Product Description
Embroidery machines are the hottest trend in home sewing, with over 400,000 machines in use. The possibilities are endless when it comes to embellishing everything from kids’ wear to table linens. This guide provides essential information that goes beyond the basic instruction manual for owners of a home embroidery machine or combination sewing-embroidery machine.

Taking the guesswork out of using a home embroidery machine, this book covers the entire embroidery process from choosing designs, threads, stabilizers and needles to hooping, design placement and stitching techniques. Simple projects are made easy with step-by-step instructions, allowing readers to experiment with their new skills and embroidery techniques. A handy troubleshooting section helps solve problems along the way. Includes a bonus CD featuring 6 exclusive embroidery designs digitized by award-winning Lindee Goodall, owner of Cactus Punch®.

- Includes a free CD with 6 exclusive designs—a $35 value!
- Tips and techniques for stitching decorative designs onto purchased or sewn items
- An inspiring gallery of project ideas ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

An excellent book for learning machine embroidery
As a beginner in machine embroidery, I have found this book extremely useful. Easy to read, good explanations, with nice illustrative color plates.It did answer all my questions. I like the way it is organized. An excellent reference book for machine embroidery.

Excellent Book!
This is one of the most comprehensive books on machine embroidery I have ever read. It is a must for beginners.

Embroidery Machine Essentials
The book was in excellent condition as stated by owner.THe book itself is a wonderful referenceand teaching guide.The book was received in a timely manner.I highly recommend this book for new machine embroidery students.

Very Dated--skip it.
Be sure you notice that this book is a 2001 book.It is very dated (floppies instead of USB cables).Skip it--don't waste your money.Perhaps the author could issue another version...

Embroidery Machine Essentials
Absolutely a must for anyone who wants a reference book or is just starting out, it will become well used.Lots of ideas plus some new embroidery patterns.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Nancy Zieman, the nation's most recognized and revered sewing expert, teaches aspiring and experienced embroiderers everything they need to know to master this craft. An easy-to-understand tutorial explains the basics of machine embroidery, and detailed photos depict every step of using these machines for top-notch results.

Readers will learn about what tools are needed, how to organize the embroidery area, types of machines, designs, templating/positioning, software, stabilizers, hooping, fabrics, problem shooting and finishing touches. The book also features a glossary of common terms, and the final chapter features ideas for moving beyond the basics and taking those new skills to the next level.

-Easy-to-follow tutorial for beginners in machine embroidery-Features a glossary of common terms-Provides inspiration for moving beyond the basics into more advanced projects ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Okay, but a little like an advertising brochure
I got this book when I first got my embroidery machine.Her lists of all the types of stabilizer and what they are used for is helpful now (4 years later) but was just overwhelming when I was starting.Her tips are good, but there weren't many projects I was interested in making, and I didn't need a discussion of the types of machines--I don't think it even starts on projects until page 65 or later.In general, I'm a big Nancy Zeiman fan & have several of her books, but this book wasn't very helpful to me as a beginning embroiderer.I had better luck subscribing to embroidery magazines.

Another excellent book by Nancy Zieman
I just bought an embroidery machine online and didn't really know where to start.Since I have bought books by Nancy Zieman in the past, I looked for one by her on this topic.The book covers everything from machines, thread, placement in the hoop, and ideas for embroidery.It is clearly written with excellent photos.

great seller
after buying, i realized i already had the book --- april said i could return it for a full refund, which i did, but she actually refunded before she even got the book in return mail-we are still trying tohunt it down ---what a pleasure to work with!!
djones

Machine Embroidery- Nancy
This book has given me the confidence that I need to become a better machine embroider. Very excellent book.

machine embroidery
As always, I am a Nancy fan.I live in a remote area and she has been my teacher for years.Thank you Nancy. ... Read more

Product Description
The variables in machine embroidery are almost infinite - finding the best combination of needle, thread, stabilizer, hooping method, stitch underlay, stitch length and density - and this is just for ordinary fabrics! Deborah Jones simplifies this process, providing a wealth of information to help you refine the variables to get great results for nineteen of the most difficult fabrics to machine embroider. Learn the "logic" of adjusting the variables for any difficult material and explore machine embroidery with your own designs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Machine Embroidery on Difficult Materials
I have done custom embroidery in the past but not on some of the materials covered in this book. To anyone who plans on doing embroidery for personal or business reasons I believe this book is essential.

Lots of great advice packed into one book
Deborah Jones has been doing machine embroidery for many years and has a lot of experience doing embroidery on any number of fabrics.Having attended one of her seminars, I realized that practically everything she teaches at her seminar is packed into this one book.Before reading the book, I thought that successful machine embroidery depends primarily on an appropriate selection of a stabilizer and possibly a topper.But now I know how important good hooping is, how the selection of needle types affects stitch-outs, and how designs may need to be modified for certain problem fabrics.This book is filled with good advice and demands a careful read to get everything you can out of it.

