it but had to teach myself from a foreign source so to read it in English is a real plus.
I find hedebo fascinating! This book looks like it’s actually doable by mere mortals! 🙂
Hi Mary
Everything in white work appeals to me. I feel I can concentrate more on my stitches rather than have to keep thinking about what colour goes with what. I think it looks elegant and sophisticated and is exceptionally exquisite when used as a table-runner. Love Hedebo especially. Would love the book on offer as there is not much about Hedebo embroidery and this would be a great addition to my embroidery library.
I think the symmetry and the lacy stitches drew me into hardanger and that lead me into taking a hedebo class from Jetta Roy Finlay-Heath when she came out to Santa Fe for an EGA seminar. I enjoy both equally although it’s very hard to find hedebo patterns here in the US!
I have always admired blouses with cutwork in it. This is a notch above that. Love to try my hand at working on a piece and reading this book. Some books can be read over and over again becoming great friends and I feel this would be one of those books.
Dear Mary; Thank you for all the dedication you show to the art of needlework. I am exploring all types of classical needlework and learning the history both of the needlework and the country where it was so important. I would sincerely appreciate this book. Whitework has been common to so many cultures and it is a delight to try some of the different styles. Thank you, Evelynne
Hi Mary
I love the intricate work involved in all whitework and especially Hedebo. This book would really be welcome so that I can learn another technique! Thank you and keep well.
I love the delicate nature of whitework and how effective it can look.
I have worked some White work and always find it to be a delicate looking embroidery. I can understand why many do this type of work for weddings and for baby gowns.
I would love to have a copy of this book as I have always admired whitework – it looks so sophisticated. I have even photocopied samples and tried to copy them, so it would be great to have instructions and , of course differant elements. Ilove your blog – it always starts my day.
Would love to win a copy of that beautiful book.
What is it that appeals to you most about whitework embroidery? I love the pristine, elegant look of white.
Good luck to us all.
I have just started to get into Crazy Patch quilting and enjoy making my own embellishments, The Hedebo Embroidery appeals immensely, as I can custom make my own embellishment. I am an experimental type quilter/embroidery and am always looking for ways to give my work that individual look as well as the work having an impact. I would love to own a copy of this book, and add to my repertoire of stitches and techniques.
I love everything about whitework, and have tried lots of different types (although hedebo only a very little!). The precision required appeals to me, and the tricky decisions about colour are avoided (important for a non-arty type like me). The variety that can be achieved with just a few stitches is astounding – wish I had started earlier in life!
The subtlety of whitework is what appeals the most to me. A person must really look at the designs to appreciate its intricate designs. I always enjoy lace in any form and am very interested in this new-to-me category and I am anxious to try it.
When viewing or doing whitework, I am able to connect with my soft and gentle feminine self. Its a special feeling of guilt-free stopping of time and necessary nurturing of me.
I was so impressed there is a book on Hedobo embroidery!! I have hunted for a Hedebo embroidery book because I have completed one cloth and want to do new stitches on another cloth but I am stuck because I cannot find any articles on Hedebo embroidery. Thank you for the information,
Daphne
I love the elegance of white embroidery even if it is done with heavy threads on homespun cotton or flour sacks it is still elegant
I have to say that if anyone looking for any type of needlework should definately visit your sight. When I saw your review on the Hedebo work, I thought I would really like to learn more. unfortunately unable to afford the cost of a new book. most of what I have is from open domain sites. Would absolutely love to have this book in my collection.
Lora Garza
Whitework of any kind is clean and pristine looking. It is also proper looking, reminding you of ages and traditions past. It is elegant. Everyone needs a little elegant in their life. Just an old fashioned lady loving old fashion things. Pat Stroud
I love hedebo and I certainly need help. This book is just what I need. Thanks for the chance to win your generous giveaway.
Ruth on the First Coast
This Hedebo Embroidery looks fascinating. I love needle-lace and from just looking at the previous article on the book, this is one book I would love to use and have.
