Lovely Little Hand Embroidery: Projects for Holidays and Every Day

Crafter Hudson, in her charming first book of designs, celebrates holidays and special days of the year. In covering the basics, Hudson recommends muslin for fabric; for floss, she suggests colors but encourages individuals to pick their own. Offering an expert’s perspective, she suggests sewing smaller stitches when rounding a curve, and choosing a stitch stabilizer or placing batting behind the stitches. The designs she details require only four stitches: back, lazy daisy, French knot, and satin. Each month merits a project: an Easter bunny, a spring lamb, a Pilgrim banner, etc. Hudson adds designs for birthday pillows as well as for mug rugs and pin cushions, and each comes with a template for transferring as well as instructions for supplies, cutting, constructing, and framing. For extra touches of cute, she color-tints with crayons to “pink” snowman cheeks, and adds glitter to a birthday cake banner. Hudson’s compilation will appeal to the beginner embroiderer with a yen for the “quick, simple, and easy.” (Mar.)