Bring the folk-art trend into your home with this collection of 30 stunning embroidery designs. Folk art is a major trend and can be seen influencing everything from fashion to interiors. Now you can incorporate this trend into your home in a contemporary way with this collection of stunning modern folk art inspired embroidery designs by leading designer, Nancy Nicholson.  Nancy's distinctive style, which draws on Scandinavian and Eastern European motifs, perfectly captures the folk art trend and will appeal to stitchers of all ages and abilities. This collection shows you how to use the designs to create beautiful and practical home decor items and accessories. The stitch techniques will be shown using Nancy's unique and comprehensive stitch library so they will be extremely easy to follow whether you are an experienced stitcher or a newbie. There are also plenty of suggestions for creating your own designs if you are feeling inspired. Modern Folk Embroidery By Nancy Nicholson F+W Media, Inc. Copyright © 2016 F&W Media International, Ltd All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4463-0629-1 Contents Introduction, Tools and Materials, Stitch Library, THE PROJECTS, PINCUSHIONS, CUFF BRACELET, GEOMETRIC GARLAND, THREAD CATCHER, TOTE BAG, BRAID CUSHION, BROOCHES, TABLE RUNNER, PINAFORE DRESS, CIRCLES CUSHION, FOLK DOLL, BOLSTER CUSHION, APPLIQUÉ PICTURES, CRAFT BAG, SAMPLER PICTURES, Techniques, Templates, About the Author, Suppliers, CHAPTER 1 THE PROJECTS Whether you're a beginner or a more experienced embroiderer, you'll find plenty in these pages to inspire you. This is a practical book designed to help you make some lovely things, and I've applied traditional stitching techniques to fresh designs, at the same time drawing ideas from different cultures. The projects should prove satisfying in themselves but I hope they'll also give you the confidence to take these ideas and skills in other directions, following your own tastes and sources of inspiration, and that this is just the beginning of your creative journey. PINCUSHIONS Here are two easy pincushions for you to choose from. Quick and simple to make, each provides you with endless opportunities to practise new stitches. Discover how to cover a simple form with felt to make the bottle-cap pincushion, and keep your sewing needles handy with the secret needle keeper in the rectangular pincushion. YOU WILL NEED Felt in a choice of colours Polyester stuffing Stranded embroidery cotton (floss) in a choice of colours Double-sided tape and a wine-bottle cap for the bottle-cap pincushion Large press-stud for the rectangular pincushion BOTTLE-CAP PINCUSHION MAKING UP 1. Trace the bottle-cap pincushion templates (Download full-size templates from http://ideas.sewandso.co.uk/patterns) onto thin card and cut out. 2. Use a pencil to draw around the card templates onto your chosen felt colours and cut out your pieces (one side, one base, one top). 3. Put a small square of double-sided tape on both the side and the base of the bottle cap to hold the felt in place as you sew. 4. Cover the side of the cap with the long felt strip and the base with the small felt circle. Over-sew around the base and up the side. 5. Take the large felt circle and sew a line of gathering (long running) stitches 3mm (1/8in) from the edge. 6. Place a small ball of stuffing (about the size of an egg when squeezed) into the centre and draw up the thread to close tight. Stitch to hold. 7. Push the padded top firmly into the cap and slip stitch all the way around to attach it to the bottle-cap base. 8. Now embroider using three strands of the embroidery thread and your own choice of stitches or refer to Embroidery Suggestions for inspiration. RECTANGULAR PINCUSHION MAKING UP 1. Use the rectangular pincushion templates (Download full-size templates from http://ideas.sewandso.co.uk/patterns) to cut out the felt pieces for the large (with needle keeper) or small rectangular pincushion. 2. Embroider the pincushion top using three strands of the embroidery thread (see Embroidery Suggestions), taking care not to go over the seam allowance. 3. If making a needle keeper, stitch the insert onto the back of the needle keeper flap. 4. Pink the edges of the flap, or embroider with buttonhole stitch if you prefer. Tack (baste) the needle keeper in place on the front of the pincushion. 5. Place the back and front together with right sides facing and machine stitch all around the edge using a 1cm (½in) seam allowance and leaving a 6cm (2½in) opening. 6. Trim the corners and turn right side out, pushing out the corners carefully to a point. 7. Fill with stuffing, then turn in the seam allowance on the opening and sew it closed by hand as neatly as you can. 8. Use the button templates to cut out two circles of felt and one of craft foam. Embroider one felt circle (see Embroidery Suggestions). 9. Place the foam circle in between the