Mary, I enjoy learning about the many types of needlework and where it originates on your site. It is fascinating. I think I may have some of this type of needlework, although, it is not in wonderful condition like your pictures. I must dig it out and take a look at it to see if actually qualifies as this type of needlework. I have been looking for an idea for years for a way to incorporate it in a piece of work. If I think it is, I will send you a picture. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Whitework reminds me of lace. This book looks like a great resource. Thanks for the review and the chance to win this book.
The thing that appeals to me most about stitching white work embroidery is the fact that by using a small tool (a simple needle) and thread of one colour, you can create such a thing of beauty that can be admired and passed on for generations to appreciate. Each person who admires it usually views the piece because it’s complexity not its simplicity of using just a needle and thread.
I love the clean look of the white linen with white thread. I also enjoy the way the opens sections provide a lacy or airy feel to the finished work.
I think it makes it look so feminine and have several table cloths made in this technique.
Carmen
Dear Mary,
Many words come to mind, but most of all it’s the ‘purity’ that I love about whitework. The embroidery stands alone to make a statement without the distraction of colour. I love clean crisp white table linen, sumptuous white bed linen, and delicate lacy accessories, the simple and the intricate – all beautiful in whitework. And no angst over colour choices.
This the 1st I’ve heard of this type of embroidery and I’d love to learn it.
I love the texture! Most whitework is so dimensional. On Hedebo, I love the holes and the open spaces it makes.
Hi Mary,
Another lovely give-away! I love whitework – I used to do a bit of Hardanger “back when”… I love the delicate laciness, the clean dainty beauty of the white. It looks so gorgeous on antique tables, like nothing else.
I love the romance of whitework. I love the laciness!
Debbie in Kansas (USA)
White work embroidery lets me focus on the hand work itself – no colour to distract me! I love the fine stitches and the designs. Your “wheels” area perfect example of this and make a beautiful edging.
Thank you for the opportunity to enter the draw for the amazing hedebo book. I love white work because it is so traditional and it always looks fresh on a white background. The work and effort put into the embroidery can be appreciated to its fullest. Thank you your wonderful blog posts. I thoroughly enjoy them and have learned heaps.
To me, the appeal of whitework is the timelessness of it and the elegance. It never dates and, because it is all worked in one colour, the stitching and texture show up wonderfully.
White work embroidery is so very elegant. It allows the actual design and stitches to be the focus, not competing with colors. I like the simplicity of white work embroidery.
I love to crazy quilt. I have an unembroidered crazy quilt, made of 1930’s men’s silk ties, given to me by an elderly friend. It had been a gift to her family in the 30’s. The silk is classic, but the seams are worn and the arrangement is quite ugly.
My friend asked me to deconstruct the quilt, re-piece it properly, then embroider it. I’d love to stitch some of the Hedebo whitework rings to use as embellishment.
I love the challenge to create depth, “color”, and texture in whites.
My favorite thing about whitework is….it’s creative side. There are so many ways it can be interpreted. work certain stitches and you can call it Schwalm work. Add a few different stitches and remove some others, You have Hedebo. Yet again, lets throw a few basics in there and it is called something else altogether. And it really doesn’t need to be only in white! I have spent the past 10 years stitching whitework in a few different forms. I thought I knew whitework….I have come to realize that I have only scratched the surface…AND I LOVE IT! I look forward to reading and trying different stitches. What appeals most to me about whitework? I love it’s ability to satisfy so many cultures need to record nature’s beauty with needle and thread.
The simplicity 🙂
HI
I would love to learn Hedebo embroidery. First time i learned about it. What i love about whitework embroidery is the timeless crispness of the whitework which makes it elegant and for all seasons.A classic for all generations to come.
Greetings
Moira from sunny South Africa
Beautiful! Thanks for the opportunity to receive Ricamo.
What I love most about whitework is the cleanness of it. If the thread doesn’t match exactly, or it gets stained, it can be washed and maybe bleached. I also like whitework with open spaces mounted on a colored cloth background, framed, and hung on the wall.
