Sept 08The first half of this book includes a very practical stitch guide with clear step-by-step photos for each stitch, as well as tips on fabric painting techniques (etc). The second half of the book is project-based, with full-colour pictures, line drawings to trace, and full instructions. If you want to learn how to add texture to your embroidery, this book is a great starting point. It's a shame the cover is not shown here, as it really does give a good idea of what to expect from the contents.My main thoughts on this book are really only minor quibbles. I thought that although the stitch reference guide was very practical, it perhaps showed fewer stitches in greater detail than strictly necessary, at the expense of instead including a wider variety of stitches to choose from. Also, although the projects in the latter half are attractive, they didn’t really excite me greatly (obviously, this is purely a matter of personal taste). Having said that, there are various elements of the projects that did appeal to me, and I can imagine adapting them within my own work. I also thought the instructions were very comprehensive and well-written, so perfect for anyone who DID want to follow the projects exactly as presented. The stitches and projects in this book are intended for free embroidery, but I think actually most aspects could be successfully adapted for counted thread embroidery, so creative counted embroiderers should not dismiss this book as irrelevant. At first glance, I didn’t think this book quite lived up to my hopes for it, but after consideration, the way it is presented does actually offer a lot of versatility, and I think I will be able to use the contents in a very practical way, especially as departure points for linked ideas.Although I would have preferred greater quantity in terms of stitch reference, this is still a lovely book to add to my collection, and sits well alongside Gilda Baron’s ‘The Art of Embroidered Flowers’.Su Mwumba
