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| 125 Stitches to Embellish with Beads,
Buttons, Charms, Bead Weaving & More; 8+ Project
BY Christen Brown
C&T
Publishing (distributed in the UK by Search Press)
7 April 2019 / ISBN 9781617456732
How-To Books / Needlework
Reviewed
by Rachel Hyde
AMAZON
UK |
| Take embroidery
to new heights with this beautiful book on embellishment.
Learn how to use hand stitches in conjunction with beads,
buttons, charms, ribbon and anything else you can sew on.
The results will transform crazy quilts, stitched jewellery
and whatever else you choose to put it on.
I found that just looking at the gorgeous
cover made me want to grab a needle and start stitching. This
is a great book to use up all those oddments in stashes that
get bought “just because” or are left over from
other projects. There are 125 stitch combinations in here
together with more than eight things to make with suggestions
for variations. The book opens with one of those handy thumbnail
guides to all the stitches, so it is easy to find what you
want. The author gives a short account of how she became interested
in beads, and throughout the book there are plenty of photographs
of her work to inspire. There is a short guide to what you
need which also takes a look at all the different types of
seed beads (the main ingredient in this type of work) plus
the various stitch types. Discover what else you will require
in the next chapter, both fabrics for the base, tools and
threads together with a wealth of useful tips. This is not
a book for the total newcomer to freestyle hand embroidery
nor does it teach crazy quilting from scratch; not all the
projects are of this type. What it does do is show how hand
embroidery stitches can be transformed with a few beads and
other embellishments, and there are many pages showing exactly
how to do it. The finished stitch is a detailed photograph,
while the construction stages are colored diagrams with written
instructions, the best combination in my opinion. Stitches
are grouped in families and branch out into those using buttons,
ribbon and sequins. The rest of the book contains the projects,
and you can make beaded buttons, brooches and bracelets, a
pillow, sewing caddy and pictures. Assembly instructions with
some diagrams are given, along with a list of what you need
and plenty of inspiring photographs showing different variations
and colorways. All are aimed at those who already sew but
feature clear, helpful instructions. At the back is an index
plus gallery and I wish there were instructions for those
gorgeous beaded bracelets! This is a lovely book that belongs
on the keeper shelf of any keen embroiderer.
If
you cannot find a good range of embroidery and needlecraft
materials locally try www.searchpress.com for a list of suppliers.
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