Hand Sewing Magic: Essential Know-How for Hand Stitching--*10 Easy, Creative Projects *Master Tension and Other Techniques * With Pro Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting

by Lynn Krawczyk

​Hand Sewing Magic is an essential reference for all things stitching, including how-tos for dozens of stitches, sewing and mending basics, stunning embroidered embellishments, and fun, creative projects.

Discover the pleasures of slow stitching as Lynn Krawczyk shows you how to enjoy the meditative and mindful process of stitching by hand. Stitching and embroidery are great ways to add color, texture, and interest to all kinds of textiles, and you’ll see how easy it is to develop a distinctive style.

After mastering a variety of stitches, apply them to imaginative projects, such as a boro sketchbook cover, a stuffed toy bunny, a wabi sabi neck scarf, and an embroidered square bowl.

Even experienced sewers and embroiderers will learn how to transfer patterns, ideas for organizing and caring for thread, differences in thread types, and great troubleshooting tips.

Hand Sewing Magic is a modern, all-in-one guide for hand stitchers of all levels of skill and experience, and for all applications. In this unique guide book you will:

• Get an in-depth overview of essential tools and materials, including thread, needles, fabric, and other key supplies.
• Explore a comprehensive visual dictionary of 35 stitches, plus dozens of variations, including basic mending, stylish decorative embellishments, and unique art stitching.
• Discover key techniques, such as starting and ending threads, the correct way to use an embroidery hoop, stitching curved shapes, color shading, and more.
• Gain confidence in your stitching and embroidery skills as you try new techniques.
• Learn essential tips and tricks from influential and innovative stitchers, including Joanne Sharpe, Allison Aller, and Catherine Redford.
• Use stitches and techniques in unique ways for 10 simple and stunning projects. 

With Hand Sewing Magic, you’ll make the most of your hand stitching and give all your projects a beautiful handmade look.

• ISBN13: 9781589239685
• Publish Date: 6 December 2018 (first published 4 December 2018)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 13 April 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Quarry Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 144
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.


Hand Sewing Magic is a tutorial and philosophy-of-art guide by Lynn Krawczyk. Released 4th Dec 2018 by Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 144 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats.

There's been a renaissance of sorts for handcrafts, especially fibrecrafts. Once considered a necessary day-to-day survival skill and learnt by girls at a young age, handsewing is enjoying a resurgence as a valid form of artistic expression. There have been a number of really appealing books on surface embroidery and utility sewing lately. This is another good one.

The introductory chapters contain the obligatory materials lists and photos, but also contain and interesting discussion of the creative philosophy.. why hand sew when there are faster methods of creating a finished product. The author makes a number of valid points.

The next four chapters (70% of the content) contain a variety of stitches and several tutorial projects per chapter primarily using utilitarian stitches, outlining and filling stitches, decorative stitches and finally 3dimensional stitches.

There's an alphabetical index and resource page (slanted toward readers in North America). The book emphasizes the creative process and artistic inspiration much more than slavishly following a tutorial in order to create a copy of the projects in the book. There are templates included but they're very basic and intended more as an inspirational jumping off point.

Four stars. Some nice projects and a lot of good thoughtful discourse on the fibre arts process.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes