RSN Essential Stitch Guides: Canvaswork

As someone who has done cross stitch, I was really interested to learn canvaswork. I think this book is a great introduction for beginners, it is mostly focused on initial set up and has clear and large pictures and charts of the stitches with concise info about their usage. There is small section on creating your own design and regular pictures of finished works to give you inspiration. I think this book would be best used to practice sampler stitches, before moving on to larger pieces or perhaps a kit or two. It is a book that I will likely refer back to as and when I get more confident and attempt a design of my own.

I have always found the RSN books to be very good and this is no exception. Starting with a brief introduction and history it then goes into much more depth about how to prepare and stitch your own design. The bulk of the book is devoted to stitches. They have excellent photographed samples and clear diagrams which are easy to follow. The stitches I have tried so far have all worked well. What I particularly like is the photos of finished pieces which show how versatile canvaswork can be.

An excellent book for anyone new to canvaswork or wanting to learn more stitches. This book takes you back to basics giving a brief history and explaining the tools, techniques and stitches clearly. Written instructions are accompanied by clear diagrams and photography taking you through each stitch with suggestions on how to incorporate them within a project. A great reference book to go back to time and again.

This is a very useful reference book for canvaswork. There are comprehensive instructions for materials needed and preparation. The stitch diagrams are large and clear and the accompanying photographs illustrate and bring the stitch to life. I like the way that there are photos of completed projects throughout the book, many of which are contemporary and show how versatile and adaptable this technique can be.

I’ve dabbled in cross stitch and embroidery, but I am a complete canvaswork novice. This book is really informative, starting off with some history, before detailing the supplies you need (and explaining the different types of needles), as well as how to start and finish a thread.

The main part of the book contains a stitch library, with detailed instructions not only on how to do each stitch, but the best uses for the stitch as well. The stitch diagrams are easy to understand even for novices, while the photos clearly show the stitches so you know how it should look at the end. The final pages of the book explain how to blend stitches and blend colours, for when you’re wanting to make your canvaswork a bit more detailed.

While I think the book is ideal for beginners, I think it would also work well as a reference guide for those who have already got some canvaswork knowledge!

Rachel Doyle gained a degree in Textiles at Nottingham Trent University and then completed the RSN Apprenticeship in 2009. Rachel teaches for the RSN in both the UK and the United States as well as on their Summer Intensive Programme. She has worked on a variety of commissions in the RSN Studio, including bespoke pieces for Savoir Beds and has taught Bespoke Classes for the RSN around the UK.