Huge help
This book is a huge help to anyone starting out in machine embroidery. Yes, you still have to try things out and make adjustments, but this gives you a place to start. For example, I wouldn't have known to stick with cut-away stabilizer on t-shirt fabric; I might have tried all sorts of goofy things, and not come up with that for some time. This book is an immense time-saver.

Machine Embroidery
This is one of the best books that I have purchased. It answered all of my questions and more. I would give more stars if there was more to give. It is well worth the buy.

Includes a bonus cd-rom with 14 embroidery designs in 38 fabric-specific versions
Work with new materials readily found but often overlooked and difficult with Machine Embroidery on Difficult Materials, a guide to working with materials that pucker, run, stretch, or have pile. From synthetic sheers to thick velvets, this book shows how to machine embroider with fine results on all materials. Any needlework library needs this reference, which includes a bonus cd-rom with 14 embroidery designs in 38 fabric-specific versions. ... Read more

Product Description
With embroidery machines capturing the sewing industry's creative imagination, sewers are seeking new embroidery methods and techniques to take them to the next level. This new reference presents the next step in the creative embroidery process--using embroidery software to customize, edit, and create decorative designs.

From combining decorative designs to stitch editing to creating designs, Jeanine Twigg provides basic software theories and instructions that can be used with any embroidery machine. Includes a CD with 10 exclusive designs and artwork, encompassing 20 projects, as well as additional techniques and an idea gallery from industry experts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

How to Customize
Great for helping a beginner learn to create one of a kind articles of appearl.

Embroidery Machine Essentials
I receive my order promptly and am very satisfied with the book. I reccomend this book for all those just beginning Mach.Emb. It also has great references.

More Embroidery Machine Essentials: How to Customize, Edit and Create Decorative Designs
This is a fabulous book, easy to read and hasgreat explanations on how to do. This would be a must have for any Embroidery machinist.I have already recommended it to others.

Machine EmbroideryEverything
This was purchased as I was new the machine embroidery.This has a lot of good information.I purchased it for a particular area but then found it helps to READ THE ENTIRE BOOK as there is a lot of good information that can help you along the way.A great purchase.

As with all the books by Twigg, it is okay.
It gives the basics that new machine embroiderers need and the explanations are good.For the price I think it gives good info.The included CD rom is nice to have. ... Read more

Product Description

Add a whole new dimension to your embroidery!

In Dimensional Machine Embroidery, learn to enhance your machine embroidery skills with specialty techniques that make your work beautiful to the eye and amazing to the touch. come to life with traditional and raw-edge appliqué, trapunto, wing needle and shadow work. With clear step-by-step instructions and handy tips and tricks for each technique, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful and professional-looking results.

Inside Dimensional Machine Embroidery, you’ll find:

• 11 dimensional techniques to learn and master, with accompanying projects: elegant lace coasters, a cozy embroidered elk blanket, a funky giraffe footstool, and more!

• A CD containing 18 digitized designs from the projects, as well as bonus designs for the wing needle and shadow work techniques
• Recommendations for specific fabrics, stabilizers, needles and notions to use with each project, for spectacular results every time
• Notes from Nancy: expert advice from sewing and craft expert Nancy Zieman sprinkled throughout the pages

Why settle for flat embroidery, when you can create delicate lace and shaggy fur? All you need is your digital embroidery machine, and Deborah Jones showing you how!

Customer Reviews (3)

very useful book
I haven't actually used this book yet, but I've read through it and the instructions seem clear.I like the looks of the results of the various techniques and I'm anxious to try some of them out.

OK for beginners
This book is O.K. for beginners, but if you have much experience in machine embroidery, there is nothing new.

Dimensional Machine Embroidery
This book is awesome.I found out how to do projects that I had been afraid to start and feel confident that I can do them now.Very well written, self explanitory and pictures give very fine details.Good for beginners to challenging. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (10)

fiber artist
Great ideas on how to create wonderful surface designs on fabric.
Great for thread painting.
Would recommend.

Freestyle Machine Embroidery
While looking through my many needlecraft magazines, I came upon a project done by Carol Shinn that I thought was amazing, so I was delighted to see that she had published a book on her techniques. I have been looking for quite a while for a book that showed how to do freestyle machine embroidery which is not the same as doing machine embroidery using digitized designs. With freestyle machine embroidery, you use your sewing machine as a paint brush and thread as the paint, sewing down layers of color to make a picture or design.

In my quest I have come upon books that while supposedly about this type of embroidery, spend half the book talking about painting backgrounds, etc. Well if I could paint backgrounds I think I would stick with painting and forget trying to learn how to machine embroider the picture. This book, however, explains some simple projects that you can do with painting blocks of color (or you could print the blocks out using special ink jet photo transfer paper) and then explains how to use your threads to sew out these simple designs. Once you have learned these simple techniques then you go on to learn how to show transparency of colors in your designs. There are plenty of pictures so that you can understand the step by step process including showing the blocks and the spools of thread used in the project and how they combined.

