Rebecca Ringquist's Embroidery Workshops

A creative, rule-breaking approach to embroidery from mixed-media artist and instructor Rebecca Ringquist, who has taught at institutions including the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. This book treats embroidery as an expressive art form rather than a precision craft.

Why Start Here

Most embroidery books emphasize getting your stitches neat and even. Ringquist takes the opposite approach: she teaches the traditional techniques, then encourages you to bend them. The book covers French knots, satin stitch, chain stitch, and other fundamentals, but it also explores three-dimensional stitching, freeform thread drawing, working with nontraditional materials, and combining hand and machine stitching.

The 20 projects range from a cloth sampler (included in an envelope at the back of the book) to table linens, wall art, and clothing embellishments. Each project builds on the techniques from earlier chapters, so the book has a natural learning progression even though its spirit is experimental.

What to Expect

A hardcover at 160 pages with full-color photography. This book works best for someone who has tried a few basic stitches and wants to push embroidery in a more artistic direction. If you are looking for precise patterns and traditional results, this is not the right fit. If you want permission to experiment and see what embroidery can become when you stop worrying about perfection, Ringquist is an excellent guide.