A Fine Tradition

About Margaret Light

Margaret lives in Sydney and teaches surface stitchery throughout Australia and New Zealand. Her practical projects reflect her interest in the history and evolution of surface embroidery, especially crewelwork, and feature the traditional shapes, colours and stitches of the relevant period.

Book Threads Magazine

The eye-catching 'Tree of Life' on the front cover is the perfect invitation to open this book and discover what is inside. Once inside the book did not disappoint.

Margaret Light is an accomplished Australian embroiderer. [...] Her enthusiasm is self-evident in this book which showcases the inspired use of mixing colours and stitch to give a contemporary twist to traditional designs.

A Fine Tradition is essentially a project book with designs ranging from 16th century Islamic tiles to the late 19th century Arts and Crafts movement. 

I liked that for each project there is some background information used to inspire the designs. Clear and comprehensive instructions are included in the book and on the pull-out pattern sheets to work and complete each project, plus ideas for displaying finished embroideries. 

The requirements for fabric, supplies and threads are given for each project. Al list of stitches to be used is also given which, if like me you have forgotten how to do or never worked a particular stitch, the stitch index and glossary at the end of the book would be helpful for some practice before starting a project.

Having read the book carefully, there reminders to read the complete instructions before you begin. This is good advice to avoid any problems when working the designs. 

Visually this book is very appealing. The photography is excellent and the resulting images complement the designs perfectly with photographs of the completed pieces plus close ups of design details which would be useful when stitching. 

'The Tree of Life' is the star of the book and shows the author's use of colour and stitches at their best to create a sumptuous work of embroidery. Whilst the design might be too ambitious for some embroiderers, there are many projects in the book which would be of interest to anyone who loves stitch and colour. 

There is much to like in the book but my three favourite designs are the Islamic Isnik tile, worked with vivd colours and dense stitches; the Delft tile, with a blue and while bowl filled with delicious stitched fruit, and th more open light crewelwork design of the Deerfield tile, worked in shades of blue. 

The needle cases, whilst very useful, I could see as contemporary heirlooms for future generations to appreciate. 

While each project is perfect in its own right, I can see scope for using elements within each design, such as the bird from 'The Tree of Life' or any motifs in the 'Blackbird Cushion and Needlebook', to create your own original piece.

Any embroiderer who enjoys more traditional surface stitched and designs would relish this book. There are designs for the experienced embroiderer but if you are not sure of your abilities the book will hold your hand and there is a project for you. 

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Machine Knitting Monthly

These 14 projects showcase Margaret's passion for joyful stitching, with clever combinations of techniques and colour play using wool, cotton and silk threads on linen fabric. Full details are given for every step from stitching to construction, plus a comprehensive library of diagrams and step-by-step photos for over 90 stitches.