The author explains the materials she uses and the whys of what she uses and at the same time going on to describe other material that can be used and how you would need to stabilize it. She also spends time on explaining how a design can distort due to the quantity of thread taking up fabric depending on the way the stitches lie. This is the first I recall hearing about the possibilities of distortion from all the books I have read on freestyle machine embroidery in so it was certainly good to know. Along with her own work she shows examples of other artists and explains their basic techniques and philosophy about what they do.

At the back of the book was a page of recommended reading with a long list of books that I hadn't heard of. I think my wish list will be expanding if I can't find the books through my local library. All in all this was a terrific book and one I highly recommend if you are interested at all in this sewing technique. Perhaps after reading this book, I will now be able to go back to my other books on machine embroidery and understand the techniques for combining the thread better.

freestyle freewheelin'
This is a wondrous book with many examples of finished pieces that are breathtaking. Yet the actual instructions of how to do this kind of embroidery are limited to just twenty pages of the book. The remaining pages are a gallery with no instructions, a useful colour section on overlaying threads and a few techniques and tips. I would rather have seen more instructions on how to make a face in machine embroidery, how to make a 'landscape'. I do think this book is worthwhile because it is inspiring and shows you what can be achieved, but I am not at all sure that it is the best instructional book on freestyle machine embroidery.

Freestyle Machine Embroidery: Techniques and Inspiration for Fiber Art
I have long admired Carol Shinn's work and was excited to find such a clear and informative book showing her work and methods. The book is all that was promised and more. The photographs are very good and clearly show how Ms Shinn accompishes her wonderful thread paintings. There are excellent examples of other artists' work in this medium and the instructions are concise and thorough. It was also helpful to find that Ms Shinn's methods do not require any high tech sewing machines or specialized equipment. She also gives very good instructions about correcting the problems that might arise while working on fabric. I appreciate good books that deliver what is promised and this one certainly does.

Eye candy and inspiration
This is threadwork as an artform by itself, not as an additional facet of textile or mixed media art. Many of the pieces and techniques discussed in Carol's book would need thousands of yards of thread to make. She explains clearly how to stitch over a transferred image, and what effect direction of stitching will have. She also shows some great examples of colour blending. There is a gallery of mostly abstract work by other artists in thread. The subtitle tells you what the book is providing - both techniques and inspiration. ... Read more

Product Description
Asian culture meets machine embroidery in 35+ beautiful designs!



Designer Joan Elliott turns her talent to the in Asian-Inspired Machine Embroidery. The 35+ designs in this book and on the accompanying CD-ROM present a wide range of motifs for embellishing clothing, accessories, gifts and home d?cor. Seasonal kimono patterns, playful pandas, enchanting florals and more are inspired by traditional Asian symbols and culture, ready to embroider by machine or by hand.



With Asian-Inspired Machine Embroidery, you get:



A CD-ROM containing 35+ Asian-inspired designs digitized for machine embroidery in eight common machine format

All designs in JPEG and PDF formats so hand embroiderers can print and create their own transfers

26 projects that show how to use the designs in creative and beautiful ways

A how-to section on machine embroidery basics, an index to designs on the CD-ROM and a floss color list for hand embroiderers



Fill your world with Asian elegance with Asian-Inspired Machine Embroidery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Asian Inspired Machine Embroidery
This is a fantastic book with a CD of 35plus embroidery designs, exceptional value for money even though it had to be posted internationally.This book is a must for anyone wanting oriental designs etc. ... Read more

Product Description
Thousands have embraced EMBROIDERY MACHINE ESSENTIALS as the must have resource for successful machine embroidery. Now, Jeanine Twigg's new Companion Project Series builds on the success of her original book. Each companion book contains 48 pages filled with creative embroidery machine techniques, 20 easy to stitch projects and a CD with 20 exclusive embroidery machine designs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

juvenile designs
The designs included with this book are very juvenile and nothing you would want to use on a real project. The instructions are spare and incomplete. You are constantly referred back to her book for info which is time consuming for $20.00 I expect more. Don't waste your money.A big disappointment.

Great Designs Included
This book, as it says in the title, is a "companion" to the Embroidery Machine Essentials", "How to Stabilize, Hoop, and Stitch Decorative Designs".

This book has some really cool projects and creative ideas in it. It also has a CD-ROM included with some nice designs on it. Some of them are "take-apartable", which means you can use just a portion of the designs or rearrange the elements the way you want to.

The only drawback to the book (the reason for 4 stars) is that it really depends on the original book for a lot of the basics. I guess that is not so bad, and I did buy the parent book, but had I not, it would have been more than a little irritating. Just be aware that this book, while having good projects and nice designs included, really needs the parent book for the full experience.

