Blackwork for Beginners: An ebook for reversible embroidery

Finally, a back you can't wait to show off!

I’ll never forget watching a school friend stitch an intricate blackwork frog. When she turned it over, the back was identical to the front.

My attempts? They always ended in a tangled, messy forest.

Ever felt that pang of "why doesn't mine look like that?"

This book is the simple, step-by-step system I wish I'd had. It gives you the clear, repeatable method for perfectly neat, reversible blackwork, proven with every start-to-finish project inside.

Download the ebook and start your first frame-worthy motif.

Carol Leather (author)

Is it time for me to teach you?

When I first taught myself, I realized the basic stitches weren't the hard part. Making the patterns reversible... that was another matter!

Once I’d cracked the code, I wanted to devise a way to make even the most intricate-looking designs easy for you to stitch.

So, I charted my first "blackwork for beginners" projects and started teaching. I’ve taught people just like you at women's groups, local needlework stores, and even major stitching shows, refining this method every step of the way.

Blackwork Celtic knot design stitched with gold thread.

A diamond-shaped blackwork motif showing a combination of border and fill patterns.

I also met some wonderful editors at the shows, who commissioned projects for their needlework magazines. Blackwork was becoming popular, and I couldn't have been happier.

One show, at the NEC in Birmingham, really sticks in my memory.

I spotted a tall young man with a shorter lady, standing off to one side of my class. I invited them to join in.

"Oh, you have already taught me how to do blackwork," he replied.

I was confused - racking my brain, I knew I hadn't had such a distinctive (and tall!) lad in any of my classes.

He laughed and explained. It turned out he had completed all my blackwork for beginners classes on the internet. But he wanted more.

He looked at me and asked the one question that led to this book:

"When are you going to write a book?"

Honestly, I hadn't thought about writing a book before that day.

But that one question lit a spark.

I realised all my class patterns - the ones I’d already refined over and over based on real student questions - were the perfect foundation. I could finally put my entire step-by-step method for making blackwork patterns easy into a single guide.

Of course, I couldn't just stop there.

I knew it had to be more than just patterns. I wanted this book to feel like I was right there with you, holding your hand, guiding you from your first basic stitches all the way to techniques you’d be proud to show off.

A square blackwork border featuring a leaf motif with a precise, straight inner edge.

A square blackwork border with a leaf motif that follows a naturalistic, flowing inner edge.

Go from 'Tangled Forest' to 'Frame-Worthy'

Here's a peek at the skills and confidence waiting for you inside:

✅ Achieve that neat back - with the simple, step-by-step method for fully reversible work

✅ Build confidence with 8 start-to-finish projects — guiding you from first stitch to frame-worthy finish.

✅ Choose the right supplies, every time — get the no-fluff guide to the fabrics and threads that work.

✅ Create professional-looking designs — learn the secrets to choosing fill patterns and adding simple shading.

*Refined and proven in workshops and major stitching shows.

I want this!

Don't Just Take My Word For It:

A blackwork flower design showing a 3D shading effect.

A small blackwork boat design, one of the projects in the book.

Refined in workshops and stitching shows across the UK.

Here are snippets of testimonials from some of my readers - read full reviews →

"You feel as if you are reading comments from a friend instead of a teaching manual." — Jean Hilton, Leader, Lord Robartes Regiment (UK), The Sealed Knot

"This is the first guide that actually took the guesswork out. I feel confident for the first time." — Gail Jones, San Bernardino, CA

"It is ideal for the beginner, from the very earliest stages to the more experienced stitcher." — Margaret Lackie, Majorca

blackwork lion

You're Ready to Create Flawless Blackwork

You have the full story, you've seen the proof from fellow stitchers, and you know your purchase is 100% risk-free. Everything you need to go from feeling frustrated to proudly creating beautiful, reversible blackwork is inside this guide.

Get instant, lifetime access to the Blackwork for Beginners eBook for just £9.95

I want this!

My "Frame-Worthy" 8-Week Guarantee

I truly want you to be thrilled with your stitching. You have 8 full weeks to read the book, practice the techniques, and try the projects. If you're not completely happy with your progress for any reason, just email me. I'll send you a 100% refund right away, no questions asked.

Those full testimonials I mentioned earlier. Here they are in full.

"You feel as if you are reading comments from a friend instead of a teaching manual. How Carol describes the minutest detail, you just know that she has "been there, made that mistake". You feel as if you are reading comments from a friend instead of a teaching manual. Jean Hilton, Lord Robartes Regiment - The Sealed Knot

"Now I understand why my patterns were not the way I wanted... After designing cross stitch patterns, I was looking for something new. Something that was easy to stitch for young and old, and I designed my first blackwork pattern. It was not what i expected. It did not look the way I wanted, and I had no idea what I was doing wrong. Then I saw this book, Blackwork for Beginners, and bought it. For this small price, it was worth trying it. Now I understand why my patterns were not the way I wanted, and it was so easy to change them in a better design. I can add some gold in my designs now, and this book inspired me for many more patterns.

Carol, thank you for this outstanding book. - Anita, The Netherlands

"It is so full of good hints and suggestions.

I, like many other people, learned Blackwork the hard way by trial and error.

I have been a cross stitcher for approximately 20 years and a friend bought me a kit of what she thought was a cross stitch design. Wrong, it was blackwork. Oh dear, what on earth is that, looked at it and put it away for a couple of years! Later I brought the project out again and by trial and error taught myself blackwork.

If only Carol's book, Blackwork for Beginners, had been around then.

It is so full of good hints and suggestions. It is ideal for the beginner, from the very earliest stages to the more experienced stitcher. Carol's explanations and charts explain how to follow the pattern while giving you useful suggestions.

Also, for the more experienced the book helps you to understand how to "fill in" the patterns, once again with well-presented charts and explanations.

So for the perfect present for someone this Christmas, buy them Carol's book or buy it for yourself if you are already a blackwork stitcher. Even if you have been stitching for some time, Carol has packed this book with useful and interesting information that you won't want to miss. - Margaret Lackie (Majorca)

Carol's blackwork book is excellent!

The visual aspects of this book make it so easy to know what she is talking about. Also, if you want to design blackwork, this book takes the guesswork out of it. I can tell my book will get a lot of use as a reference.

In Christ, Gail J. - (San Bernardino, Calif. USA)

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