It is amazing to see how many people are teaching themselves embroidery and cross stitch these
This is an excellent book tailored specifically for beginners although there is useful material for self taught intermediate and long time cross stitchers as well. As someone who learned the craft a-hem lot of decades ago, it is the most comprehensive and high quality reference manual on embroidery I have come across. The crisp layout of the pages is not bogged down with more than the eye needs to focus on, when glancing from one's work in hand back to the book for instruction. Each stitch fills an entire page and a short text description of the stitch is placed next to step by step photographs as well as line drawn stitch steps numbered from start to finish. Outside video, this gives the readers all of the other ways stitch training is offered and the ability to see instructions in both forms helps especially with more advanced stitches.
Reference material includes descriptions of the full variety of needles used in embroidery and when they are used. I found this useful as I have a few needles that I had questions about before reading this book. Scissors, stitching frames, assorted necessary small tools, fabric, thread, pattern transfer, stabilizing fabric, and how to deal with different kinds of thread are all included. There are so many new fancy threads on the market and the useful tips on handling these and also specialty fabrics is particularly use to more advanced stitchers. The practice projects are simple and doable, yet attractive and the patterns can easily be adjusted to a different medium than those in the book, even by a beginner.
I give this book a five start review. In my rating system this is “I absolutely loved it! It will stay with me for a long time and/or I would read it again in the future. Highly recommended.”
As a reviewer for NetGalley, I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.