Handstitched Landscapes and Flowers: 10 Charming Embroidery Projects with Templates

This book is wonderful because even if you don't replicate the projects exactly, it still shows how easy it is to be creative with just a few simple shapes, materials, and stitches. I looked for a long time at many embroidery books - some too easy, some too broad, but this one stood out as a perfect balance of attainable embroidery and art. I tend to dislike things that look “cutesy” so it was nice to finally find a book that let me be a creative beginner and still turn out something that looks fairly sophisticated. Outstanding illustrations, a variety of ideas with clear instructions, and inspiring compositions made this an ideal choice for me.

I have a lot of embroidery and silk ribbon books. This book has inspired me so much, the ideas are just running out of my head! I wish she more books and would come to the Pacific Northwest and teach a few classes! She does such a great job explaining her directions! I would rate her more than five stars if I could! Nicely Done!!!

It is a very nice book with techniques that I have never tried before.

I love this book and I will be honest, I am only halfway through the book as I am taking my time to absorb all the interesting information. I have scanned the rest of the book and it just shows me that I have a lot to look more to look forward to. In hand embroidery, over the last 5-10 years, I have noticed two distinct types of embroiderers. Those that want to do a pristine job, using the best materials, the best patterns and following the best teachers. My favorite teacher is Mary Corbet from Needle 'n Thread. When the Royal School of Needlework brought out their Book of Embroidery ASIN B07CJVJXQL she had been asked to write the forward. Then the other direction is those that like the simple folk-type motifs, which is nice for making a dish towel or some simple items that you don't expect to last a decade, much less a lifetime. Then there is yet one more type of embroiderer that gives me the shudders, that seems to be on a mission or missions to make embroidery as ugly as possible including an almost graffiti type of taking a beautiful vintage item with exquisite embroidery and then they embroider their junk on top of it. I have seen some wonderful things done with vintage linens, but that is not one of them. This book almost defies a type of embroidery to categorize it. Not all the stitches are perfect, but the design as a whole is lovely! I have looked at other similar type books, but feel like my talent doesn't reach the point of being able to paint a landscape and sky on silk prior to embroidering on it. Here the author uses organza in different colors as layers behind the work or as part of the work as flower petal and leaves. At no point in this book have I felt like I would not be able to accomplish a design from this book or one of my own choosing. Now that I am in my 60's I am trying to let the hidden artist in me come out, but I know I'm not good enough to buy expensive silk to paint on and then embroider on and hope it all comes together well. This book makes me know I can do the projects. The hardest thing for me will be getting to the fabric store to buy some organza unless I find some in my thrift store in the next little bit. The threads, backing fabric, beads, etc. I have in abundance from haunting the thrift stores the last couple of years. Don't ever overlook a thrift store when looking for craft supplies! Or local book sales as when crafters die or move to FL they donate a wealth of great books, or the craft supplies get donated to the local thrift stores. If I hadn't been given the chance to read and review this book, I would have had it on my Amazon Wishlist as soon as I noticed it. My Wishlist is a great way for me to get the craft books I would like! Just seeing the front cover as I took it out of the package, I knew I would love the book and I do. Depending on the type of embroidery that you like to do, you may feel the same way. Even if you don't, I think you can appreciate the lovely designs and the work that goes into them,

Handstitched Landscapes and Flowers: 10 Charming Embroidery Projects with Templates Katrina Witten I have created several pieces of embroidery, mostly crewel embroidery. It is amazing what you can do with a needle, floss and a piece of cloth. With a few simple stitches anyone can create a beautiful landscape filled with flowers. Always remember there are never mistakes just creative license. Author Katrina Witten is a talented artist and teacher of textiles. She begins this amazing book with a discussion of background fabrics. Cotton, linen, wool, silk, and blends work great as background fabrics. You can use textured fabrics or curtain fabrics. While silk is beautiful you will want to use a backing fabric for added weight. Threads and yarns: silk thread is beautiful but can be expensive, yarn is fun to work with, stranded cotton thread is what most stitchers turn to, metallic and lame threads are much more difficult to work with but add great dimension to your artwork. Things you will need: Hoops are great for smaller pieces but use frames for larger pieces. You will need needles, the larger the number the smaller the needle. “The needle should glide through the fabric easily it should not be a tug of war…Chenille needles have a larger eye making threading easier plus they have sharp points.” Make sure you have sharp scissors. Pins are handy for working with layered fabrics. Magnets are handy for holding you pins and needles. Author Katrina Witten walks readers/stitchers through the process of designing an embroidery. 1. Composing your design 2. Tracing the design 3. Transferring the design 4. Choosing your colors 5. Layering the fabric 6. Choosing threads 7. Creating your embroidery There are several simple stitches: straight stitch, French knots, stem stitch, chain stitch, lazy daisy, statin stitch, fly stitch, binding stitch, couching, and variations of each. MS Witten shares techniques for achieving three-dimensional effects, adding embellishments, padding. Then she shares projects to practice what you’ve learned. I haven’t embroidered in several years, but this book has inspired me to pick up my needle, and threads once again.

Liked the layout have me many idia s for my embtoderd art

I'll be 100% honest- I don't embroider but find embroidery and needlecraft books absolutely essential to my mixed media art practice because they provide so much inspiration to me as far as textures and dimension. I actually like to recreate embroidery projects with other mediums in my sketchbook trying to find different materials and colors and transparencies to emulate the design. It's amazing practice and very fun. This book is beautiful - it's well put together, well written, and is brimming with inspiration. I have to admit, I'm actually tempted to give stitching a try after reading this and dipping in and out of it so many times. My favorite aspect of this book are the color palettes the author provides with each project, as well as the templates (which don't provide a complete "blueprint" to the project but have enough details to get you going), and the really well-produced close up shots of aspects of the project, so you can get a sense of dimension and scale and how things layer over one another. This is a very inspiring book, and I highly recommend it.

The Hand-stitched Landscapes & Flowers book by Katrina Witten is beautiful enough to be a coffee table book and inspiring enough to be an asset to anyone either considering taking up embroidery or someone wanting to further their skills. This is not a crafts book you flip through quickly then set aside. This book lures you into a comfy chair, has you turn off the TV and not just read, but absorb, everything in it! The artistry is captivating, the detailed step by step instructions are easy to understand, and the unexpected use of materials, texturing, and layering are presented in a way that makes it seem possible to actually create such lovely work myself. Ms. Witten's projects are beautiful as stand alone art pieces yet can also be used in an art quilt. The addition of beads as accents is also of interest since I am a prolific beader. Finally, my stash of threads and collected pieces of organza will be put to good use.

Maravilhoso, excelente livro !!!

Lovely book with nice ideas and illustrations. I have some of their kits so wanted this book to accompany them. Great ideas to follow to relax

Je me suis inspirée du livre en mélangeant différentes matières. De l'aquarelle sur tissu, des morceaux de tulle et de mousseline, plusieurs sorteos de perles, des fils à broder ,de la laine.

A beautiful book if you are an embroiderer, with lovely illustrations. Also has templates.

This is a gorgeous book! The embroideries use organza as both backgrounds (which gives a lovely watercolour effect) and for some of the flowers themselves. The results are so pretty. The book is really well explained with step by step pictures, using just a few simple stitches. The photography is really lovely and colourful. There are some large flower designs, some small really simple ones and some small landscapes. The book also gives you ideas to design your own embroideries.