flowerbomb | Mr X Stitch

FLOWERBOMB! Written by Hannah Read-Baldrey, published by Pavilion Books The cover commands us to 'let your creativity blossom with these gorgeous garden inspired makes', The Daily Express called it 'Blooming lovely' .....will this book really ignite our floral fantasies and flourish in our eyes? Introduction Lets discuss the author. We may have already heard of her, as she has had a part in the books Everything Alice, Everything Oz and Girls Night In. She emits style that's for sure! She also regularly creates handmade pieces in her own right thus we can assume that she can talk first hand about the physical act of making. Who’s the book for? The floral leanings are rather self explanatory. However the projects that this publication covers are not centred around one type of craft, which give it an all round appeal. Content The author gives us a full page introduction. This is helpful, as it sets our minds in gear for what we are to uncover. She explains in brief the books layout and how she has come to write the book in the first place. The publication is divided into three main sections, as well as helpful templates, guides, suppliers and background floral information..... The projects themselves are tasteful and are far flung in scope. From handmade bath bombs to decoration for your shoes; ideas you may have seen before, others fresher. Bored of your shoes? Confusion is never as issue. Each outcome has been thought out and written up in a clear explanatory way, detailing the procedures. Seemingly hand drawn diagrams have been illustrated throughout, giving the printed page a one-off lustre. A constant flow of hand painted and drawn diagrams. What makes it special? We loved the beginning sections of the book, which document how to dry flowers and what we can say in silence from the type of flowers we give someone. It adds a historical beauty which is often lost in the contemporary craft publications - a little more thought than often perused and pursued in todays world, where the flower emoji on our smartphones seems to get used more than the physical item. The interpretation of flowers...brought into a modern setting. Photography Pavilion as a publisher prides itself on quality imagery and this book does not disappoint. The large images, juxtaposed with many smaller square ones adds a nice sense of continuity. Domestic envy, what do we want more, the flowers or the vase?! The artful often ends before the template section, yet here the hand drawn element continues..... Even the templates beg to be copied. Looking at the Suppliers list, it's an easily accessible bunch, making this publication a practical tome....these are projects we can achieve and find the ingredients for! Anything wrong with the book? Well, if you don't like flowers, you may struggle with this one! However if they are your thing, then this book is to die for. The only thing we noted was the '#' use on one of the large images situated next to the contents list. Would this age as well as the dried flowers? Or will it become a by-gone sense of a certain time in history? Really the answer is too small to be a concern. Conclusion A successful publication has to have love and time put in. The way Baldrey writes, shows she has invested not only time, but a part of herself, her character within. What does the word Flowerbomb mean? You wont be left wondering. Get your copy right here.