By the way, the original book is very good, for newbies like me, with the basics.

Not as expected
I wouldn't go high on this book. It doesn't teach you much, only describes some simple techniques and ideas on what can you use embroidery, for example on a cushion cover (like you didn't know that before). To use the given designs that came on a cd-rom, you have to have a special software that costs you a small fortune. I am giving it 3 stars for the colors and designs only.

very good book
I have three of Jeanine Twigg's books on machine embroidery.They are all excellent resources featuring plenty of illustrations, great ideas, and clear instructions.Plus, the free designs are great!

Embroidery Machine Essentials:Basic Techniques: 20 Designs and Project Ideas to Develop YOur Embroiderey Skills
This is a wonderful book for beginner machine embroidery students. The ideas given are varied and very easy to follow.I highly recommend this book. This is part of the Jeanine Twigg's Companion Project Series. All books in this series have been most helpful and easy to follow. ... Read more

Product Description
For quilters who want to learn to do more with their machine embroidery, this book provides six classic projects with elegant twists. Quilters learn how to choose and customize designs for all their projects, whether they are embroidering embellishments on selected blocks or an entire quilt. This guide is full of tips on interpreting favorite techniques like appliqué and embellishment in embroidery.

Patty Albin is a quilt appraiser, fabric designer, and former editor of Quiltmaker magazine. She has won numerous awards for her embroidered quilts, and she teaches quilters across the country to use machine embroidery in their work. She lives in Westminster, CO. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Didn't learn much
Basically this books tell you that you can join your quilt layers by an embroidery machine and provided some designs suitable for this purpose. If you already know how, and already have some designs, or know how to make some designs from a digitizing software (the designs suitable for quilting are actually very simple anyway), you don't need this book.

Inspirational
I really liked this embroidery book. It's loaded with pictures and do like that it comes with a CD and the designs that go with the various projects is really helpful as well.You can enlarge any of the small projects to make bed sized quilts which is nice. The projects are really sample sizes which makes them go very quickly. I think this is a great addition to anyones embroidery library and I highly recommend it.

Machine Embroidery Makes The Quilt
Excellent book, great projects, super fast service and shipment.As aways, Amazon is great and trustworthy.

Book review
What a wonderful book!So many wonderful designs and ideas for incorporating them into quilts.

Great Book!
This book is great for someone who loves both quilting and machine embroidery. Numerous examples as well as detailed instructions for several projects are included. The included designs are worth the price of the book. The designs stitch out great. The projects are for small (wall hanging or table topper) size quilts, but could be adapted for larger quilts. ... Read more

Product Description
-Machine embroidery is an extremely popular segment of today's sew/quilt market

-Capitalizes on top-selling author Donna Dewberry's loyal following of fans, and ability to transfer her popular floral designs to wardrobe accents

-Great value: At $22.99 the CD-ROM and book is a steal -- most embroidery design CDs alone cost $20 to $80

The charming English garden style made famous by Donna Dewberry comes alive in new design motifs for machine embroidery projects. This one-of-a-kind resource teaches readers to easily add elements of Dewberry's tremendously popular garden motifs to any outfit, bath or kitchen accessory, or gift basket using machine embroidery.

Inside this inspiring guide, readers:

-Discover easy-to-understand instructions, tips and techniques to help machine embroiderers embellish and coordinate clothing, gifts and home decor

-Gather quick tips and techniques from the book and ideas from a design-packed CD-ROM to complete 20 featured projects

-Transform wedding and baby shower gift baskets into elaborately decorated art by adding decoratively stitched pieces

Perfect for beginning machine embroidery enthusiasts and a great inspiration for veteran embroiderers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Read the small print
I have always loved Donna Dewbeery's one stroke painting.I was delighted to find her designs in this machine embroidery book.Thedesigns are lovely and have the colors and blending of one stroke painting.However, being new to machine embroidery I did not check the size of the individual designs.At present I uses a machine that has a hoop that will accomadate a 4x4 design.I think that the designs are too dense to reduce from the 7x5 to the 4x4.After I have more experience and talk to my instructor I intend to try and use them. I read and reread the pages of this bookand nowhere did I find a reference to the many of the designs being suitable only for the 7" hoop in the information available at the time of purchase. As the instructions for embroidery are generalized, this probably is not the book for the beginner.I have other books from Amazon that are better tutorials.It is a lovely book and I do not regret my purchase

limited number of designs
I was disappointed in the limited number of designs in this book/CD set.the ones it has are OK but not what I was expecting.

Lovely embroideries!
The designs in this book and CD are just lovely! Sewn out on a Singer CE 350 and they look fantastic! Only wish there were more and cannot wait for Donna to produce another volume of designs.

Machine Embroidery Flowers
I am so happy with this selection. The designs stitch out very nicely. I am glad I saw someone with this and ordered it for myself.

