Ribbon Basics: All The Stitches & Techniques Of Silk Ribbon Work & Embroidery

Rating:
Summary: Not For Beginners
Review: Don't let the title fool you - this book is not for beginners. I was expecting a sampler or sample page of various types of stitches along with their names and step by step instructions on how to create the stitches. Instead, I got a book that shows a number of different projects that showcase a specific letter of the alphabet - all 26 of them - A-Z. An attempt is made to match each letter of the alphabet with a flower and create a piece that showcases that flower. The index lists a total of 18 stitches amongst all of the flower names. Unfortunately, you will have to leaf through the book to look at each stitch to see if it is the one you want to learn how to make. The instructions are then sketchy at best, sometimes showing only the completed stitch and how a number of them combine to make the flower. I am selling my book.

Rating:
Summary: An ABC's Guide to Ribbon Embroidery
Review: If you have never done ribbon embroidery, you might want to choose another book for your first instruction book. But if you already have some experience, this book offers inspriation as well as guidance. There's not much in the way of basic information, such as choosing fabrics or ribbons, but each letter of the alphabet offers a new example of doing ribbon monograms as well as illustrated step-by-step instructions for various stitches and flowers. They have to stretch things a little on some letters (even THEY couldn't think up any flowers that start with X). Every letter also features a full color photograph of the stitches/flowers used for that letter, as well as a multi-color stitch guide to follow. While I haven't used any of their guides "as is," I have found their projects inspirational. The instructions for stitches easy to understand and the alphabetical organization of stitches and flowers helpful in planning my own projects.

Rating:
Summary: Good for inspiration
Review: If you're looking for patterns and techniques you can take right off the page and put on your cloth, you'll be disappointed. The projects illustrated are too frou-frou for my tastes to do 'as is' (and unless your tastes run towards gobs of Victorian embellishments, probably yours too) but it gave me ideas how to combine stitches into designs. This book also has instructions on how to do many gathered flowers with wider or wired ribbon. In addition to flowers by alphabet (including some unusual choices like caladiums), there are instructions on how to make decorative initials; something I haven't seen before. Each project picture is shown in a wide shot, then a close up, and a drawn diagram the same size as the close up, so you can easily see the details, and what goes where. As a modestly experienced embroideress, I will use this book mostly for inspiration when dreaming up my own designs. P.S. I'm surprised they didn't use Zantedeschia (calla lilies) for the letter Z!