I have a bit of an addiction. If it’s a stitch dictionary, if I don’t already own it I am probably standing there considering buying it. Recently I have become more adept at turning myself down when that inner child starts begging, “but MOMMY, it’s a stitch dictionary! I WANT it!!!”
A-Z of Embroidery Stitches: v. 2
Until this one. Now, you have to understand – I don’t own the first volume. Not because I don’t want to – if I find it reasonably priced I’ll probably buy it, too. (I also hate incomplete sets, even if you don’t need all the volumes!)
I bought this volume because it came highly recommended for crazy quilters. I’m always looking for new stitches and combinations of stitches, even though I don’t often do crazy quilting.
Because this is a companion volume, it is missing the very basic stitches that you find in most stitch dictionaries. For me, with all those dictionaries on my shelf, this is itself an advantage. There is an introductory section on how your choice of thread – twist direction, tightness, ribbon, etc, may effect the look of a stitch, how to keep work clean in a hoop, and how to choose the right needle. The tips provided may even prove useful for the experienced embroiderer — I know I found ideas I hadn’t thought of or ever been taught.
The stitches themselves are illustrated with step by step photographs that make it very easy to reproduce them on your own fabric. And the entire book is filled with spot illustrations of vintage tools, and also of completed projects from various Country Bumpkin publications. All in all, a pretty book that I look forward to using until beyond the point it wears out!
