Small splashes of bright colors can awaken any wardrobe or home decor. This beautifully illustrated book provides a wonderful introduction to embroidery for newcomers and will capture the imagination and interest of more experienced needleworkers as well. Janet Haigh, one of Europe's foremost embroiderers, combines simple hand-worked embroidery, exquisite natural fabrics, and several cross-craft techniques to create 12 striking projects with 20 elegant and contemporary designs. The projects - each presented with step-by-step instructions and color illustrations - include a bull's-eye pillow created in multicolored wool applique, a beaded evening bag, a crazy patchwork cover for books and pillows, a heart applique quilt for a child's bed, running-stitch picture frames, and traditional floral motifs for your favorite shirt or pair of jeans. Special sections provide basic embroidery techniques, guidance on choosing fabrics and equipment, a detailed stitch glossary, illustrations of all motifs and charts used and practical information on resizing and transferring designs, and sewing instructions for making several of the project items.

Reviews:
"Jean's designs exhibit her expertise and knowledge of color and needlework. (Her) new books will inspire your needlework, bringing new looks from a traditional craft." - Quilter's Newsletter Magazine (July/Aug 2005)