Oregon | Mr X Stitch

We've featured the work of Megan Eckman and Studio MME a few times in the past and we're big fans of her illustrative style of embroidery. Megan's got a new book coming out - West Coast Love - and we've been given a sneak preview of it! The book has four main chapters - the obligatory learning section and then three sections of designs: California, Oregon and Washington. The book rounds up with the patterns for the design, laid out for tracing and for iron-on (reversed). Megan has chosen iconic images from each of the three States and pared them down to tidy simple illustrations that are easy to stitch. Her style fuses each design with a classic feel, but they're kinda contemporary at the same time. I really like them - they've got nostalgia in spades. Megan's designs are simple enough for beginners, but provide a good basis for the more experienced stitcher to go to town on them with all manner of embellishments. I'm sure there's huge scope for enhancement in these designs, and a good dose of local flavour is bound to produce some nice results. The book is well designed, with clear instructions and there's a nice narrative throughout the book so you feel like you're having an adventure with Megan, meandering your way down the Coast. I've not toured this part of the States, but Megan's book makes me feel like I have. As well as popular landmarks, I like the fact that Megan's included a few bits of wildlife in the book, including the Stellar's Jay, and you can download a free copy of that design by right-clicking and "Save As..."ing the image below! All in all West Coast Love is a nice addition to the embroidery book market and if you've got or know of someone with affection for any of the States in question, you may just want to get hold of a copy. West Coast Love is produced by Studio MME and is available from their webshop!