Refinement and understated elegance
Hi, I like the combination of simplicity and elegance in whitework pieces. Even complex, sophisticated stitches have a simple sophistication when reduced to the white on white palette. There is a personal connection for me with this whitework as it ties in with my Hungarian background (there being prevalent use of whitework in certain Hungarian embroideries) and with crocheted lace, which I am more experienced at working than embroidery. 🙂
Why do I like whitework? Crisp white on white is always a classic to me (especially when it’s displayed on a lovely dark wood table.) I also find that not having to change colour often is quite relaxing. 🙂 I am addicted to hardanger but have never tried Hedebo. I’ve often thought of trying needlelace techniques and this looks intriguing. I’d love to know more about it. Thanks!
I just love Whitework! It is so elegant, and without the distraction of color the beauty of the design takes center stage!
I love all needlework, but whitework is my favorite. The detailed texture makes it beautiful and even sumptuous, while the lack of color and contrast keeps it from ever being loud or jarring. This book looks like a wonderful resource, and from what I see, my Italian should be good enough to understand the instructions. Thanks for letting us know about the book!
Whitework is so fresh and elegant. This fotm of whitework is new to me but I love its lacy feel
Stunning work. I’m in the process of learning Hardanger & wonder if there are similarities in this work. It is beautiful, clean & fresh looking. Minamalistic looking though intricate & sturdy. The beauty & purity of white on white is so rich and good. So lovely and has an ageless look. Thank you for this opportunity.
I love Hedebo and have been trying to find a book on it for years so I would love to win this beautiful book. I have a collection of Italian needlework books bought over the years going there on holiday so this would enhance it.Thank you Mary your informative book reviews.
What I like about whitework is its use of different kinds of stitches as a substitute for different colours.
I found a few pieces of Hedebo embroidery in my grandmother’s box of treasures after she passed (I didn’t know it was called Hedebo until recently). These little hankies and scarves are so delicate, and stylish. As a beginner I can’t (currently) hope to duplicate them (but one day I will). My grandmother was skilled with needlepoint and crochet work but I never remember seeing her do any whitework. These little beauties are likely my great grandmother’s craftsmanship. Her skill is absolutely masterful. I love whitework for the obvious talent, artistry, and workmanship that goes into even a small project & I hold it up as a goal to be able to one day produce such a project of my own (for my loved ones).
I like whitework because of the infinite variations there are between methods used by embroiderers from different countries – yet there are similarities too! The hedebo book would be such a great addition to my personal library.
Oh the white work is so beautiful. I love it for so many reasons that listing them all here would be impossible. I will try my best put to words ten feeling the white work gives me. So when I admire the work I think about when this type of work was first done and the amount of effort it must have taken. No running to the store for needed supplies, it was all crafted just to be able to produce the work. I would love to learn white work to further this art. If they could produce these beautiful pieces all those years ago I can surly give it my best while sitting in my comfy chair with my trusty light.
Ever since my first class in cut and drawn work 20 years ago, I have been fascinated by whitework. I have done hardanger, Ukrainian whitework, am learning Romanian point lace, and would love to learn more about Hedebo. I love the emphasis on texture versus color and think this is the most elegant work for a tablecloth. Having a book with such good instruction would be wonderful.
There is something so special about beautifully done whitework. I would love to try this ! Thank you for sharing this with us !
Xing fingers
I remember the first time I did white work, I did a piece of hardanger and about died when it came time to cut and draw. I was teaching myself as back then nobody around here was doing white work, hardly anybody was doing any embroidery even, and I didn’t have any moral support or assurances that it really would work. But it all worked out and I have loved white work of all kinds ever since.
I think the crispness and the complexity that can be achieved with simple individual elements.
Hi,
First of all a big thank you for your wonderful site and the beautiful projects you carry out and explain so marvellously. I am following you from UK, where i live since 1989, although i am Spanish!
For me, whitework is appealing because of the contrast of surface embroidery and the lacey appearance of pulled and drawn threads and cutwork. My favourite bed set is one made of it; it belongs to my “bottom draw” or, in Spanish, “ajuar” from when i got married almost 23 years ago. I bought that one but i am planning to take it up and embroider nice things for both my daughter and son, once they have their own places…
kind regards,
maria fookes
I have read articles about Hedobo and thought it might be interesting to try. I do other forms of whitework, but haven’t had a chance to try this. Enjoy your daily news.
