Embroidery books are a great way to learn the art of embroidery on your own. But if you're starting out, and you don't know just what to buy, it's nice to get a little direction before you purchase. Have you bought embroidery books that weren't quite what you expected, and built of library of less-than-desirable, but expensive books? Avoid that - read some reviews, and then choose. Here's a review on a book I recently aquired, but it's become a favorite!

The Embroiderer's Handbook - a step-by-step illustrated guide to beautiful stitches. If you're familiar with the Country Bumpkin publications and you like them, you will love this book! If you aren't familiar with them, that's ok! You'll still love this book! You'll find all the common stitches, and many uncommon stitches, illustrated in this book. Interspersed among the stitching techniques, you'll find gorgeous photos of great projects. The description on the back of the book reads: "The essential guide to over 150 creative stitches and a comprehensive reference book for the embroiderer." The book includes clear instructions and photos of every stage of the stitch, along with practical tips on different threads, fabric, and equipment. There are also some trouble-shooting hints spattered throughout, covering the more complicated stitches. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, this is a great book to have in your library. The only drawback to it, for me, is that it is not spiral bound like the A to Z books put out by Country Bumpkin. However, the book is "floppy," so it does lay flat enough to stitch and read at the same time. This is a treasure of a book that will always serve as a good reference or just as an enjoyable browsing book - or you could put it on a coffee table just for looks! It's gorgeous.

Labels: book review, embroidery books