Fun with Stitching

35 cute and quirky embroidery ideas to add a light-hearted touch to your clothes, home accessories and gifts.

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Did you think embroidery was complicated, confined to flowers and a major undertaking? This cute, crazy and clever little book will dispel those myths and inspire you to take up a needle and thread even if it's for the first time ever. Fiona Goble is well qualified to write this book as she set herself the task of producing a little embroidery for every day of the year for her blog stitchaday. The book is divided into activities: eating, sleeping, working, relaxing, playing, dressing, bathing and celebrating and there are four or five items and motifs within each section. The embroideries are shown on items made from plain cotton (calico type), felt and wool (think old cream blanket type of wool). While all the motifs are shown on pale or very pale pastel backgrounds, colour is introduced in the form of colourful fabric borders, trimmings, etc. For each motif, there is also a 'Would also work well on...' heading with suggestions for further uses of the little embroidered designs. Some of the items are purchased (eg, clothing, pillowcase), some are either really simple to make (eg, bookcover, greeting card) or pretty simple to make (eg, bags, pencil case) where instructions but not patterns for how to make them are given in a sentence or two. Some of the motifs and items are unadorned and some have added details such as extra stitching, buttons, beads and trimmings. It is suitable for anyone new to stitching; young embroiderers; and, anyone looking to bring a light-hearted touch to their home or wardrobe.