New Designs, New Projects for Embroidery on Paper

New Designs, New Projects for Embroidery on Paper
By Erica Fortgens
Published by Search Press
ISBN: 9781844484140
Price: £6.99  
Reviewed by Jackie Langfeld

For the card-making enthusiast who doubles as a careful embroiderer, Erica Fortgens new book is full of inspiring projects.

The designs range from simple heart motifs to the more complex and intriguing mandalas, so there is something here for the beginner and the skilled craft-worker alike.

Simple stitches such as straight stitch and stem stitch are used throughout the book to create straight lines, curves and filling patterns. Some of the effects created with these simple stitches form a slightly raised 3D surface, adding interest to the designs.

Some good general, basic instructions are included at the beginning of the book and tips and hints are provided with the individual projects. These are both welcome features and the author has provided a link to her website for further information on embroidering on paper.

The book is well illustrated but I do feel that these illustrations would benefit from better labelling. For the complete beginner this lack of labelling may be confusing at first.

There are simple clear instructions for each project and the designs for copying are good, although the numbering for some of the more complex patterning could be a little larger for tired eyes! I would recommend enlarging these for easy reference beside the work.

Very specific tools and materials are given in this book which is very useful, but I do wonder how supportive this is for those who do not have access to a good craft supplier. Perhaps the addition of alternative suggestions would be helpful.

Overall though, this book is a delightful little project book. I hope that it will be an interesting addition to the craft-workers vocabulary and that it will also lead to the individual having the confidence to extend and experiment with the technique and develop personalised designs.

Editors note: If you do have problems sourcing some of the tools and materials mentioned in the book then make sure you consult the directory (www.thetextiledirectory.com)