April Book Reviews - part 2

Stitch With Love by Mandy Shaw

This book is full of simple to make projects which are customised by stylish embroidery.   The book starts off with an introduction to fabrics and threads and is then followed by a very useful stitch guide.  The stitch guide has a photo to show you how the stitch looks when incorporated into a design, and then diagrams of how to do the stitch.  There are diagrams for right handed sewists and for left handed sewists too.

The projects are fairly simple to make and would be ideal for beginners, it is the embroidery on them that makes them look so good.  Projects include a sewing tidy, a pin cushion, cushions, aprons, bags and a blanket.  Each project is spread over a few pages with a list of what you need to make the item, a step by step guide to making the item, and to embroidering it, a photo of the finished item and diagrams.  You will also find a techniques guide and templates at the back of the book.

There are some fun projects in here, I particularly like the sewing tidy.  The red and cream colour scheme used throughout the book gives the items a timeless feel.  This book would be good for beginner sewists, or for more experienced sewists who are looking to learn to embroider.

This book is published by David & Charles and can be purchased on the RU Craft website here.

Playful Patchwork by Suzuko Koseki

This colourful book is a great guide for someone new to patchwork, or looking to improve their skills.  The book is broken down into 4 main sections: Straight-line piecework, curved-line piecework, appliqué and quilting. Projects in the book include several bags, a pillow, a needle case, a tea cosy, quilts and coasters.  

Each section starts by showing you examples of the technique along with project ideas (the instructions for the projects are in the back of the book).  There are detailed instructions as well as hundreds of photos to guide you through each stage of the technique.  You will also find illustrations of various stitches too.

At the back of the book as well as project instructions there is a full size pull out pattern sheet and a guide to fabrics and fabric arrangement.  I am amazed at how much information there is in this book, if you are looking for some projects and techniques to get you started with Patchwork & quilting this is a good place to start.

This book is published by Creative Publishing International and can be purchased on Amazon here.

20 Floral Bags to Make by Susan Cariello

I have to admit when I think of floral bags I conjure up an image of my grandmother’s handbags...but I am very glad to say that is not at all what the bags in this book are like.  Many of the bags in here I would love to use myself (I’m in my 20’s) plus there are many my mum adored too so I would say that it covers a great age range. 

The book has patterns for several easy to make bags which are then embellished with floral designs to give them that special look.  The book starts off by covering equipment and stitches, and then has a guide to constructing the bags.  You will find step by step instructions, photos, diagrams and all the templates you need in this book. 

The book is then split into seasons: spring bags, summer bags, autumn bags and winter bags and using beads, sequins, buttons and a variety of stitches these sections guide you through the embellishment of the bags. This is a great book for anyone looking to make bags or learn embroidery & embellishing techniques.

You can look inside this book here.

This book is published by Search Press and can be purchased on their site here.