I also love white work because it is so versatile. I have used it for button attachments,borders,and leaves and would love new ideas.
I am dealing with cancer and back surgeries and this would be a great read and a chance to learn while bedridden.
Your site is a real inspiration! Thanks for all your hard work.
Sincerely,
Jane Gaudioso
Namasthe
the most appealing part is the circles. I wantto design some diferent embroidary designs using them. I remember stone chariots at the sea shores of mahabalipuram, chennai (India). If possible i will stich those chariots with the help of these circles.
Uma
Hi Mary,
I have been experimenting with Italian needlelace which has inspired me to take a workshop the New England Lace Guild is hosting this month.
I would live to win this book for better guidance.
Thanks, anne
I love the beauty and the detail of fine whitework. It is truly a work of art and I would love to further my expertise in this form of embroidery.
I think whitework is perhaps the most versatile type of embroidery as it can realistically be used in bed and table linens, apparel, decorator items as pillows and framed into artwork. I am especially drawn to this type of embroidery as I remember my dear grandmother making many items in whitework. Seeing it takes me back to the times I learned many types of needlework from her.
Hi Mary,
Thank you so much for this incredible opportunity. I have always loved whitework yet have tried very little. I think I find it intimidating yet it is so beautiful. It is very feminine, dainty, and delicate and yet quite fascinating in its different intricate varieties. I loved the tassels shown on the bag that was pictured in your book review- I always say “how did they do that”. If I am lucky enough to win the book, perhaps I will learn the secrets.
Enjoy springtime!
Peg F. from NJ
Hello Mary,
Thank you for the wonderful opportunity Mary, I have always wanted to have a go at whitework, I just love the crisp clean lacy effect and it looks beautiful with a bone china cup. Kind regards Mandy Currie (mandycurrie@googlemail.com))
would love tohave this book, have not tried it but would really really try it
would love to try this, looks really cool
Beautiful embroidery. I would love to have this book. Thank you for all the inspiration.
Whitework is elegant, lots of details to simplicity.
I took a class in hedebo embroidery and would love to study it more. there are fantastic examples in this book jo mchenry
I think I love whitework because it’s usually delicate and pristine and reminds me of the beautifully starched doilies that were so common back in the day. My grandmother had them all over the house and I guess whitework of any kind reminds me of her.
The stitches stand out so beautifully in white on white. You can see all the details of the stitches.
What is it that appeals to me the most about whitework embroidery
I like the elegance to it but in a
Simplicitic way.
very I interesting technique simply beautiful.
There are so many things that I love about it. It reminds me of my grandmas table linens, you don’t have to worry about choosing colors of thread, it looks like lace. It is just so beautiful and amazing what can be done with a “needle-n-thread”!
Ren Mondragon
Taos, NM
What I love most about whitework is it’s nostalgic appeal for me. I have wonderful memories of fingering the delicate embroidery on a cool pillowcase as I began to drift into sleep in my Grandmother’s feather bed.
Her sister, my Great-aunt Ola, had some wonderful whitework tablecloths, with lots of cutwork that let the gleaming wood of the dining room table show through in contrast to the subtlety of the monochromatic surface embroidery.
Whitework evokes a place and time for me. A childhood within an extended family on a farm in rural North Carolina.
I love the clean simplicity of whitework. Not that it is simple in any way – it just looks so crisp! I am also in love with those little rings and must learn to make them – LOL! Thank you for having such a great giveaway
I like the clean, pristine look of whitework. Because it’s white, the work must be done very precisely as there’s no way to hide error with color. It looks simple but I know that it really isn’t! I like that, too. 🙂
I too love to do whitework…..all sorts….I have books in Italian already, just for the pictures and grafts. I even have some in Russian!!!! I just love to do the work and see a plain piece of cloth become beautiful!!! I don’t even mind ironing it!!! In fact, just this morning I ironed a table cloth and loved doing it…..can’t wait to use it again!!! The book review is great and if I don’t win the book, I think I will try to order it!!! Thanks….