Donna Dewberry designs
As expected the Donna Dewberry designs embroidered as well as your painted designs - I am very pleased with this first set of designs and look forward to more from her in the future. ... Read more

Product Description
Use any sewing machine to create intricate silk ribbon embroidery that looks hand-stitched- without tedious handwork ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Love this book
I cannot express how thrilled i am that i got this book.This Book is full of information and techiniques that even a beginner would love to try.Clear directions on how- to do is shown.The best book in Ribbon embroidery i have ever comne across...Love it.

Diana-sews
I just got this book.I have not done any of the exercises in the book but can hardly wait to start!Very clear instructions.Lovely color pictures clearly show how to do each step.Written directions add clarity.She makes use of clock settings for exact placement of ribbon for each element in silk embroidery designs.

number1dog
This beautiful instructional book has clear, concise directions for "machine" embroidery with silk ribbon!!!!!! Since I do not own, nor can I afford a NEW embroidery machine, imagine my delight to discover this book that I can use my 30-year old Kenmore zig zag machine!!!!!!!!

The photographs are gorgeous! And there are many ideas for use of this technique.

Thanks for may opinion. ... Read more

Product Description
Features a bonus CD with 20+ embroidery designs, convenient for duplicating with multiple projects.

Digitizing Made Easy is for every embroidery machine user and commercial machine embroiderer looking to better understand and utilize digitizing software. The author's time-tested method, demonstrated in 250 step-by-step color photos will help you to better identify the tools of modern digitizing, and the best processes with which to use them. With chapters covering artwork, auto-digitizing, stitch types, mapping and sequencing, underlay and blending, readers will quickly develop a solid foundation with which to explore the endless possibilities of digitizing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

very helpful
light and easy style, but very informative. John Deer is some one who knows how to present his subject.

embroider's must have
tis book answers all the questions that anyone might have about digitizing and makes it so easy .great book

Somewhat Informative but CD does not install correctly and theres no support
Book is interesting. Easy Reading.I wish there were more in-dept detail. If you have never read anything on digitizing this book will kind of helps. The authors software may have more feature on his digitizing software than the readers or the path to the function maybe different so sometimes it does seem a little useless.If you already have some information on digitizing, then you wish the book had a little more information on an intermediate level.If the book does have more details and it's on the CD, it was no use to me since my laptop with Vista 64 will not install the CD correctly plus I could not run the CD independently without the install. Some CDs included with tutorial books allows you to run the program without install. I really wanted to use the CD's feature on the tutorial, the "Color Run Files" view the Sample Videos and Supporting Files but it was a big disappointment for me.I called a company which was promoted on the book for support on the CD install but they was no help.They asked me to call the publisher for tech support on how to open the CD.I don't understand why Krause publication has anything to do with whoever designed the CD for the book since they just print the book and not write the book.It was a crazy response.I guess they just want to get me off the phone.You may have better luck than me if you have an older computer running older operating system which may run the benefit of the CD .

Good for starters
Great book. I could have a bit more stuff abuot advanced digitizing, but it is great for starters in digitizing field.

Digitizing Made Easy
This book arrived promptly and in very good condition. I have found it very helpful, as I am new to digitizing. It has lots of tips and information which is helpful to understand the terminology of digitizing. I think anyone who is just getting into digitizing should have this book. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Machine Embroidery
Awesome book. Typical of the English style thread work. Very detailed and great photos to go with the instructions.

Machine Embroidered Woodlands
Absolutely beautiful book. Well written, clear, concise instructions that are easy to follow. Allison Holt is a master at machine embroidery. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in doing this kind of work. Once you master her techniques you will look at pre-programed machine embroidery in a different light.

An Artist Shares. . .
I've been doing freehand machine embroidery for 30 years, and no, I'm not in Alison Holt's class!It is incredibly sad that the artistry practiced for 100 years on conventional sewing machines has been eclipsed by passive/computer generated embroidery by specialized machines.The difference between true freehand and passive machine embroidery is the difference between painting on canvas freehand and painting by numbers.They are two completely different beasts.

I already own, and highly recommend, Ms. Holt's DVD on freehand embroidery.It's miles ahead of what I've seen put out by others.

Ms. Holt is, first and foremost, a gifted artist.She simply chose machine embroidery as her medium when in college in the 70's.Her basic technique involves taking a photograph and adapting it to work on fabric.There are many, many different avenues to achieving the desired product.Ms. Holt combines her freehand embroidery with background painting on silk, then a cover with thread.Other artists may use various fabrics only combined with thread.Still others only use thread.What can be gained with this book is a close look at her thread technique. Unlike passive/computer embroidery, freehand can and does involve possibly dozens of different colors, grouped by colors.For example, a simple field of grass could take a dozen different colors--greens, browns, yellows, and even whites or reds.My thread library is over 1000 different colors.Unlike some other embroiderers, who are very dogmatic about using a specific thread, Ms. Holt (like me) is open to using all types of thread to achieve different effects.For example, using only cotton embroidery thread can lead to a rather flat appearance; different threads and give variety.

