Joyful Daily Stitching Seam by Sea

December 18, 2017
Bothell, a crazy quilting specialist with more than 20 years of experience, helps others whose imaginations might fail when decorating the seams of quilts in this delightful collection of stitches. She begins the book with a lesson on piecing, followed by an overview of essentials of hand embroidery (tools, tips, templates, and transfers) and instructions on 61 basic stitches. She then presents over 500 combinations of stitches, including eight pages of back stitches and eight more of blanket-stitch variations. Large pictures of hot-pink thread against beige fabric help to illustrate the intricacies of each individual stitch. Variations with beads and sequins in circles and fans expand the detailed yet doable work. Though the book is geared toward quilters, anyone with an interest in needlework (beginners and experts alike) will make plenty of use of this nifty anthology of stitches.

February 15, 2018

Crazy quilter Bothell challenged herself to stitch a crazy quilt featuring 500 different stitch combinations on 49 blocks. That quilt forms the basis of this book. Bothell begins with two methods for sewing crazy quilt blocks, as well as a dictionary of basic embroidery stitches. The unique heart of the book is the guide to combination embroidery stitches, where Bothell combines multiple stitches, as well as embellishments such as silk ribbon, beads, and buttons, into ornate designs. Stitch combinations are organized by the base stitch (e.g., blanket stitch), and each combination includes a close-up photo of a stitched seam and a caption listing the stitches and embellishments used. VERDICT The stitch combinations will be useful to embroiderers interested in replicating Bothell's designs but also provide a jumping-off point for creative stitchers to create their own patterns.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.