I thought this would be just another coffee table book where I looked at the pretty pictures, admired the work but didn't do anything further. Unexpectedly it inspired me to actually pick up my needle and start to do some hand embroidery.

The designs are timeless and can be incorporated into many different projects I found the book inspirational and enjoyable. Certainly much more than a coffee table book but it does look good there as well.

Beautiful designs! I am nowhere near this skill level but it is beautiful eye candy to look at. The instructions look clear and concise.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Another beautiful edition of the Japanese Craft Style series. Gorgeous photography and almost whimsical writing. An art book as much as it is a tool for embroidery instruction.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

This book is just really absolutely stunning. The sort of book that makes you want to take up embroidery if you don’t already do it. The sort of book that has you threading a needle before you’ve finished the first couple of pages. The sort of book that makes you think that maybe you too could be an artist in thread. The motifs are presented by themselves. absolutely stunning in their gorgeous complexity, and then they are shown incorporated into a project that makes you fall in love with the embroidery all over again. The color variations are particularly illustrative of how much artistry there is in embroidery - minor changes can make all the difference. I would absolutely recommend this book for a library collection of any size - if you have one embroidery book to buy this year, make it this one.

A gorgeous book full of inspiration, perfect for any needleworker, though beginners might want a little more instruction than what is found here. Filled with beautiful patterns and luscious photographs, even if you don't embroider, you'll want to after looking through this book!

#EmbroideredBotanicals #NetGalley

*Received via NetGalley for review*

Wonderful! A clear, concise, and easy-to-follow guide to beautiful botanical motifs. Even if I weren't interested in the projects depicted, the beautiful photos and examples would draw me in.

This is a lovely collection of botanical pictures, patterns and stitch diagrams to embroider. I found the directions easy to follow and the possible uses to be endless! this would be a nice addition to anyone's craft shelf.

My thanks to Roost Books and Netgalley.

Embroidered Botanicals by Yumiko Higuchi is exactly what I was looking for when I got hooked on vintage crewel kits and I scoured the library and thrift shops for every embroidery and crewel book I could find. Surely there had to be something that would show me how to stitch all of those gorgeous flowers without a kit.







The first half of the book is gorgeous eye candy. It's full of the traditional flowers I was looking for, along with brooches that look like fragments of pottery and light colored stitches on black fabric that feel like heavy old lace.



The second half contains the patterns and stitch diagrams. I haven't tried working from the instructions yet, but there are clear step-by-step photographs of the techniques and the patterns themselves show which stitches to use and how many strands of threads.



This is one of those books that makes me feel like I can absolutely do something gorgeous!

I found this book to be of great inspiration to my crafty hands, and I'm itching to add botanical embroidery to everything I own now! My only regret is that I don't have a physical copy, as this would be a fantastic coffee table book!

Easy to read, gorgeous illustrations can guide the novice or challenge the experts. Inspires one to take up needlepoint!

Good for intermediate-level embroiderers. Might be challenging for absolute beginners, as several of the instructional sections on basic stitches were too simplistic and/or difficult to see clearly. Designs were not really my "style," but I appreciate the authors clear expertise on the subject.

This book has very clear guidelines and beautiful photos of each design. I was intrigued by the format of presenting all the images first, which was like exploring a galley and then coming back to the stitches at the end. I think this guide would be best in hardcopy version, as it’s hard to flip between the images and diagram in an ebook, but I highly recommend this. Embroidered brooches have had a comeback, and the guidelines on the brooch projects were especially helpful to me.

A book very nicely done. The beginning sections have gorgeous photos of excellent work. It starts by going over the different types of embroidery thread you can use to create different effects. This was nice, as my knowledge comes from what my grandmother uses (only DMC the ubiquitous kind). The author does give a little table for how many threads to use etc.

After all the lovely project pictures there is a section dedicated to tools and basics, then steps going over stitches. I think there could have been a few more pictures/arrows of direction on the pictures because there were a few I could not follow. It is probably just me, but i couldn't tell the difference between outline stitch and backstitch. The rest of the instructions were pretty good.

Finally at the end there are templates to trace and detailed instructions on how to stitch the project.

I really enjoyed seeing the artists vision and finished projects. I think i would have preferred a little more modern take on botanicals like see covering my instagram suggestions page. If you like a classic look though, this book is for you.

The designs in this book are easy to follow and have clear step-by-step instructions. It would be easy to create your own color palettes and still follow along with what they suggest.

This book is beautiful, just beautiful. even if you are not into embroidery, you will want to pick up needle and thread and attempt a beautiful brooch or a bigger project. With patterns and stitch information, the book looks at tapestry wool thread, crewel wool thread, cotton. metallic thread and pearl cotton. These threads worked on their own or in combination with each other, some stunning effect can be seen in the fabulous full page examples. Examples that you will want to try and emulate into projects of your own.

This book is absolutely perfect for embroidery beginners: beautiful, accessible, and inviting. It presents just the right amount of information, with refreshing clarity. Highly recommended.

This book has some beautiful embrodery patterns and is a great reasourse for inspiration! I would recomend this to anyone who is interested in embroidery.

Oh, I am absolutely delighted with the ideas presented in this book. Embroidery is not my top skill but I love it for repurposing clothes. The designs here are stunning and can be as small or as grand as you want. Instructions clear and the photography is gorgeous. I received an electri ic copy of this but I will be buying a hard copy for my library. Very inspiring.

If you love embroidery and gardening, this is the book for you. A lot of the patterns are simple, or could be simplified for a beginner, and have a variety of applications. I wasn't too crazy about some of the projects in the book, like head bands large enough to be distracting, but the images themselves could still be applied to a different project. My favourite was some adorable acorns and some little nemo clownfish, but nearly every image I found interesting enough to find an application for. There aren't a lot of original, or quirky images to choose from, like some other modern embroidery books. Instead, the focus is placed on stylized, classic images that would fit in on a blanket, tablecloth or headband and not look out of place. This gives them a bit of an old fashioned, but also timeless look which I really liked. Old and young embroiderers can get something out of this, I think.

"Embroidered Botanicals" is a modern take on traditional embroidery techniques. The photography takes a lifestyle appeal approach. The images are a visual feast. The author describes her goal as using the patterns to showcase the threads. She succeeded. The craftsmanship is exquisite. For stitchers who want to elevate their skillset, this book will prove to be an inspiration.