The Complete Step by Step Book of Sewing Techniques: A Practical Guide to Sewing, Patchwork and Embroidery Shown in More than 1200 Step-by-step Photographs - Softcover

Wood, Dorothy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1844779068 ISBN 13: 9781844779062

Publisher: Southwater, 2022

Synopsis

This is a practical guide to sewing, patchwork and embroidery, with how-to instruction, creative projects and a directory of stitches. This technical reference is the authoritative sourcebook of sewing, patchwork and embroidery techniques that will help you achieve professional and accurate results. There is a dictionary of hand embroidery stitches and skills that includes ribbon embroidery, needlelace, pulled fabric and drawn threadwork, as well as traditional counted thread techniques such as Hardanger and blackwork. Learn traditional hand-sewn patchwork, quilting and applique methods, as well as the latest speed-cutting and piecing techniques, and how to use time-saving fusible bonding web. This title contains clear, concise instructions and more than 1000 step-by-step photographs and illustrations. This comprehensive volume, with 1000 illustrations and photographs, is the complete guide to sewing, patchwork and embroidery skills, and provides all the information you need to master each technique with confidence. Whether you are cutting out a pattern, turning hems or deciding which type of seam to use, concise instructions guide you through each stage. All the information you need to design and make your own patchwork quilt is presented, along with cutting and diagrammatic piecing plans for many traditional, popular blocks. From classic hand stitching to contemporary machine embroidery, and every technique in between, the book contains all the skills you need to be a proficient embroiderer.

About this title

Review:

Perhaps The Practical Encyclopedia of Needlework would be a more appropriate title for this hefty volume of crisply presented sewing, patchwork, and embroidery how-tos. Indeed, the sewing section is in some ways the weakest; there is good general instruction on many of the apparel-sewing basics (equipment, an excellent fabric guide, cutting, various machine seams, pleats and darts, buttonholes, zippers, and so on), but nothing about actual garment construction or altering store-bought patterns to improve fit. The very brief home-decor section gives an overview of cushion and curtain making. The patchwork section, though fairly comprehensive for a survey approach, seems somewhat misplaced as part of a sewing guide, since there are so many terrific books devoted only to quilting. The strongest section is the one on embroidery, with very good photos and diagrams of nearly 200 stitches for hand embroidery as well as instructions on machine embroidery. Once again, however, no follow-up is included; in other words, once you've studied the basics, you're on your own in planning and executing a complete project. A more thorough table of contents would also have been an improvement, to see at a glance just what stitches and which patchwork styles are explained, without having to pore through the index or page through the whole book. If you're interested in all three fields, this is a decent introduction to them; if you're seeking a great book focused solely on sewing, opt for Singer's The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing for much more in-depth coverage. --Amy Handy

About the Author:

Dorothy Wood is a creative embroiderer who trained to teach dressmaking and design technology before specializing in textiles and embroidery at Goldsmith's College, London. Dorothy works as a features writer and technical consultant for a number of craft and needlework magazines. She is also the author of Make Your Own Soft Furnishings, Creative Cross Stitch, and Victorian Needlecraft.

About this edition

• Publisher: Southwater
• Publication date: 2022
• ISBN 10: 1844779068
• ISBN 13: 9781844779062
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256