Category Archives: Book Reviews

Fell, ClaireMachine embroidery: techniques and projectsRamsbury, Wiltshire, The Crowood Press, 2020 ISBN: 978 1 78500 701 9288 pages Have you ever been tempted to have a play with machine embroidery? Have you ever looked at beautiful machine embroidery and thought that you would like to have a go, but lack the confidence to try? IfContinue reading “Machine Embroidery: techniques and projects”

Blomkamp, HazelCrewel birds; Jacobean embroidery takes flight. Tunbridge Wells, Search Press, 2020ISBN: 978 1 78221 834 0176 pages Search Press has been prolific this year! I’ve just reviewed two books of crewel work projects published by them – neither of which use wool, the traditional thread for crewel, although one does have a conversion chartContinue reading “Crewel birds; Jacobean embroidery takes flight”

Popova, TatianaCrewel embroidery; 7 enchanting designs inspired by fairy tales. Tunbridge Wells, Search Press, 2020ISBN: 978 1 78221 722 0160 pages Search Press has been prolific this year! I’ve just reviewed two books of crewel work projects published by them – neither of which use wool, the traditional thread for crewel, although one does haveContinue reading “Crewel embroidery; 7 enchanting designs inspired by fairy tales”

Book Review: First time embroidery and cross-stitch; the absolute beginner’s guideAuthor Linda WyszynskiBeverly, Massachusetts, Quarry Books, 2019ISBN: 978 1 63159 797 8128 pages Touch typing is not a skill I have ever learned. The name of the author of this book was quite a challenge for me. It is correct – I have checked itContinue reading “First Time Embroidery and Cross-Stitch; the Absolute Beginner’s Guide”

Life is just too short to try out all the different types of embroidery which are out there and I really wish I had the time to become competent in sashiko and kogin. I’d not really thought much about the differences between the two until two new books, one on each technique, were acquired recently by Auckland Libraries, but different they are.

Authors: Anderson, Lynette Review:  Martingale, 2019 ISBN: 978 1 68356 012 8 96 pages  In the introduction, the author shares that her favourite things to design and make are small, useful day-to-day items, often something she can use or give to someone, which I think we, as embroiderers, can identify with. She explains how she goes aboutContinue reading “Lynette’s best-loved stitcheries: 13 cottage-style projects you’ll adore”

Author: Chevalier, Tracy  London, Harper Collins, 2019 ISBN: 978 0 00 815382 3 346 pages  If you have noticed how many pages this book has and are thinking, that’s a large book, you would be right. But this book is not the usual book about embroidery. It’s a novel – a novel in which embroidery playsContinue reading “A Single Thread – Tracey Chevalier”

Authors: Hislop, Amanda I have reviewed most of the books in this series and most have inspired me to think outside the box – not that much of that thinking has resulted in actual embroideries! The author trained in woven textiles at a tertiary college but has since moved on to become a textile artist andContinue reading “Stitched textiles: seascapes”

Authors: APPLEMINTS Creative Publishing, Minneapolis Review:  2018 ISBN: 978 1 58923 964 7 120 pages  Originally published in Japan two years ago, those of you who love cats will be grateful that someone picked it up and decided that it was worth translating into English. Now, don’t get me wrong, I adore Daisy and Fumi, cats whoContinue reading “Cat Lady Embroidery: 380 ways to stitch a cat”

Authors: Broughton, Emma Review: Ramsbury, Marlborough, Crowood Press, 2019 ISBN: 978 1 78500 563 3 192 pages I wanted the last review for 2019 to be a positive one. I was beginning to despair. A book on appliquéing was, I thought, too technical. One on stumpwork, made by an Australian, now deceased, I did not find particularlyContinue reading “Embroidered Boxes: Techniques and projects”