Review
Hoey’s name is familiar to many modern quilters—she’s one of the founders of the popular Fat Quarterly e-zine, and her fabric lines for Moda blend fairy-tale whimsy with cheery color palettes. In her first book, she applies her charming aesthetic to a variety of small-scale embroidery projects. After an introduction to basic embroidery stitches and their uses, Hoey presents a variety of projects that combine small embroidered designs with simple sewing. The motifs are interchangeable, and all are included on reusable iron-on transfers. VERDICT Embroidery is gaining in popularity, especially among younger crafters. Hoey’s cute, vintage-inspired approach will appeal to novice stitchers. (Library Journal)
Grown-up playtime with Aneela Hoey. Little Stitches contains more than 100 sweet embroidery designs as well ad 12 special projects using the embroidery designs. Aneela, who also designs fabric for Moda, learned to embroider in school at the young age of eight. These designs have ageless appeal, so how about starting a mother/daughter embroidery club teaching the next generation the joys of needlework. Different designs could be done each month with “show and tell” and project construction completed at the next month’s gathering. The book is extra useful with the iron-on transfers for each design included in the back of the book.
(American Quilt Retailer, 09/01/12)
This little bestseller from C&T Publishing is pricey, but for a good reason. Besides featuring Aneela’s wonderful slices-of-life artwork, her style is a little different. There’s a lot of fill-in stitching and texturizing that goes way beyond straight outlines. AND there’s an iron-on transfer sheet pullout so you can immediately start recreating Aneela’s stitched smiles. Don’t worry. If the sheet gets used up, the original patterns are also printed in the book.
(Generation Q Magazine, 11/15/12)
Little Stitches contains one hundred of designer Aneela Hoey's hand-drawn illustrations printed on transfer paper to use and reuse. Learn decorative embroidery stitches plus techniques for adding texture. This sweet book includes twelve whimsical, yet practical projects.
(Stitch Gifts, 11/1/12)
I’d never held an embroidery hoop in my life, but an hour after checking out Little Stitches by Aneela Hoey, I found myself planted on the couch, obsessed with my new hobby. Little Stitches‘ illustrated instructions on stitch basics are perfect for beginners, but Hoey’s fresh patterns should appeal to stitchers of all expertise. Within a few days I’d completed my adorable empire state building needle case (page 38). With its practical projects and delightful patterns, Little Stitches makes an inexpensive hobby even more accessible. And really, I just can’t get over the adorable patterns! Check it out!
(January 20, 2013)
The word embroidery may conjure up a troop of listless young women waiting and hoping for their Mr Darcy to turn up, or your nana's posy-edged table-cloth, but Aneela Hoey brings embroidery right up to date in Little Stitches. Gone are the days when embroidery was all about alphabets and floral motifs. Your designs can be as modern as you like - from sewing machines and snow globes, to jugs of lemonade and treehouses, and Hoey's twelve whimsical, practical project tutorials show you how to put them to best use. In particular, embroidery is suited to making keepsakes and gifts, just as days gone by, but Hoey's pincushion features a taxi, and her needle case has the Empire State Building on the front. Included in this colorful and detailed guide to stitching, 21st Century-style, are more than 100 appealing illustrations printed on to transfer paper so that you can use and re-use them time and again. Embroidery, unlike some other crafts, can be taken along anywhere you go, and once you've mastered the basic stitches with Hoey's help, you'll want to embroider everything that doesn't move! (Mumtopia, 2/3/14)
About the Author
Aneela Hoey studied textile design and now designs lines for Moda Fabrics, as well as her own embroidery and quilt patterns. She was a co-founder of the popular online e-zine, Fat Quarterly.
