Stitch selection and embroidery threads…

I really enjoy reading books dedicated to the creation of a range of sewing stitches. These dictionaries or encyclopedias of needlework are not only useful teaching guides, but they also provide historical and cultural information about the evolution of different stitches and their uses. I still have a copy of the Encyclopedia of needlework by Therese de Dillmont (DMC Library, Revised edition), a book that I first placed on my shelves when I was sixteen years old. The section on stitches for mending tasks was originally intended to be a very straightforward guide to stitches that could be used for practical household maintenance tasks, but I have often referred to this section for inspiration when I want to use running stitches for visual representation in pictorial works.