Whether you refer to it as crewel or Jacobean this free form of surface embroidery has been around for centuries & is still popular amongst needle artists today. Because of the nature of the fanciful objects & the tradition of using a large variety of stitches in one project it lends itself to endless creative expression. In this book Hazel Blomkamp uses a wide selection of materials to update techniques & inspire embroiderers to explore whilst working loosely within the confines of crewel work styles. She shows needle artists how to be creative with fabric threads beads & alternative stitches borrowing techniques from other forms of needlework & still producing a product that is typical of the crewel or Jacobean style of embroidery. The original designs include: Projects including beads & metal threads to add sparkle & texture to your work. Monochrome embroidery making use of a variety of threads & beads all within the same colour range. Techniques employed in needle-made laces with designs defined by means of texture. More traditional embroidery including shading & satin stitch & the many variations of trellis couching to provide texture & interest. The completed embroideries are displayed in ways that are not only decorative but are useful in the home. ...

The Royal School of Needlework teaches hand embroidery to the highest standard developing techniques in new & innovative ways. This book

Includes:: an extensive stitch guide covering all the stitches necessary for crewel embroidery a design section & a history of the Royal School itself. Although it is commonly thought of as a woven tapestry the Bayeux Tapestry is in fact the oldest surviving example of crewelwork. The illustrations on the piece tell the story of the events leading up to the Norman Conquest & are embroidered on to the linen surface with a two-ply worsted wool. Laid stitches (see page 43) were used for the characters & scenery; couching (see page 60) for outlines & stem stitch (see page 58) to define detail & to render the lettering. Worsted wools are thought to have originated in the farming village of Worstead in Norfolk. This native resource most appropriate to the British climate was manufactured into clothing & became one of Britains most successful industries. To this day the inhabitants of Worstead continue the tradition of spinning dyeing & weaving fleece from local sheep. Although primarily spun to produce woollen cloth at some point it became popular to use this yarn to embroider. At first monochrome motifs stitched in wool with a small number of different stitches such as stem & seeding (see page 50) were the most common but embroidered curtains & bed hangings that resembled designs inspired by woodcut prints are known. Foreign trade created by Elizabeth I initially devised to bring back valuable spices found a foothold in Northern India where English merchants picked up coffee in Mocha & cloth in Gujarat. Egyptian trade was found to be profitable as they too welcomed cotton cloth in exchange for silver which reduced the drain on English silver while the Persians provided a market for the English woollens. Inevitably some of these Indian & African fabrics made it back to Europe where they were well-received. Pampalores & pintadoes painted calicos that came to be known in England as chintz were produced on the Coromandel coast of India & became very popular in the now-furnished households of Britain. By the late seventeenth century cheap washable cotton cloth & luxurious woven silks were in huge demand & contributed to the changing fashions in Britain. Fine beautiful fabrics encouraged less padding to be worn & instead more to be added to the furniture which during the Tudor period had been fairly stark. Furnishings obviously called for something a little more durable than clothing & designers began to create textile furnishings with easily accessible & more resilient materials such as dyed wools & heavy-duty linens; their designs inspired by the fashionable tree of life patterns found on the pampalores. After the Protestant Reformation there was little demand for ecclesiastic work so it was more common to see embroidery used for secular & domestic objects. Crewel embroidery thus became more popular & professional craftsmen laden with pattern books travelled the country redesigning the interiors of the wealthy; adorning country houses with cosy furnishings panels fire screens & bed-hangings embroidered with exotic illustrations. The lady of the house would then embroider these patterns with colourful crewel wools. Crewelwork reached its peak in popularity during the following Stuart period after Elizabeth I died & James VI of Scotland acceded to the throne of the United Kingdom as King James I. Increasingly amateur embroiderers took up needlework for pleasure & to furnish their own home & it became the done thing for a young lady to accomplish.

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Cribbage is one of the oldest ' & best ' card games for two or more players. This book in two parts first introduces the game to those who have never played it before & then explains its intricacies to more experienced players & gives guidance on improving the chances of winning. The book describes both the six-card & five-card games in detail & shows how to obtain the maximum advantage from any of the countless card combinations. Numerous examples are included each with its own commentary & checked by computer programs The examples are written in easily understood tabular form & have been chosen to illustrate the subtleties of each stage of the game. The title of the book Cribbage: How to Play & Win summarises its aims ' the game is great fun to play & enjoyment is guaranteed whether you win or lose. ...

