Artfully embroidered Motifs and patterns for bags and more

This book marks the English-language debut of the work of Shimoda, who has written a number of embroidery books published in her home country of Japan. Rather than focusing on a single type of embroidery, Shimoda draws from several styles and traditions, including cross-stitch, ribbon embroidery, crewel, and bead embroidery. Several of the projects also employ fusible applique for added embellishment and texture. Most involve some machine sewing along with the embroidery. The directions provided are typical of Japanese craft books in English translation and include text with simple line drawings. The coverage of basic embroidery and sewing techniques is cursory, so experience with machine sewing (particularly handbag construction) and knowledge of common hand embroidery stitches is helpful. Full-size, traceable templates for all sewn projects, as well as each of the embroidery motifs in the book, are included on pull-out sheets. VERDICT Shimoda is a master at combining fabric and thread for impressive effects. Sewists interested in exploring the world of embroidery will find a wealth of inspiration here, though beginners may need to consult a reference or an online tutorial to get themselves up to speed on the basics. (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.