Celebrate a whole range of special occasions with this bumper book filled with transfers. I like the way the introduction not only gives you all the basic stitches you need to get you started, but also explains how to get the most out of the transfers. I used to think you could only use them once, but you can use these up to eight times each, depending on your fabric. There are also tips on inverting, combining, duplicating the motifs and more, as well as an example of how to use several motifs to make a Christmas tablecloth. There are several pages of colored photographs showing examples of how the transfers look once they have been embroidered, and these include a list of the threads and stitches used in case you want to duplicate them.

The transfers themselves are grouped according to theme, and comprise Christmas, birthday, Valentine’s Day, Hallowe’en, Easter and new baby, as well as motifs for spring, autumn and some general shapes and flourishes. Wording is predominantly in English and French (this book was originally published in France) and there are several pages of associated phrases to bring your work to seasonal life. There are plenty of designs in here, so it should keep you going for ages. A useful title for every freestyle embroiderer.