Know the Game Cricket is the perfect introduction to the sport for all ages whether you are a keen club player or beginner. It is packed with expert text clear illustrations & photographs of the professionals in action. The book
Includes:: Playing the game: how to play cricket the rules positions on the pitch how to score The laws of the game: from scoring to umpiring Equipment & pitch: how to choose a bat positioning of fielders the wicket The skills: step-by-step guide to all the basic skills including batting bowling wicket keeping & fielding. The Know the Game series is firmly established as the definitive introduction to a wide range of sports & games. Written by the experts you can be sure that they contain everything you need to know to take part.
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This insightful new series explores different sports
- how & where theyre played the equipment & kit needed & how to get involved.
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Cricket Lovely Cricket is a sports book with a difference
- an original & engaging journey around the perennially curious world
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Pakistan is a country beset with politicised instabilities economic problems ethnic conflicts religious fervour & crises of identity. It is also a country in which the game of cricket has become a nationwide obsession. How has that happened? How does a Muslim country jealous of its independence & determined to forge a Pakistani identity so passionately embrace the alien gentleman's game imported by the distant & departed former colonial masters? What do we learn of Pakistan from its attitudes & responses to cricket? This book sees Pakistan
- its history politics & society
- through the prism of cricket. Shaharyar Khan & Ali Khan describe how cricket defines national identity & boosts morale even while Pakistan struggles to contain internal political conflict & the influence of the Taliban near & within its borders; they show how the game shapes the political social & cultural landscape of Pakistan & its fractured relations with India. But with recent betting scandals & accusations of spot-fixing throwing Pakistani cricket into the global media spotlight what does cricket tell us about condition of Pakistani society today? The former Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board a man with an unparalleled insight into the establishment Shaharyar Khan examines how this very Western sport came to embed itself in the psyche of Pakistanis old & young transcending social & class boundaries. The authors illuminate Pakistan for readers by offering an unusual & highly original perspective
- that in understanding the state of cricket in Pakistan can we gain a deeper understanding of the state of Pakistan itself. Demonstrating how the turbulence around cricket has much wider political implications this book will fascinate general readers & cricket enthusiasts at the same time proving essential reading for observers of Pakistan India & the South Asia region.


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Whether youre a weekend cricketer or aspiring armchair expert Cricket For Dummies helps you make sense of this fascinating sport. Not just a jargon busting guide to crickets laws techniques & tactics it also contains advice on kitting yourself out & provides lessons on playing the game & improving your batting bowling & fielding skills. For the budding fan theres a guide to the greatest players the memorable matches & a tour through the cricketing scene
- both domestic & international
- giving you the knowledge you need to fully appreciate this special game. This book has been updated for the Ashes 2009 featuring revised information on new players the Indian premier league Stanford 20:20 & the latest coverage of past & future competitions. Julian Knight is a BBC journalist writer & cricket enthusiast. He is a former youth coach & captain & has been a club cricketer for over 20 years. Consultant Editor Gary Palmer played first class cricket for ten years with Somerset before becoming a professional coach.

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A complete guide to cricket for players & fans alike Whether you're a budding player or aspiring armchair expert Cricket For Dummies helps you get to grips with this fascinating sport. Completely revised & updated for the first back-to-back Ashes series in 38 years this hands-on guide gives you clear explanations of the cricket's laws step-by-step explanations of techniques & tactics & exciting coverage of the tournaments global rivalries & great players. Fully revised & updated to chronicle the rise of twenty 20 cricket & the IPL the implementation of DRS & the changing face of the game Covers cricket basics-the pitch the laws the equipment & more Provides an in-depth look at cricket formats Offers a guide to building cricket skills-bowling batting & fielding

Includes:: coverage of the best players & the biggest tournaments throughout the world Complete with Top Ten Lists of the greatest cricketers the most memorable cricket matches & the biggest controversies Cricket For Dummies is your one-stop resource on this popular sport.

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Award-winning author Simon Hughes brings to life the history of the Ashes through 10 of the most iconic matches in the fixture's 135-year history. With an innovative & distinctive approach Hughes selects each match as a narrative spine packed with thrillingly evocative detail alongside the issues controversies heroes & villains of each match. With both fascinating analysis of ten unforgettable Test matches & fast-paced history of cricket's fiercest rivalry this is the perfect way for cricket lovers both English & Australian to prepare for the ten-match feast of Ashes cricket that begins in Nottingham in July 2013 & ends in Sydney in January 2014. It

Includes:: complete statistics & records of all the Ashes fixtures & results.

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