Punchneedle embroidery is the art of working one basic stitch with special needles to create a raised ornamental design on woven fabric. A variety of beautiful effects, details, and textures can be easily achieved by using this stitch with different size needles, threads, and fabrics. This book is a complete guide to the old Russian folk style of punchneedle embroidery and contains simple descriptions of the equipment needed, detailed instructions for stitching, easy-to-follow diagrams, and 28 delightful iron-on transfer patterns of flowers, birds, butterflies, leaves, and more. Popular as a hobby, a craft, and an art form, punchneedle embroidery has an amazing variety of uses: decorate items such as purses, necklaces, combs, belts, pins, earrings, scarves, shawls, aprons; add a designer touch to shirts, blouses, skirts, and dresses; embellish home furnishings and accessories such as pillows, wall hangings, table cloths, mirror or picture frames, fabric boxes, sachets, tablecloths, napkins, and more. Many hobbyists use punchneedle to create miniature rugs, pillows, and furnishings for doll houses. There is no limit to the items you can embroider with this versatile technique. Gail Bird became interested in Russian punchneedle embroidery several years ago. Since then she has become the nation’s foremost promoter of the craft, devoting all her efforts to developing punchneedle embroidery as an art form. She has lectured throughout the United States and demonstrated the craft in major department stores and on television. A serious historian of the form, Mrs. Bird has traveled to Russia, Poland, and Hungary to study embroidery techniques, and possesses the world’s largest collection of finished contemporary Russian punchneedle embroidery.