Holy Cats! It’s a fifth Friday! Which means it’s another Festival of Fabulousness! Later on today we’ve got a giveaway for you, to be sure to keep your eyes peeled for that! But for now it’s book review time! Whoop whoop!
Jenny Hart has a lot to answer for. It is arguable that the phenomenon that is Sublime Stitching has done an awful lot to revitalise the embroidery field and enthuse a great many people about the joys of stitchery. And for that I thank her.
Jenny’s written a few books on embroidery, but Embroidery Effects encapsulates all her learning and experience as a stitcher and as a teacher, to provide an essential guide to everything you need to know to get going with a needle and thread.
I’ll come out and say it – I like this book. I like the fact that the book is ring bound and is clearly capable of withstanding a lot of use. I like the layouts and font choices – the overall design is contemporary and elegant, but not too girly either (which is important from my perspective).
The instruction sections give you a clear understanding of how to create the stitches, and the book provides you with a good portfolio of basic stitches that will enable you to create your own embroideries with confidence. Many embroidery books endeavour to show you as many stitches as possible, and often take the basic stitches for granted, yet these stitches are the most challenging for beginners who don’t know how to stitch. Jenny takes the time to show you these basic stitches and leaves you with a stable foundation from which to develop your stitching experience.
The Projects section of the book provides ideas for you to stitch including ideas for the home and clever ways of embellishing fashion items. Transfers are included to help you on your way and the book includes a handy pouch at the front to stop you losing those transfers down the back of the sofa. There are even suggestions on creative ways of using Glow In The Dark thread and variegated threads, both of which are personal favourites of mine, so I was very pleased to find these little treats in there.
All in all this book is a terrific resource for anyone who wants to begin stitching. Jenny’s love of the subject matter emanates throughout the book; her narrative is warm and friendly, and avoids condescension. The book arms you with skills and suggestions, but without being too prescriptive. The design and layout make it easy to learn and the construction of the book means it will last a long time.
It is a great book.
You can buy the book, via us, from Amazon. If you’re in the UK use this link:
If you’re in the US use this one:
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I picked this book up last week (on your recommendation!) and you are spot on with your review. Her diagrams are much easier to understand than any traditional book I looked at and her patterns are way more fun to stitch when learning. Her projects are super cute and she really encourages you to make up your own designs and projects too.
You like the font choices?
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