Customer Reviews

The Embroidery Stitch Bible

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great resource book for anyone interested in stitchery of any kind. I purchased this book to use as a guide for teaching my daughters and girls club members embroidery...I was delighted and surprized at the depth and scope of embroidery stiches and styles illustrated in this book.

I was expecting a book that detailed embroidery stiches...this book beautifully illustrates not only stitches on various fabrics, but also shows cross stitch, a wide scope of needlepoint styles (including Bargello), smocking, drawn-thread work, applying sequins and beads, cutwork, applique and so much more! There is a photograph of each completed stitch along with a detailed illustration and simple, easy to follow directions. The table of contents is a delight in itself, with 1" photos of the different stitches along with the name and page for quick and easy location for whatever project you are working on. Even the size of the book is perfect...it's compact size and sturdy board cover make it just right to include in your sewing basket or project bag for easy reference.

Everything about this book was well thought-out and beautifully executed. It's an incredible reference guide that I'm sure I will be turning to over and over again in the years to come.

Embroiders usually have their favorite stitches and may learn new ones from fellow embroiderers, but Betty Barnden's Embroidery Stitch Bible is an important reference for those wishing to improve their technique. Over 200 embroidery stitches, from basic cross stitch and chains to laid work, are arranged according to use and illustrated with both photos and diagrams. This means that Embroidery Stitch Bible can be used as both a reference for quick consultation and as a guide to learning new stitches. The close-up color examples and both written and visual surveys are excellent and easy to follow.

This little hardboard book from Krause Publications is both beautiful and useful (and how many of us can make that claim?) Clearly this is a book where each detail has been thoughtfully planned to make it useful for the stitcher.

The book covers both surface and canvas stitched and puts either one or two stitches per page. The stitches are photographed clearly and there is a large clear diagram directly below. The text contains instructions for the correct working of the stitch. At the bottom of each page there is some additional information. It provides alternate names for the stitch, a listing of suggested uses and notes which contains short tips for making this stitch look its best.

All the basic stitches are covered and the book is particularly deep on surface stitches, including some specialized techniques like hemstitching and drawn thread.

Just this is enough to make it a good book, but there are lots of wonderful little touches. First inside the hardboard cover is a ring binding, so the book lays flat, but the wire won't catch the threads. The size is small enough to make it easy to carry around and the covers are thick and sturdy.

Each stitch is numbered and they are grouped into categories. Each category, for example detached stitches, uses a different ground and thread color for the stitched examples and a different color of thread. The diagrams are done in colors to match the samples. Along the side there are pastel bars in the same color scheme. One the left page the bar says if these are stitches for canvas or fabric. The right bars tells the group of stitches.

Beyond the stitch collection, there is a long section on stitching practice. This section covers different stitching techniques (with small motifs to try as examples). design repeats and finishing. Each area is profusely illustrated and has clear explanations.

This book is one of the best overall embroidery books I've seen in a long time..

This book is a great reference book! I am new to embroidery and I didn't like all those books on patterns and what not. You can make your own flowers, birds, or whatever just from pictures you find. Or you can just wing it. This books makes it easy to choose which stitches you want to use in your design. When I'm stuck on a project I just open this book and flip through the pages.

The information in this book is very complete with illustrations. I teach historical embroidery and have recommended this book to my students. It is just what I've been looking to help me learn some stitches I didn't know. I have referred to it many times.

First of all, the ORGANIZATION of the book is FABULOUS!

It starts out with a 15-page "stitch selector" which includes color thumbnail photos of all the stitches covered. The stitches are separated into two groups: Stitches for Fabric and Stitches for Canvas. Within these, the author shows each one of the basic foundational stitches and 6 - 9 of the variations on that stitch, giving page numbers to go directly to those insructions.

Next, is an Embroidery Essentials section, which goes through the basics of tools and materials. In this section, she does a great job of talking about the appropriateness of various tools and materials to a particular piece of work. For example, which needles to use for embroidery on silk fabrics, which fabrics are best used for freestyle embroidery and which for counted stitch work. Also here are instructions on marking a design on fabric, stabilizing fabric, working from and reading charts, how to create your own chart, and the basics on beginning and ending a stitch.

Each section on the stitches themselves, begins with a photo of a sampler that includes the stitch and its variations covered. The mechanics of each stitch are illustrated and described, topped by a photo showing the stitched used in various ways (like variations on the variation). The author also talks about where and how the stitches are usually used. It's all very clear and easy to follow.

There are over 100 pages devoted to the first section on stitches for fabrics, which includes 16 basic, foundational stitches and 6 - 9 variations on those. Over 50 pages are devoted to stitches for canvas, detailing 5 basic stitches and 6 - 9 variations. Over 200 stitches are fully illustrated, photographed and described.

The last 50 or so pages are devoted to more information on various techniques such as cutwork, quilting, applique, counted stitch, freestyle embroidery, shadow work, how to finish off and display, etc.

HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend this to the beginner who wants to teach themselves the basics of embroidery, to the more advanced needle worker who wants a good reference on over 200 stitches.

What a fantastic little book! There are over 200 stitches described in this book!! I've been embroidering on and off for many years and had no idea there were so many different embroidery stitches!! An invaluable resource for beginners and a great reference for the seasoned veteran. Every stitch has a "how to" diagram, a paragraph explaining how to work the stitch, a picture of the finished stitch, and tips on suitable uses for the stitch as well as recommended fabrics. It's spiral bound so no worries about losing your place when referencing a particular stitch. It's the perfect size to carry with you on trips, too. I simply love this book and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn the beautiful art of embroidery. Also recommended: Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Embroidery Stitches.

Love this book! Detailed and the coloured pictures helps alot especially to a novice like me who's just starting to take up embroidery. Is definitely an asset for beginners.

Absolutely comprehensive, shows variations of each stitch along with detailed instructions for completion. I love that each stitch includes notes on its common uses, alternative names and other helpful info. Its the only embroidery book you'll need!

This book is an excellent stitch guide with clear instructions. It is organized so that you can find the kind of stitch you want and then zero in on the exact stitch you want to use. Highly recommended for novices right through masters of the art.