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Needlepoint Stitches
52 Stitches Explained and Illustrated

by Susan Higginson



      If you think canvas embroidery begins and ends with tent stitch and cross-stitch, then you need this book to teach you 52 new ways of covering your canvas! This is one of those perennial crafts that never seem to really go away; and, with this book, it won’t be long before you are not only doing some new stitches, but also designing your own work.

How I do love a hands-on book, and this is one of those. Its message is that you can do it, and without breaking the bank if you look at the section on what you need. Here you can find out how to do the basics, including setting up your frame and even threading the needle with that fluffy wool. The stitches themselves are shown worked in bright colors on white canvas, some of which would look better with a darker color behind them in order to see the canvas easier. The diagrams are perhaps easier to follow than the photographs, but what is missing is a needle actually doing each stage - indispensable when learning stitches. A few are shown this way, but not all. The written instructions are helpful, but this is not the easiest book for a beginner to learn from although the mixture of stitches is less daunting and more useful than in many other needlepoint encyclopedias. Where this book really comes into its own is that instead of having a few patterns to work through so you can practice your new skills, it jumps straight into designing. There are two projects to work through involving some simple drawing, but it is a brilliant introduction to how easy it really is to draw your own patterns for needlepoint. I have never seen this explained better so is worth the price of admission - beginners and improvers will be entranced.

If you cannot find needlepoint materials locally try SearchPress.com for a list of suppliers.

The Book

Search Press
October 2007
Paperback
1844480968 / 9781844480968
How-To Books / Embroidery
More at Amazon.com US|| UK
Excerpt
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The Reviewer

Rachel A Hyde
Reviewed 2007
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© 2007 MyShelf.com