We are drawn to American folk art for many
reasons—its history, its humanity, and, perhaps most of all, its
unaffected beauty. With elements both whimsical and practical, this
enduring and beloved art form has become a rich source of inspiration
for today’s craftspeople. For needleworkers in particular, folk
art is among the most popular styles to stitch. Organized thematically
by types of folk art motifs—among them, hearts, flowers, and
daily life—Folk Art Needlepoint
offers twenty projects and variations, from pillows and paperweights to
a door stop and scissors case, that celebrate the best of American folk
art.
With an eye to developing the best book for needlepointers attracted to
folk art, Ruth Peltason has selected twenty objects from the American
Folk Art Museum in New York, the country’s leading museum in the
field. This collaboration results in such appealing projects as a
multicolored belt taken from an 1890s log cabin quilt or a tote bag
designed with hearts and hands based on love tokens cut in paper made
in the mid-nineteenth century. Along with exquisite photographs of the
pieces in room settings, Ruth Peltason provides delightful notes on the
motifs and museum pieces that have inspired her as well as charming
asides about decorating with your new needlepoint cushions, picture
frames, or even curtain tiebacks. Karyn Gerhard, a talented
needleworker, charted the patterns and stitched all the projects in the
book, and the American Folk Art Museum supplied insightful commentary
on the motifs and original artworks.
Complete with a techniques and materials section to guide you through
essentials such as needlepoint stitches, thread and canvas selection,
and project preparation, Folk Art Needlepoint
provides everything you need to make classic pieces inspired by objects
in the collection of the American Folk Art Museum come alive in your
home as fresh, contemporary works of art. |
Folk Art Needlepoint
20 Projects Adapted from Objects in the American Folk Art Museum
by Ruth Peltason
Scribner,
2008
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