Embroidery, Crafts & Other Books

by Jean & Valori Wells

American mother and daughter team Jean and Valori are passionate about quilting, gardening and photography. More than just a pattern book, their quilters' journal takes readers set-by-step through the process of transforming photos, memories and ideas into one-of-a-kind, garden inspired quilts.

by Stanley Levy. Add glamour and style to clothes, accessories, home decs and beautiful embroideries by following in the footsteps of Master Craftsman, Stanley Levy. Stunning photographs and helpful diagrams accompany the easy to follow text. Stanley progresses from the fundamentals of getting started and handling basic materials, to the techniques for running stitch, backstitch, looped fringes and tassels, along with their applications and variations. He expounds the facts behind making a rosette motif, transferring designs and patterns onto fabric, creating cut-out and small embroidered motifs, before concluding with breathtaking galleries of his own and his students' pieces.

by Flora Roberts. Country looks in vintage fabrics are back in fashion for many contemporary interiors. Talented designer Flora explains how to recycle old fabric scraps and choose new materials to create authentically styled, vintage pieces, as well as discussing the use of colour and pattern for maximum impact. For fast selection, the 25 step-by-step projects are categorised for quick selection into cushions & covers, household linen, gifts & decorations, quilts and throws.

by Luise Roberts. As expert Luise Roberts explains "..one of the most effective ways to find an ideal design is to look at finished quilts and decide what you like". Covering ideas for quilting by machine, hand, or both, she reveals key techniques for translating designs to fabric, either by drawing round a card template, stitching through a trace outline, or cutting templates from stencil plastic. Her wealth of skillfully drafted and widely varied traditional, contemporary, heirloom, geometric designs, patterns and fillers are themed for quick selection to suit every style of quilt. She shows how to position figurative designs for best effect, also how to repeat and increase examples to enlarge patterns.

An expert herself, Katharine Guerrier heads an impressive group of contributors in this definitive guide to hand and machine quilting both traditional and cutting edge designs. It details necessary information on fabrics, equipment, design, cutting and stitching, patchwork and piecing, applique, sashing and borders, embellishment, and finishings, as well as advice on the display and care of quilts. Hundreds of close-up photographs, graphs and templates complement the step-by-step instructions for basic and advanced techniques. Projects for sampler, log cabin and crib quilts, contemporary piecing and hand quilted wall hangings are included to practise new found skills.

Edited by Suzanne J.E. Tourtillott. Five talented artists demonstrate the techniques for turning glass, metal, polymer clay, and fibre beads into an eclectic collection of projects. Try your hand at colourful necklaces by encasing beads in a bamboo or sushi mat and rolling into a crescent shape, or dipping into dye resist medium for random patterns. Craft one-of-a-kind beads using sculptural papermaking and papier-mache. For unusual effects, paint tiny, spherical plaster beads in bright hues, or decorate wooden beads with Asian rice papers. Use polymer clay to imitate eye-catching stones. For exotic appeal, incise Mayan motifs into luminious pieces. Shimmering brass, copper and silver are ideal for metal beadmaking. Turn lampworking glass into frosted, marbled, grooved and silver-leafed beads.

by Jeanine Twigg

Jeanine's comprehensive guide begins with a resume of everything you need to know from choosing designs, threads, stabilisers and needles , to hooping, design placement, and stitching techniques. Suitable for all makes of embroidery machine, step-by-step instructions follow for 20 decorative projects including greeting cards, gift bag, scented sachet, pocket, personalised pillowcase, quilt, towel, cushions, appliqués, curtains, bag, hat and table centre piece. An inspirational showcase, helpful trouble shooting section and free CD featuring 6 exclusive embroidery patterns compete this practical package.

Each of these informative paperbacks carries an accompanying CD of embroidery designs.
Basic Techniques: 20 exclusive embroideries illustrate Jeanine's innovative way of looking beyond the face value of decorative designs. Chapters cover embroidery essentials; applique; quilting; cutwork; creating dimension and texture; combining and editing designs using embroidery machines and software; culminating with a gallery of project ideas.

Each of these informative paperbacks carries an accompanying CD of embroidery designs.
Fleece Techniques: Nancy reveals 20 ingenius ways to use decorative designs for adding texture to fleece, including applique, quilting, trapunto and decorative stitching. Each has stitch variations to provide designs within designs. She explains how to recognise these hidden designs in her patterns and in others for embroidering on fleece.