I think one of the appeals of Whiteeork for me is not having to worry about colors. However, there can still be decisions to be made about the various types of threads and stitches to be used.
I love to take a plain piece of cloth and with whitework, make it beautiful….I don’t even mind ironing it!!! I have books in Italian and even Russian….for the pictures and grafts. I would love to win this one!!!
I have love Hedebo but have no idea how to do it.
I love your site Mary. Will come here often.
…….candji
I love the challenge and the beauty of white work. I am planning on using an insertion to combine two samplers that reflect my needle noodling of the past couple years courtesy of Sharon Boggon’s Take a Stitch Tuesday and others, too.
The detail and exacting stitches hold my attention. And the fact it is white – so clean and fresh looking. There is also the contemplative, mindful mood one gets into when working on it. I make bobbin lace and like it for the same reasons. Thank you for a lovely giveaway!
Hi Mary!
This is so pretty – I can see doing embellishments for my granddaughters clothes, Christmas ornaments, and more! I speak Spanish…might help understand the Italian? But no matter – the pictures will tell all!
Thanks for the opportunity!
The texture created by the stitches using one color is what excites me the most. It is simple,elegant and also complex. Thanks for the give-away Mary.
G’day Mary, and thank you Stephania Bressan,
Whitework is like a tracery of frost on a spider’s web, on delicate leaves, on window pane canvases…in my mind’s eye from yesteryear when these things were merely a matter of brief awe as I hurriedly scurried from warm bed into cold school clothes and later run on the spot to keep warm while wondering at the artistry of nature on the way to school, along a dirt road.
Whitework is more a delicate shadow outlining the design with the light catching the tactile stitches in places enough to leave a lasting impression of a vision of natures artistry by the deftness of an embroiderers guided needle and the designers magical insight.
I love Whitework because it nurtures a need within my very being to cross the boundaries of seeing with the eye, and translating with implements of artistic endeavours the mysteries of, wrongly perceived, colourless beauty.
Whoops, Kath from Oz, I is!
I haven’t tried whitework yet, but I would like to. I think it looks very clean and neat.
I have a hedebo stick and have made some rings but from there I am blank – no idea about anything else to do with Hedebo embroidery. And being me, I would love to know more and try to do some, so to win this book would be wonderful. It seems to be such a pretty and delicate style but with lots of applications for adaptation to other styles.
Once again, thanks to you and Stephania Bressan for this opportunity.
Whitework will always remind me of the delicate pillow cases my great aunts favored! I had not seen this style before and I just love it. Can’t wait to learn more.
For me the beauty of whitework is that there is no colour to distract from the pristine white stitchery.
Mary I am back Back on the internet and rebuilding my stitching library after being burnt out in the bushfires 15 months ago.I have missed your postings enormously but now working my way through them!!!Whitework is so pristine and fresh and I used to love ironing my grandmothers pieces now sadly all gone. But there is an upside the love and generosity of the needlework community here has been amazing very humbling. Embroiderers are just the most loving and giving people.Not to be greedy but I would love this book
What I love about whitework is its versatility and elegance! It is never out of date.
I love and adore all things white work and am waiting some what patiently for the Secret Garden project to move on to the white work version – I hope to do it in silk so that I can indulge myself even more. When I saw your review, I immediately put it on my Wish List at Amazon, so on way or another, it will be on my shelves. I only hope that the guy importing the book plans bringing in cases of it!
I like whitework because it looks so crisp and clean. It also reminds me of the lovely work done by our ancestors.
I think what appeals to me about this type of needlework is the crispness of the white. Also its a type I had never heard of. Trying something so old yet new is exciting.
What a wonderful give away.
I fell in love with Whitework long before I knew what it was actually called. My grandmother had a few delicate handkerchiefs that I thought was simply lace, now I know what it really was. I love the detailed handwork that shows a pure gift of artistic talent, and I would like to spend this year learning how to do this craft and then share it with my granddaughters.
I love the look of determination and dedication that must go into Hedebo embroidery. I have tried basic cutwork but would love to learn to be proficient in Hedebo embroidery. Thank you for all your work in showing us things we may not know and in doing so teaching us.
