Fine Embellishment Techniques: Classic Details for Today's Clothing

Wow! I was very surprised. The techniques are simple but very effective. The photos of finished products are classy looking, and not overdone. The colors are subdued. Less is definitely more. The diagrams are very clear. The advice and recommendations are excellent. I've already tried a few of the techniques with great success. Highly recommended if you want to add that extra little something to make your garments stand out, but not look gaudy.

This book is wonderful. If you want to create your own beautiful clothes from scratch, this is the book for you. She tells you EVERYTHING you need to know about beading, threadwork, trims, bindings and pipings, and applique. The possibilities are endless!!!

I own many, many sewing books and hesitated to buy another that would teach the same old basics. This book DOES teach the basics--and, like all Taunton books, with clear directions and beautiful, helpful illustrations. However, then the author goes a step further and shows some extremely sophisticated looks that a sewer can get from using the techniques in unexpected ways--or by combining two techniques. (I can't wait to try the combination of cording and bobbin work.) This is not an intimidating book--and makes you feel that if you take your time, you can get good results even if you aren't a couture sewer. Every embellishment technique you can think of is in this book--and I'd label it a basic reference work. I'm keeping it close at hand in my sewing room, right next to "Fabric Savvy," "The Art of Fabric Collage," "Make It Your Own," and my Lois Ericson books.

I originally purchased this book for "eye candy", thinking it would only give me modern day examples of embellishment techniques I could apply to the medieval and fantasy costumes I design and sew.I was mistaken. This is a resource guide of embellishment techniques. The (well done and many) photographs are a small part of what I have used from this book. I have learned the techniques for applying these embellishments and learned what sewing attachments and notions I can use in each case to make the task easier. This book has given me much advice on where best to use them and how.I would recommend this book to anyone sewing fantasy or medieval costumes as the one book they should buy this year.

This book is full of wonderful ideas of how to add that extra zip to the clothes you make, or even pre-made clothes. The suggested designs are elegant, not craft-sy like most of the information and designs that are available on the subject.