Crewelwork Then and Now: Exploring Traditional Designs and Contemporary Stitching -- Hazel Blomkamp, Hardcover

Journey through the vibrant, living history of crewelwork, from traditional Jacobean designs to innovative, contemporary projects.

Create 8 sumptuous embroidery projects, each with complete written instructions and a full-size embroidery transfer.

Written by world-renowned crewelwork experts Phillipa Turnbull and Hazel Blomkamp, this inspiring book provides a fascinating overview of how the art form of crewel embroidery has evolved over the centuries.

This stunning book contains:

• 8 inspiring crewelwork designs each with detailed instructions, charts, and a full-size embroidery transfer
• Designs from then and now 2 designs celebrating historic embroideries; 2 original contemporary designs; 4 side-by-side designs (2 designs, each stitched by the two authors, for a direct comparison of how traditional and contemporary crewelwork can produce stunning and varied results)

• A comprehensive illustrated stitch directory featuring over 80 stitches, divided into historical and modern ways of working.
• Full-size embroidery transfers for each project

Phillipa, an expert on historic embroidery and the founder of The Crewel Work Company, reveals the rich history of crewelwork and celebrates its vibrant beauty. Through her stunning projects and inspiring insights, discover the traditional threads and stitches used and uncover a deep and direct connection to the embroiderers of the past.

'Phillipa is a renowned expert with over three decades of experience [...] Her work is celebrated for its authenticity and historical accuracy, often replicating designs from the 17th and 18th centuries.' Needlenthread.com

Hazel is a globally renowned embroiderer and best-selling author, who focusses on innovation in crewel embroidery, experimenting with stitches, threads, beading and more to give her work a contemporary twist. Her joyful, visionary approach breathes new life into this traditional craft.

'Always fanciful, sometimes flamboyant, Hazel's designs are wildly ingenious when it comes to her use of patterned and textured elements.' Mary Corbet, Needleandthread.com

Author: Hazel Blomkamp,Phillipa Turnbull
Publisher: Search Press
Published: 01/13/2026
Pages: 216
Binding Type: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781800922884

About the Author
Hazel Blomkamp has taught embroidery and beadwork in South Africa for over 20 years. She is the author of Crewel Twists, Crewel Intentions, Crewel Creatures, Hand-Stitched Crazy Patchwork, two stitch guide books - Needle Lace Techniques and Needle Weaving Techniques - and has collaborated on Freestyle Embroidered Mandalas with Di van Niekerk and Monique Day-Wilde. She is a regular contributor to local and overseas publications. Hazel runs a busy website from home, providing embroidery kits and supplies to the four corners of the earth. Travelling extensively both around South Africa and abroad to teach and promote her work, she is regularly invited to teach at international conventions. Her teaching has taken her to Australia, New Zealand, Western and Eastern Europe, North America and Asia.

Phillipa Turnbull is a leading crewelwork designer who exhibits and leads workshops in the UK and US. She runs her own company, The Crewel Work Company Ltd., and lives in Appleby-in-Westmoreland, Cumbria.