Hello Mary,
Wow— this looks just like what my Granny use to make. I would sit and watch her move her fingers like a whipping wind, and when she took a break from it, and lay it out in her lap I was amazed to see this beautiful white lacy looking magic. I was so young then but I knew this was to be a favorite time with my Granny. She offered to teach me when I was older but she sadly passed away before she could teach me this wonderful craft. She would work on her crafts and tell me stories about her life, and my dear mothers life when they she were my age. That is why this give away appeals to me. It brings back so many other memories of her and her fine needlework but the Whitework will forever be one of my fondest memories, because She took the time to make me a little dress with this lacy Whitework around the bottom of the sleeves and bottom of the skirt. I have a picture tucked away somewhere of me and my Granny and I’m wearing the little dress.
Thank you for such a beautiful give away, but most of all thank you for bringing back the beautiful memories.
Your biggest fan,
Wanda
My friend and I had been discussing how we would like to learn how to do Hedebo embroidery and wondering where we could get more information on the technique. The next day your book review appeared and I though it was great and I know I could teach myself from the pictures or use an online translation for anything I didn’t understand. Now your give away appeared and I would love to win the book and start learning another whitework/cutwork technique.
White work looks clean and delicate. It is applicable to many items due to the absence of color. Not the easiest on the eyes, but beautiful to behold.
Jacquelin I.
When there is no color, the detail of the design gets a chance to shine. That ,to me, is the beauty of white work. You see the same thing in any craft where color is not a factor. The designer and artisan must use skills, not color, to make any piece exquisite. That draws good artisans to the challenge of making a piece where color cannot dazzle the eye and overshadow the details and craftsmanship.
The thing that appeals to me most is that the textures of the different stitches really stands out. I haven’t done any whitework yet but I’m itching to give it a go!
I love that whitework takes the guesswork out of what colors to choose. By working with this very limited palette, you’re forced to think of only the desogh of the piece, not whether or not a certain color will be “Off”” or “distracting”.
I’ve loved whitework since I was a child. Then, I think I enjoyed having to look closely to see the details. Now, I think it takes me back to my childhood. And, it is beautiful.
I would love to get a copy of this book. I looked online and looks like its unavailable. Thanks for the opportunity!
I love whitework for the clean, crisp, and delicate appearance.
I love the textures created by whitework. I would love a copy of this book…I actually own a Hedebo stick, but I have never used it!
I love the dimension of the white work embroidery. I’ve never seen this type of embroidery or heard of it.
I would love to share it with my embroidering friends.
I can picture a quilt block with Hedebo embroidery as an accent.
I have been taking embroidery class at the Ukranian museum in New York and learnt a little bit of drawn thread work. I totally enjoyed doing it. The elegance of the work makes the whitework so appealing. I love to try techniques and patterns in this book.
Thanks for introducing this wonderful book.
Best regards,
Suwannee NYC
Hi Mary
Thank you for yet another generous give-away! I like the elegance and delicateness of whitework. There is just something so appealing about white on white. I also like the fact that you focus on the stitches and not the colours. Many whitework pieces are designed to be used and not merely to be framed and admired from afar.
I have been making crocheted snowflakes from the book by Caitin Saino. These are a simpler version of my idea for them – a type of lace where a large part of the art is joining the individually created pieces. I like the white because it is simple and lets your eyes see the pattern more more clearly. I reminds me of the enormous projects undertaken by Great Aunts. I wish there were more ways to incorporate fine needle work into my wardrobe and life.
What I love most about whitework is the simplicity of the monochrome color scheme. The embroiderer is forced to rely on texture and the beautifully executed stitching to make the pieces stand out. With color, especially with needlepainting, you can always fix the shading if you don’t like it but not so with whitework! I love the subtlety of it, and also, white goes with almost everything!
Hello Mary,
Thank you for another great give-away.
Whitework is elegant. I plan to embroider a whitework pillow with my monogram for my bedroom.
If it turns out well, I would love to try something larger. I have not tried Hedebo embroidery, but am willing to try it. Love a challenge! Wish I had more time to embroider!
