It’s almost the middle of April, and what a great time to do a Fantastic Give-away for a Fantastic Embroidery Kit & Book!
You might remember that last week, I reviewed Hazel Blomkamp’s new book, Crewel Creatures, which is full of really fun embroidery instruction, projects, and ideas centering around fantastical creatures bedecked with all kinds of stitches, combinations, patterns, and a little bling.
Well, today, thanks to Hazel, I’m offering one of her kits with a copy of the book as a give-away! Yay!
Maureen the Owl, which is the largest and most elaborate of the creatures in Crewel Creatures. Here she is, in all her glory – and feel free to click on her, for a better view.
I don’t have this particular kit in hand to review thoroughly, but I’ve reviewed one of Hazel’s kits before – this one for Late Harvest, if you want to get a better idea of what her kits are like.
When you purchase a kit from Hazel Blomkamp Embroidery, you have a choice of various levels of kit content, from pre-printed fabric, to thread and bead packs, to the complete kit. If the project is based on a design in one of her books, the instructions are in the book, not in the kit.
Today’s give-away is for the complete kit for Maureen the Owl featured in Hazel’s new book, Crewel Creatures. The winner will also receive a copy of the book.
While Hazel’s designs are a little complex – lots of fillings and decorative stitches are employed – they’re not just for advanced embroiderers. If you’ve worked a few other projects and you’re excited and determined, you can definitely manage her projects. I’d say anyone from an advanced beginner and beyond could undertake them, with the right positive approach. As long as you’re not frightened of needle and thread and you’re up for a challenge, you should be good!
I probably wouldn’t slate them for absolute beginners, though. If you’ve not done any stitching, I’d start with something simpler.
Maureen is a Big Project. Her wingspan is about 22″ wide. Within her 22″ x 13″ self, you’ll find all kinds of embroidery techniques to delight in, from stitching colorful floral motifs in a variety of stitches, to working needlelace and woven fillings in different patterns, to adding bead accents and even dimensional bits of beading.
If you’re the type of stitcher who likes variety in a project, there is no way on this good earth that you could possibly get bored, as this piece just oozes variety!
The Give-Away
If you’d like to participate in today’s give-away, please follow these guidelines:
1. Leave a comment below, on this give-away post on Needle ‘n Thread. If you are unsure where to comment, you can follow this link directly to the comment form. Comments submitted by email or left on any other article are not eligible.
2. When you fill out the comment form, please do not fill it out as a “reply” to another comment. Replies are not eligible. If you’re unsure of what you’re doing and how to leave a comment, use the link above to the comment form and it will land you in the right place.
3. Please make sure you leave a recognizable name in the “name” line. Anonymous comments are not eligible. If you do not own and operate your own website or blog, please leave the “website” line of the comment form blank. Make sure you leave a valid email address on the comment form where it says “email” but do not leave any personal contact information in the actual comment box where you write your comment. Thank you.
3. In your comment, answer the following question:
What is it that attracts you to a project like Maureen the Owl? Is it the variety of stitches, the fact that she’s an owl, the colors, the techniques, the challenge, or….
4. Leave your comment by Friday, April 20th, 5:00 AM CDT (Kansas, USA). The winner will be randomly chosen that day and announced here on Needle ‘n Thread.
5. One entry per person, please. Duplicates will be deleted. The winner’s kit and book will be shipped from Hazel Blomkamp Embroidery in South Africa. It will take a little while to get to the winner.
So, go forth and comment, and before you know it, you could be stitching up your very own Maureen the Owl!
Where to Find The Books
If you’re looking for Hazel’s embroidery books, including Crewel Creatures, you’ll find them available through the following book affiliates:
In the US, Hazel’s books are all listed here on my Needle ‘n Thread Recommendations page on Amazon.
Worldwide with free shipping, they’re available here at Book Depository.