Though the illustrations are beautiful and worth having on their own, this book will be primarily of interest to those, like me, who have an interest in freehand embroidery.Or, those who are trapped in the constraints of the computer-generated machines who want to expand their artistry.The book itself is a high-quality paperback with lush coloring and thick, glossy pages.It will become a treasured part of my embroidery reference library.

Fabulous tutorial, fantastic illustrations
Alison shows us how to re-create her wonderful woodland scenes using just straight stitch and zigzag. Every step is clearly illustrated, and every thread colour change is charted, teaching us how to make a whole variety of textures, different leaves, bark, drifts of flowers, paths and rocks. In addition to techniques, she also shows how to combine elements from different photos, or crop, to make an interesting subject have the maximum impact. Excellent in every way. ... Read more

Product Description
Sew your way through the year with these happy, colorful seasonal designs!

Bonus CD contains 42 seasonal designs for your home embroidery machine!

Award-winning designer Ursula Michael brings her popular and heart-warming designs to machine embroidery. Now, you can fill your home with her colorful, fun and imaginative designs in projects created for every season! In this new book, Ursula gives you:

• 38 delightful projects perfect for gift-giving as well as home decor
• a bonus CD with 42 charming original designs for machine embroidery
• friendly instruction, complete materials and tools lists, spectacular color combination ideas and full-color photos for each project.

Product Description
Offers sewers new and radical ways to use embroidery machines, and experiment with their own design skills

Appeals to the estimated 500,000 machine embroidery enthusiasts, including dealers and shop owners always searching for hip new projects to teach

Features a bonus CD-ROM with more than 20 designs

Machine embroidery meets true innovation in this one-of-a-kind book. With a focus on originality and experimentation this guide takes sewers beyond the basics, with projects that incorporate unique bases and medias. This reference teaches sewers to make the most of their embroidery machine investment with:*Various techniques explained in 225 color photos and detailed illustrations, and put to use by a clever imagination*Use of unconventional bases such as wood and canvas, multiple techniques including embossing and painting, and other media such as feather and photo transfers*Tested ideas met with excitement and energy by sell-out crowds attending workshops around the country

This book is perfect for every machine embroidery enthusiast looking to add a little attitude to that next project. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Wild and Wacky
Machine Embroidery Wild & Wacky: Stitch on Any and Every SurfaceThis is a great book to inspire you with new ideas for machine embroidery projects.

Embroidered toilet paper!
I bought this book on a whim.I embroidered toilet paper & soap (from the book) for my sister in Germany.I added an embroidered wash cloth & hand towel, and basketed it all up.She was stunned to see embroidered toilet paper.There are lots of fun projects in this book.

Machine Embroidery Wild & Wacky
I haven't stitched out anything, but have enjoyed the Wild and Wacky for reading and the pictures..

Wild & Wacky Projects
This book has some adorable projects.It also has projects for all skill levels and something new to try for everyone interested in machine embroidery.Also comes with free machine embroidery designs to expand your library.Fun book.

Wild and Wacky ideas for gift giving
I am new at machine embroidery and found this book great for ideas and easy to understand instructions to make some fun gifts. ... Read more

Product Description
Capture all of the charm and romance of traditional hand-sewn silk ribbon embroidery using the time-saving convenience of a sewing machine. Learn how to produce colorful, textured projects, make an entire garden or ribbon flowers on the sewing machine, and much more. Full color throughout. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This book is really beautiful! Easy for the beginner.
This book is easier to follow than other books on silk ribbon embroideryby machine. The drawings are clear and the projects are nice. I enjoyedusing the silk ribbon on the bobbin for reverse work - and it's not hard!Pretty photos help a lot. ... Read more

Product Description
• For all sewing machines with embroidery attachments
• Takes the mystery out of stabilizers, threads, and tools

Many new sewing machines come with embroidery functions, and home sewers are often both enchanted by the possibilities and confused by the technical manuals. They need this book! Lots of photos, detailed step-by-step instructions, exercises to improve skills, and (for experienced embroiderers) ideas for combining embroidery with appliqué, fabric painting, and more bring machine embroidery within reach for all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Creative Excellent
I learned so much from this book, and when I started using the tutorial for my machine everything fell into place.I refer back to this book all the time.Really good book for any level.

Insultingly Short and Shallow
Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery / 1-57120-327-3

I've had my new Brother PE700II Embroidery Machine for less than two months now, so I've still got a lot to learn about embroidery. I purchased this book, along with several others, in the hopes of learning how to get the most out of my new machine. I can state, unequivocally, that of the eight books I ordered, this is the shortest, most shallow one of the batch.