I especially like the delicate, lace-like quality of the work. I have been trying to ween myself away from quilting to something smaller in sizes. My first love has always been anything with a needle and thread. This would be a great way to try something new. Thanks again for the fun opportunity for a chance to win something. Anne in Vancouver.
Soon after joining EGA about 25 years ago, I was fortunate to be able to take a class on Hedebo from a well-known teacher. I loved it and have loved all kinds of whitework since. The work is lovely but the aspect I like the most is the challenge of doing it well. Due to the critical nature of the tension and pull direction, it takes a bit of skill to accomplish a good piece of whitework. I have always enjoyed a challenge.
Thanks for your wonderful website!!
Susan in Texas
Oh Mary! Hedebo artwork is so wonderful, I hate to see these talents lost to us. Fortunately I do understand some Italian and an Italian friend and I would just love to put this fabulous book to work! Thank you for sharing your incredible talent by teaching us through your blog. This is certainly an instance of tech keeping an old handwork form alive.
I love everything about it.
With few stitches, you can do so many different patterns. In withework the precision is important, it takes time to do but at the end you can be proud of yourself.
Thanks for this opportunity to have this marvelous book.
I took a class at the EGA seminar in 2012 from Jette Roy Finlay-Heath. Four intense days of class. I was originally attracted to Hedebo because of the beauty that was achieved with white thread on a white ground. It occurred to me that to make something that striking with no color in the project there had to be magic involved. As I slowly stitch away on this lovely piece, I am amazed at what Jette can achieve with her needle. (And hopefully, what I will ultimately be able to reproduce.) I have brought out this project to the top of my UFO’s, as it had slipped out of my radar for a few months. Thanks for the reminder that Hedebo is definitely worth doing.
I love whitework ever since I took a hedebo course at an EAC embroidery convention. Since then I have dappled in other forms of whitework. It is so elegant but “clean”.
I havent quite worked out why I love white work, I feel it is something to do with my Quaker roots but maybe I am just guessing. I love doing white work and looking at others peoples. There is something about the simplicity making the complexity of the work.
Mollie K
I love the shapes especially the rings and scallops, and would love to learn from and own this book. Thank you for the site, I look forward to the e mails, and for the give aways, so much to learn.
Which whitework? I love the daintiness of Ayreshire, the laciness of Broderie Anglais, the sturdiness and variety of Mountmellick, the forces forming pulled thread, the emotional tension when cutting Hardanger…each has it’s own pleasures. I’m hoping to be lucky with this draw so I can learn to love Hedebo. So far it has confounded and frustrated me but just the few teaser photos makes me believe there is Hedebo pleasure to be experienced someday.
Nunca bordei nada assim, mas adoraria aprender, ficaria muito feliz em ter esse exemplar em mãos!
I love the lacy look of the embroidery and am fascinated with the traditional techniques. I create historical outfits, and would like to be able to create the ‘lace’ that is seen on the pictures.
I love your blog and the variety of embroidery that you cover. I find it very useful.
What is it that appeals to you most about whitework embroidery, I love the illusion of its simpliticity and how its whiteness feels like purity, I love how on some older work, the designs move like waves from complex to simple, around the piece and how there are so many types of different whitework to do!
I love to continplate the use of my finished work as I sewing, I like knowing for hundreds of years this skill has been used to bless our babies and our tables for the most important holidays and the simplest dinners, I love it it when I show my work to people and they say, “Wow, that’s beautiful, what machine do you have that can make that,” and I hold you the my fingers and smile. Hebedo would be a incredible technique to add to my skill set.
White on white anything is always elegant. I like the effect of the Hedebo wheels. Thanks, Mary!
I honestly had never hear of this before. I really like white work. I have never tried it but think I may add it to things on my bucket list…..
I like the delicate look of whitework. It is just pretty. 🙂 I also like it sometimes with just a bit of colour accents for something different.
What is it that appeals to you most about whitework embroidery?
What particularly appeals to me is the texture of whitework. I like to run my hands over it. It is beautiful to look at but it is this texture that is so appealing. (The feel of the texture on the back is also usually interesting.)