Embroidery (Victoria and Albert Museum)

Embroidery: A Maker’s Guide contains 15 beautiful step-by-step projects for crafters at all levels. Each one takes its cue from a different historical tradition – from English goldwork to Indian beetle-wing embellishment, from Japanese kogin to Irish whitework. Projects include a bargello purse; blackwork moth and dragonfly motifs on napkins; a William Morris artichoke motif on a small cushion; Chinese-inspired motifs for adorning a denim jacket; Mountmellick whitework on a decorative necklace-collar; Indian shisha mirrorwork on a clutch bag; and machine-embroidered lilies on lingerie. Designed by teachers and practitioners at the leading edge of today’s craft revival, the projects are both functional and fashionable, and include tips on how to take next steps towards developing your own designs.

This modern maker’s guide will inspire all readers with the confidence to express their creativity through the age-old craft of decorative stitching.