Sublime Stitching: Hundreds of Hip Embroidery Patterns and How-To

This book taught me how to embroider, and got me addicted to not only embroidery but to Jenny Hart's designs on her website. The first 48 pages of this book is a How-To section with some really beautiful photos of sitched up projects that are really inspirational. The rest of this book are the iron on patterns. The patterns themselves are really nice, now that I have become acquainted with Jenny Hart's designs on her website, I can see why her fans were disappointed with this book because whereas you can find edgy patterns on her website, this book does not feature any of the edginess. To me however, that did not detract from my enjoying the patterns in this book. You will find transfers for: flowers, roses, leaves, vines, butterflies, swans, other birds, borders, dogs, cats, babies, storks, baby items (bottles, booties, strollers, rattles, etc), moons, planets, UFO's, rockets, planes, cars, trucks, flames, dancers, maracas, drums, drinks, fruits, desserts, flatware, breakfast, tea pots, teacups, teabags, paper shades, eyes, lips, words (baby, sweet, wish, love, hello, darling), stars, curliques, musical notes, guitars, saxophones, banners, 2 alphabets (upper and lower case). The transfers are black ink and are reusable. The book is spiral bound with pockets in the front and back. All in all I really love this book! I learned how to embroider from this book, and have really enjoyed the wide variety of traditional, yet still fun, patterns. It has turned me on to Jenny Hart's patterns, and I have ordered many of her edgier patterns from her site. Cons of this book: I wish there were more photographed examples of projects. I also wish there were more intructions for more stitches--there are about 15 stitches , but I wish she would have included instructions for the herringbone sitch, fern stitch, etc..... Lastly, as others have said the claim that this book contains "hundreds" of patterns may be a bit misleading for some--while there are hundreds of images, this count includes many repeats in varying sizes or facing a different direction. There are about 100 unique images plus the alphabets. I will say that I also have the stitch-it-kit, and if you are trying to decide between this book and the kit, definitely get this book.

SUBLIME STITCHING: HUNDREDS OF HIP EMBROIDERY PATTERNS AND HOW-TO pairs lovely color photos throughout by Alexandra Grablewski with an outstanding, assessable embroiderer's guide which novices will find especially helpful and inviting. The author offers ideas for all kinds of projects, from tea towels to jeans and handbags, and provides supporting patterns and instructions to back each idea - in fact, each of the original iron-on patterns within can be used up to nine times. It's an acquisition any beginning embroiderer will love. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

I disagree with the last two reviewers. I love the patterns Jenny Hart has on her web site and although these patterns are different, they are just as useful, if not more. There are tons of things you won't find easily elsewhere, like Rhumba dancers, owls, space aliens and ships, cute ( and hip ) cats and dogs, race cars, and practically every fruit known to man. But there are lots of very practical things you can use for your dish towels, t shirts, pillow cases, and even your kitchen curtains! I am having a ball using the new patterns and the great thing about embroidery is you are only limited by your imagination! Embellish the heck out of these things, make sprinkles on the cupcakes! Add light and shadows to the fruit! There are a lot of alphabets in the very back of the book, great for those of us with less than perfect handwriting. All in all, I love it and I definitely give it five stars for anyone remotely interested in embroidery. Way to go, Jenny!

This is the rare craft book that would please both the absolute beginner and the confident stitcher. Jenny Hart writes great, simple directions, almost as good as if she were sitting next to you on the couch, and she encourages the novice to get going quickly. Her fun, witty patterns offer something for everybody: alphabets, flowers for the more traditional readers (or those with traditionalists on their gift list), dancers lifting their flowing skirts, and plenty of other tongue-in-cheek images. I've read the reviews about the "non-edgy" patterns and this is probably true, but it doesn't take too much imagination to add whatever spin you want (either by where and how you place the patterns, or how you fill them, for two suggestions). The patterns are deliberately shy of detail to allow you to add your own. This would be a perfect present for a stitcher or even someone who just likes crafting in general. I bought the book for myself (I'm a stitcher), and started making something an hour later. And I have to agree with the previous reviewer's comments about the design -- completely user-friendly.

I wish I was better at singing the paraises of things I really like! This book is fantastic.....If you know how to embroider, you are going to find some absolutely killer tips in this book, including how other people do things. This book is a compendium of techniques, and the author is open to more than just traditional embroidery, so there are some great ideas! The book includes TONS of super nice transfer patterns, and the book has pockets in the cover to store them. OH, and it is spiral bound, which I think is a MUST for craft books. If you have seen Sublime Stitching before and thought it might be TOOO hip for you, then you still need to check this out. This book truly highlights the author's range, and includes designs for all age ranges and tastes. If you love this craft or just want to try it, you would love this book!!