I do like a practical book that takes a "workshop approach," as surely the point of these primers is to teach a skill, and reading about it is only part of the learning process. You don’t need much to take up this hobby, and the author does not intimidate the reader with lists of peripheral items. To be of even greater use, what is needed here are more color photographs showing how to actually do the stitches. There are some line drawings, but not enough to be helpful to beginners at whom this book is largely aimed. The instructions to go with the projects at the back are better at this, and there are four beautiful pieces to make. But there is a lot of rather daunting reading here and usually only one or two line diagrams per stitch or process, and I found myself getting rather lost and trying to envisage it all. My advice would be to get this book (which certainly tells you what you need to know) in conjunction with another with some better staged diagrams, and then you will be on your way to becoming a proficient silk ribbon embroiderer.

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