Seamless Embroidery

by Yumiko Higuchi

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Seamless Embroidery is a beautifully curated collection of surface embroidery designs with tutorials by Yumiko Higuchi. Due out 28th May 2024 from Shambhala Publications on their Roost Books imprint, it's 100 pages and will be available in paperback format. 

The included projects are all stylishly appealing and full of colorful surface embroidery featuring a large variety of small repeatable patterns to cover areas or a whole surface. All of the tutorials include full color pictures as well as detailed line drawings with stitch guides and directions. Materials are readily and widely available. Although the tutorials are specific to finished projects, they could all easily be adapted to whatever finished form the reader wishes.

The stitch diagrams which are provided include clear pictures of straight stitch, lazy daisy, satin, French knot, chain stitch (used in most of the projects), and other surface embroidery techniques. It would be possible to complete the projects in the book by just using the stitch tutorials, but obviously having a more experienced stitching buddy (or youtube) would help. 

Full size templates are included as well as materials lists and suggested finishing instructions. 

It should be noted that this book is about surface embroidery, not cross stitch. It's lovely to see tutorials and and upswing in interest for the other fibrearts; it seems like only cross-stitch had any following for a long long time and it's nice to see surface embroidery enjoying a renaissance.
I enjoyed the book very much. It's a worthwhile and fun introduction and guide to learning embroidery. Many of the designs in the book could also serve as a good jumping off point for dimensional embroider/stumpwork.

Four and a half stars

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