The length of this book is almost insulting. It's one thing to know from the Amazon product page that it's only 63 pages - it's another thing to receive the book in the mail on the same day as your Good Housekeeping magazine and PC Gamer magazine and realize that this book is thinner than both of those magazines. It's an even bigger slap in the face when you open the book and see the large fonts, the liberally unused white space, and the plethora of "isn't this a pretty quilt" pictures that comprise nearly the entire book.

Content-wise, there is *nothing* here that isn't covered better and in more depth elsewhere. The whole book, in fact, feels like a cheap and hasty cash-in attempt, which is pretty darn ironic considering that the *FIRST PAGE* starts off with a massively scolding section about how it's totally wrong and inappropriate to borrow an embroidery pattern from a friend because that's an abuse of the copyright. Fair enough, but I wish someone would tell author Patty Albin that throwing together a completely shallow, cookie-cutter "Sewing 101" book and slapping the word "Creative" anywhere in the title name is false-freaking-advertising. There's an *entire page* dedicated in this book to power strips and surge protectors - complete with TWO pictures of surge protectors! There's another *entire page* concerning electric battery backups! The section on irons (yes, there's a *section* on irons) includes a big, full-color picture of an iron... with the super-helpful caption "A good iron is invaluable." Gee, thanks, Patty - I never would have guessed that from my Sewing 101 and Quilting 101 books. Can we talk about embroidery now? Specifically, creative beginnings in such?

Once you plow past the first half of the book, there's a decent (but unforgivably short) section on stabilizers. And, yeah, you definitely need to know about those in embroidery, but All About Machine Arts covers stabilizers in WAY more depth and detail... and it's not even an exclusive embroidery book. In fact, I'll just save some time here and point out that *everything* in "Creative Beginnings" is covered in more depth, better detail, and better pictures in "All About Machine Arts" - so if you own that book, you don't need this one. And if you don't own "All About Machine Arts", I recommend it over this book - it's not flawless, but it's extremely helpful, and has more varied and useful projects than this watered-down waste of money that actually thinks advice like "You don't always need a reason or occasion to make a quilt. You can make one just because it's fun," is somehow revolutionary or worth paying for.

If this book had come with the usual array of embroidery designs on CD (usually 50! or 75! designs that actually turn out to be 17 designs, slightly modified each time to triple the final count, but what-can-you-do), I might have been slightly less harsh on it, but the whole book just feels like a complete slap in the face. I can see why the publishers haven't agreed to use the "look inside this book" feature on Amazon - if I'd browsed through this book at all before hand, I wouldn't have bought it. I strongly recommend you pass on this one - I can honestly say I learned *nothing* from this book, and - as I said before - I've been embroidering for all of two months now, so I'm hardly an expert who knows all the tricks.

Great beginner book for any embroidery machine user.
This is a very good step by step book to walk a new machine embroidery user through the basics.Well written! ... Read more

Product Description
Nearly 300 pages of decorative machine art techniques will take your sewing projects to the next level! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

The best book ever on the topic of Sewing Machine Arts
I tracked down this book when a sewing blogger claimed she was inspired by it.What a great book!It is absolutely packed with practical information, useful tips and beautiful illustrations.It is not a project book but rather a reference book coveringall kinds of techniques to embellish your own projects. The book is full of the kind of information you would glean from attending zillions of classes with people who know everything you want to know.It is wonderfully organized as an A to Z reference for home sewers and quilters.

I also thought it was just wonderful to read.I have been carrying it around with me for two weeks.I have been sewing for 50 years and I have learned something new on nearly every page.There is a reason why it gets 5 stars from everyone.Whether you are a beginner or just want to take your machine skills to the next level, you need this book.

Great book!
All About Machine Arts has so many tips and much advise.It is truly inspirational. I will use this book and not set it on a shelf.

Machine Arts Review
This is an awesome book and to have found it for such a great price was amazing.I will be using this book a great deal.I'm thrilled with not only the book but the seller as well.Speedy delivery, excellant condition as was promissed. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All About Machine Arts
I greatly like the book which I recently purchased and would recommend today's sewer to have this book on the shelf as a ready resource.

Comprehensive
All About Machine Arts / 1-57120-227-7

When I bought my embroidery machine, I also bought up pretty much every embroidery-related book that was recommended to me on Amazon. I was a little disappointed to learn that "All About Machine Arts" wasn't an exclusively embroidery book - until I opened it and started reading.

This book is *incredibly* comprehensive and helpful. I learned more about machine embroidery techniques and accessories than I did from the other dozen or so embroidery books I purchased. There's a huge wealth of information to be had here for sewing techniques as well - I've been quilting for years and there's stuff in here that I've never seen or used before, which is extremely exciting. There's also a lot of serger-related material, too, which wasn't too useful for me (I don't own a serger), but was easy to skip over to the quilting and embroidering and sewing techniques.