Each of these informative paperbacks carries an accompanying CD of embroidery designs.
More Embroidery Machine Essentials: Jeanine utilises an embroidery machine and software to customise, edit and create 10 exclusive designs suitable for all major models. In addition, there are graphic images to use when experimenting with digitizing, a comprehensive glossary of terms, an imperial/metric conversion chart, a collection of sayings to practise combining letters and designs, also software exercises to enhance skills. Industry experts provide tips throughout, as well as creative embroidery projects in an inspirational showcase.

by Valerie Campbell-Harding & Maggie Grey

Members of the Embroiderers' Guild, prolific authors Valerie and Maggie reveal how to translate the richness of Celtic imagery into fabric, textiles and stitched work using machine embroidery. Beginning with the design process, they progress to stitch techniques with plenty of new ideas joining old favourites, all comprehensively illustrated with colour photographs and clear diagrams. Readers are encouraged to experiment as well as just copying existing designs. From simple paper patterns to CAD, they turn Celtic Knots into embroidery for panels, bags and tassels; use cut and twist with free-machine techniques to build up Twists and Plaits into fabrics or braids; stitch Spirals, Scrolls and Meanders introducing distressed fabrics, vanishing muslin, water soluble paper, metals and wires; decorate fabrics with Lettering stitched by computer or traditional methods and adorn Manuscript backgrounds with metal and stitched elements in Celtic style. Finally they show how to put finished pieces together and redeem failing work.

by Phyllis Dobbs
Suitable for all skill levels, Phyllis reveals her new dimensional technique for adding depth to flat quilts and giving finished projects a contemporary edge, illustrated by 30 projects to decorate walls and rooms throughout the house. Special looks for baby include a love memory album, lucky duck chairback, on the farm wallhanging, and stripes crib quilt. For Christmas there's a tree skirt and wallhanging, also a stars table runner. Templates and an embroidery stitch tutorial complete this comprehensive guide.

by Christine Porter
Christine drew inspiration from the decorative floor tiles and patterns of medieval and Victorian churches, today often seen in porches and entrances to older shops, banks, and town halls. From simple progressing to the more complex, small wall hangings to large quilts, she shows how, by careful fabric selection and following her step-by-step instructions, you can replicate these wonderful designs. She finishes with a inspirational gallery from other quilt artists.

By Jan Jefferson & Maggi McCormick Gordon
This practical guide to 10 of the best-known Amish designs includes the famous bars, centre diamond and starflower patterns. Step-by-step photographs show how to complete the designs, accompanied by a fascinating insight into the history of each style and special aspects of Amish life. Techniques and trace-off motifs are provided for all projects. The antique and modern samples typify the beautiful range of colours and exquisite quilting in Amish work, providing inspiration to create your own quilts.

By Celia Eddy
Celia has channelled her fascination with mosaics into an exciting new way of creating patterns by applying skill to design and manipulate colours and shapes into practical and/or beautiful bed covers, throws, clothes or wall hangings. Blocks are the easiest, most user-friendly quilt-making medium, which break down the daunting task of a large project into manageable units. Prefaced by a review of the quilt block's history, she guides one through choosing necessary tools, equipment, and fabrics; working with colour and pattern; drafting and designing on a computer; also sewing and construction techniques. Celia has selected 100 blocks to demonstrate their diversity and infinite potential as sources of design and inspiration, each beautifully photographed and clearly explained.

by Dorothy Wood
Dorothy's 18 step-by-step projects cover ideas for the home, jewellery, and trimming personal items to make them unique. A bracelet takes just a few hours. Decorate rose scented sachets with pretty beads. Add a fringe to a devore scarf. Create a tiny amulet purse, a beaded card, or a gift bag adorned with wire flowers. Embellish your home with a sparkly fringed lampshade, wrap a beaded wire around plain candlesticks, or trim a trinket box with iridescent beads. Hang a bead tassel from a wardrobe key. Make a beaded photograph frame, coiled wire coasters, notebook with bead embroidered covers, a beaded rucksack, or a pair of silk mules decorated with exquisite paisley motifs.