I always enjoy it when an embroidery book goes into a bit of history behind the technique, and really appreciated the brief, but well done history included with the introduction of this book. Blackwork has a long and rich history and it’s nice to have a bit of it to put it into context. The rest of the introductory section is also well done covering tools, techniques and a DMC to Anchor conversion chart for the projects in the book. There are six chapters in the design section running the gamut from traditional to using embellishments, with each chart graded for difficulty. A helpful touch especially if you use this for teaching (and I think this would be a good text). There is a great section on finishing that I found really useful, and I loved the chapter on making your own designs. I always love it when an author encourages us to spread our wings, take what they’ve taught us and run with it. Another book very worth owning.
--available on Amazon.com and in local bookstores
