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While Pinterest, social media, and the internet in general can be a fun place to search for creative inspiration for our embroidery projects, they can be a bit of a black hole as well! It’s far too easy to spend more time in front of our screens than we actually do stitching! When I’m feeling like I’ve had a bit too much of technology, there’s nothing I enjoy more than holding a physical book in my hands. This is especially true of art and craft books and magazines, where flipping through the colored pages and bookmarking projects that catch my eye is so much more exciting than simply looking at a photo on a small screen.
If you are hungry for embroidery inspiration, or looking to try a new project, check out some of the books below, whether you grab them from Amazon, a favorite book store, or your local library.
Favorite Embroidery Books That I Return to Again and Again
These stitching books are ones that I love going back to for my personal projects as I create embroidered art around my home and in my wardrobe. I love these because they most reflect my interests and values when it comes to stitching.
The Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook: Patterns, Projects and Inspirations by Susan Briscoe
I’ve written a bit about this book before and if you are interested in learning sashiko, this is a really wonderful resource. Not only does Susan Briscoe demonstrate the steps of stitching sashiko patterns, but she also walks the reader through the craft’s rich history, supplies and techniques, and provides loads of inspiration and possible projects for your home. The book is a wealth of information and will show you everything you need to get started and stitch over 100 different sashiko patterns with expert guidance.
Slow Stitch: Mindful and Contemplative Textile Art by Claire Wellesley-Smith
I’ve been fascinated with the Slow Movement for a while, which is really about making a deliberate decision to slow down and be present in all of life. It’s about quality over quantity and savoring minutes and hours rather than simply counting them. Slow Stitch applies this philosophy to embroidery works, adopting a less-is-more mindset. You’ll find inspiration from traditions such as American patchwork, Kantha techniques, mending and darning, and Japanese Boro by working with what you already have to repurpose and upcycle fabrics and thread.
Mending Matters: Stitch, Patch, and Repair Your Favorite Denim & More by Katrina Rodabaugh
Speaking of mending and the Slow Movement, this useful book by Katrina Rodabaugh encourages slow fashion, walking you through 20 hands-on projects that showcase current trends in visible mending that are edgy, modern, and bold, but draw on traditional stitching. In my journey to distance myself from the consumeristic culture in which I live, I’ve sought to embrace mending and upcycling of clothing and other fibers using techniques from this book. If you enjoy this book, check out her follow-up Make Thrift Mend, which digs deeper into bringing new life to old clothes through techniques such as dyeing, darning and more.
If you aren’t familiar with Natalie Chanin, she is a fashion designer and her company, Alabama Chanin, is known for the cutting-edge twist it puts on tried-and-true sewing, quilting, and embroidery techniques, applied mostly by hand to recycled cotton jersey. Truly, I find the work of Alabama Chanin so inspiring, with the incredibly gorgeous clothes they stitch by hand. This book is full of patterns and projects (you’ll want to get a new copy of the book so the removable patterns are included) from clothing to a journal cover, sampler quilt, tablecloth and more. Explore hand stitching, stenciling, and beading techniques on mostly stretch knit fabrics.
I picked up this book less for the stitch instructions and more because I was fascinated with Valerie Bothell’s crazy quilting - definitely something I hope to try this year! I also love how the author encourages readers to stitch daily, even for a few minutes and see the progress and exploration they’ll be able to achieve over the course of a year.
Embroidery Eye Candy and Inspiration
These books are full of inspiration if I’m feeling stuck and want a fresh approach to an embroidery project. Take a look to see what catches your eye.
Joyful Stitching by Laura Wasilowski
This fun book by Laura Wasilowski is a riot of color and absolute eye candy. My favorite thing about it is studying all of the wonderful stitches she uses together to create movement and texture in her embroidery work. As you explore its pages, you’ll be certain to get ideas for how to expand your use of different stitches in your own embroidery projects.
This book is a bit challenging to come by in the US, though you may find some used copies out there. However, I am pretty sure I had mine shipped over from the UK. It was definitely worth it though as I love the Scandinavian style of embroidery and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the techniques Karin Holmberg highlights.
I’m eagerly waiting for my copy of Colour Confident Stitching to arrive, but I have heard great things about this book. If you struggle with choosing a color palette for your embroidery projects, this book is a fantastic resource to have on hand. The first two sections guide the reader through color theory as well as choosing color more instinctively. Additionally, the projects that are included will encourage the reader to explore color and build confidence through exercise and experiment.
At the time of writing this article, this book is on preorder so I haven’t flipped through it yet, but Emilie Ferris does beautiful thread-painting work - a form of embroidery that creates a realistic, lifelike effect using a single strand of thread and one simple stitch – the 'long and short' stitch. If thread painting is something you always have wanted to learn, definitely put this book on your to-read list.
I’m a big admirer of Yumiko Higuchi’s work and love her motifs and the beautiful precision with which she stitches. Simply gorgeous! If you feel the same, I’d encourage you to check out any number of her books (which are in English) that explore various motifs, techniques and projects, and are full of inspiration.
Stitch•illo by Janine Vangool
Although I haven’t gotten a copy of this book in my hands…yet…I can tell it’s going to be a treasure to keep on hand. To say that the book looks gorgeous is an understatement - just watch the video at this link to see a flip through of the pages. If you are at all familiar with Uppercase Magazine, you know that everything Janine Vangool puts out is lovely. Dive into information and artwork from over 40 fiber artists and you’ll be sure to come away inspired. BONUS: Check out Yarn-Thread-String for another inspiring work!
Other Fiber Art Inspiration and Projects
I’m a firm believer that inspiration is everywhere, so don’t limit yourself solely to embroidery resources. Look at other fiber arts and art forms and see how it influences your creativity. Here are a few other art and craft books (and magazines) that I’ve enjoyed over the years.
Embellish Me: How to Print, Dye, and Decorate Your Fabric by Laurie Wisbrun
Embellish Me is another book which is out of print, but after falling in love with a copy from my library, I was able to find a used copy on Amazon. This book is more about the fabric which provides a base for your stitching projects, offering examples and step-by-step instructions for tie-dyeing, bleaching, shibori, block printing, silk-screen, digital printing, beading and more.
I recently received this book as a gift in response to my desire to continue upcycling fabric into new, functional art around my home. Author Elspeth Jackson details eight different rag rug techniques and 30 lovely projects, from placemats and bowls to rugs, wall hangings, and more. This fun book offers great inspiration and instruction if you too want to save fabric scraps from your embroidery and other fiber art projects and create something new and beautiful.
Fiber Art Now is a quarterly (print and digital) magazine that goes far beyond embroidery. It’s full of really unique ideas and inspiration as well as connection to a community of other fiber artists.
Uppercase is another quarterly print magazine which is truly a work of art in itself. Treasured by designers, illustrators, craftspeople, creative entrepreneurs and paper lovers around the world, the beautifully printed pages are completely free of ads and an inspiration to anyone who loves the arts in their various forms. Magazine issues cover a wide variety of topics from quilting and painting to sculpture, calligraphy, and much more.