There's so much to love about this book - every page has half a dozen color pictures illustrating the techniques. In the section on foams and toppers, for instance, (material used between the cloth and the embroidery thread to give the final design 'lift' and definition), there are several "with" and "without" pictures showing the differences in technique. There are a lot of good tips and tricks offered, and very rarely does the information feel obvious or like "filler" material. What I like most about this book is the way all the techniques are combined and interchanged to create something beautiful - embroidery is used on quilting blocks; decorative sewing is used to finish the sides of an embroidery work; and embellishments are added subtly to just about everything. The whole feel is very holistic and brings together a variety of techniques to create simple, beautiful things.

I really can't think of anything critical to say about this book, except that maybe some of the techniques won't be so easy to perform on the cheaper, hobbyist machines (and how many hobbyists own a full-fledged serger along with the sewing machine and embroidery machine?), but that won't stem your enjoyment of this comprehensive book. If you're a quilter, I'd recommend buying this in conjunction with The Quilter's Companion; if you're an embroidery hobbyist, I'd recommend Embroidery Machine Essentials as a companion to this book (although there is a lot of overlap, naturally). ... Read more

Product Description
"Introduces new opportunities for embroidery machine owners to expand the use of their machine

Features instructions for 12 projects, plus 20 original embroidery designs in the book and the accompanying CD-ROM

Speaks to a devoted and growing machine embroidery community; more than 70,000 people read Creative Machine Embroidery magazine, one of many magazines aimed at machine embroiderers

This exciting new book gives embroidery machine owners more opportunities and techniques to make the most of their investment. The detailed instructions, tips and impressive designs in this book help sewers and embroiderers enhance their skills, create beautiful garments and gifts, and optimize the use of their machine. This book:

*Instructs readers how to use their machine to make beautiful appliqué designs for quilts, garments, and paper gifts
*Hits on the new products and methods embroiderers and sewers can use to ensure success with every project
*Features a color gallery with examples sewers and embroiderers can use as inspiration for new designs

A great value for the price, this book will expand machine embroidery owners' skills, confidence and appreciation for their hobby. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Embroidery Machine Essentials - Applique Adventures
I really think this book is well written, easy to understand and interpret and will use it often.There were some issues I was uncomfortable with using because of insecurity of ruining a project.Not now.All explained, all understood. I have manyJeanine Twigg books, and they are ALL superb.

EMBROIDERY MACHINE ESSENTIALS APPLIQUE
Embroidery Machine Essentials: Applique Adventures (Jeanine Twigg's Companion Project Series) THIS WHOLE SERIES IS EXCELLENT. EVERY MACHINE EMBROIDERER NEEDS THE WHOLE SERIES.

The best
I recomend Jeanine Twiggs Series of books to everyone interested in sewing of any kind. The CD's alone are worth the cost. ... Read more

Product Description
Discover step-by-step how to Piece in the Hoop, a technique that allows you to sew precision quilt blocks on your machine embroidery machine. Whether you?re an enthusiast of machine embroidery or quilting, this book allows you to expand your skills and make beautiful quilts through this sewing technique. In addition, the book includes 20 embroidery designs, quilt- block outline designs and 20 projects for using your stitch-out blocks to make interesting, attention-grabbing projects. As part of the Create with Nancy series, the book will also include Nancy?s Notes and a video with Nancy Zieman and Larisa Bland featuring the technique. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Piece in the Hoop
Bought the book for a class, the illustrations are well done.
Received it in a timely manor.

Nice book
This is a nice book, except beware - there are MANY erros in pictures, templates and in measurments which she has become aware of and corrections are on her site, so you will need to correct some measurments and some templates that errors on them.
Most projects are nice and will make cute gifts - and most directions are easy to follow. The DVD that comes with it is very good.I am hoping she comes out with a corrected book with additional projects soon.

Love this book!
If you have an embroidery sewing machine you will love this book!I have done many in-the-hoop type embroidery projects with my machine so I was curious as to what this book would offer by way of interesting projects.
The projects you can create with this book, and the CD that comes with it, are simply lovely.I have already made some of the projects more than once and will make them again and again.
The instructions are very well written and clear and because of the in-the-hoop method the creations are very tidy with seams that are flawless.

Piece in the Hoop
The book arrived in perfect shape and a timely manner.What I've read so far is very easy to understand.

Quilting in the Hoop
I purchased this book as I want to make a throw like quilt from my recently deceased husband's flannel shirts that he loved so much.I wanted to be able to use as many different pieces as possible and chose the crazy patch design.I stitched out a couple blocks to see how it would look and was very pleased with the ease of the instructions and great photos describing each step.There were some errors in the printing on several pages that need correcting. I went to the web site and was able to make the necessary corrections.Overall, I am enjoying the book and the video and highly recommend for anyone wanting to try quilting in the hoop. ... Read more