1-2-3 Embroidery: Easy Projects for Elegant Living [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Ellen Moore Johnson (Author) "Before you can begin embroidering, you must become acquainted with materials and equipment appropriate to your project..." (more)
Key Phrases: Follow the Dressmaker's Carbon Transfer, Follow the Direct Tracing Transfer

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Embroidery has long been used to add charm and elegance to traditional items like kerchiefs and bed linens—but why should it end there? 123 Embroidery is the first book to provide simple step-by-step projects for a range beautiful embroidered accents.

From silk sofa pillows for the living room to tie-on chair cushions for the kitchen, from a bedroom lamp shade to a bathroom vanity set, here are more than 30 projects for creating embroidery crafts that are both beautiful and easy. The book begins with a primer on the basics of tools, stitching techniques, and coordination of stitches and fabrics to the project at hand. Then step-by-step instructions walk readers through the entire embroidery process.

Pattern templates plus an additional section on smaller projects ensure that novice and experienced needleworkers will have a wellspring of ideas and instruction for beautiful embroidery embellishments.

About the Author
Ellen Moore Johnson has published articles and designed embroidery projects for Craft and Needlework Age, Creative Needle, Decorating Digest, Fancywork, Great American Crafts, Handcraft Illustrated, Memory Magic, Needlearts, Sew Beautiful, and Stitcher’s World. Her company, Ellen Moore Johnson Designs, supplies the hobby/craft industry with embroidery products that have a worldwide distribution. She lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Quarry Books; illustrated edition edition (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564964752
• ISBN-13: 978-1564964755
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 7.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,111,732 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Simple Designs for the Beginner, February 7, 2004

By	J. Yoon (Palo Alto, CA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was my first book on embroidery. I checked out several from a local library, and this was by far the best beginner's book. Most of the designs were so cute and beautiful, that it made me want to try them out right away. I really love the thread color choices. The instruction for the stiches and the description of different types of thread was the most clear among all of the books I looked at. In some books, these instructions are not clear. The projects are all short, simple ones, within the ability of a first timer. Although I realized quickly that it took me quite a while to do each of the small designs (about 2 hours per item, such as a small scroll or one set of cherries). I don't think I will attempt the larger designs. The back of the book has very good templates used in all of the projects. Many of the templates are 100% sized. There is also a page of script letters (for monogrammig), and a page of DMC thread colors and their numbers, which turned out to be quite helpful. I like the scroll designs the best. They look very pretty in white linen with pastel blue thread.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Embroidery for delightful decoration, December 8, 2003

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Compiled and presented by needlecraft expert Ellen Moore Johnson, 1-2-3 Embroidery: Easy Projects For Elegant Living is a simple, elegant, "how-to" instructional guide to using embroidery for delightful decoration. Projects for the kitchen, bedroom, bath, living room, children's room, and more are presented with meticulous instructions enhanced with full color photography. 1-2-3 Embroidery is an excellent guide which is to be enthusiastically recommended to needleworkers of all skill and experience levels with an interest in gaining a personal expertise in carrying out embroidery projects for all occasions and purposes.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not sure if it is the book or i chose incorrectly, August 2, 2007

By	D. Hardwick "love to scrap" (Indianapolis,IN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

was looking for a book with the basics and would focus on only that. this book wasted alot of paper with art. i can make and find my own patterns and ideas, i just need instruction and hints on how to finish a project.