Beautiful book with great descriptions. I love the diagrams, but felt this was a bit more than I was willing to try and tackle as a beginner. I think experienced embroiders will enjoy this book.

With the return of embroidery's popularity, this book provides the opportunity for developing your skills in the area of thread painting. The illustrations that accompany the instructions are so clear that anyone from beginner to expert embroiderer will be able to accomplish these projects. Furthermore, the skills learned with this book are transferable to other thread painting projects.

This is a great addition to your embroidery library and even makes a great gift! I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the publisher and Net Galley but the thoughts expressed are my own.

As a novice embroiderer myself, Amy L. Frazer masterfully breaks down the process of creating your own portrait style embroidery project. This book beautifully uses color and an artistic layout to draw the readers eye in and keep their attention. The beauty of the project that Frazer includes in this book is that the stitch maps are technically suggestions and allow for embroiderers of varying skill to take the patterns and make them their own. I would recommend this book to anyone with a basic sewing background who wants to explore the beautiful art of embroidery!

This book is beautifully designed. I love how it demonstrates all aspects of the process, starting with finding inspiration and sketching through to how to do different embroidery stitches and even what the reverse side of her embroidery looks like! The six projects depicting inspiring women can be completed as they are, or there are also suggestions of how to adapt them, for example including different quotes.

I received a copy of this beautifully crafted book for my honest opinion from Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group.

What a gorgeous craft book! The illustrations give the book, a homegrown, relaxed feel. This is what craft is all about images of the artist's work. Of course the "cover girl" Frida Kahlo is my favourite with attention to detail including flowers, leaves, a detailed necklace, and a banner. I just wish I had the opportunity to read a paper copy as such a text relies on paper weight. I hope that the publisher has dedicated high-quality paper for this book to match the outstanding, nature of the images.

With many influential women to chose from, I hoped there were more iconic women present in the book. I would have loved to see Princess Diana, Amelia Earhart, or Wilma Rudolph. This was the only thing that let me down. The devil's advocate is that each woman in the book is drawn with outstanding attention to detail.

This book should be in any feminist's, embroidery craft kit.

I especially liked the six projects honouring six strong women.

The book explains embroidery and can be used by beginners at embroidery and experienced crafters.

This is a wonderful embroidery book for beginner and experienced feminist embroiderers alike. Truly inspiring folks to reach out and build their own embroidery as well as to explore the stories of the icons. The projects in this book are shown in a way that is great for beginners and easily adaptable for those that want to make it their own. Every feminist looking to do some needlework should get a copy of this book and share these projects with family and friends.

Amy L. Frazer book Empowered Embroidery leads artists through her process of turning sketches into embroidered art that celebrates courageous women like Frida Kahlo (seen on the cover), Eleanor Roosevelt, and Harriet Tubman. Stitches are clearly explained and the author gives useful tips too. You can even apply the thread painting technique because it's very well explained too.

This book is a difficult one, Some of the portraits are better than others. Michelle Obama's is a miss in my opinion. It's well done and well curated with detailed information but I can't see myself ever actually stitching anything in here.

Every page of Empowered Embroidery is beautiful to behold. From the illustrated equipment list to little flourishes alongside the instructions, a lot of thought was put into making sure that all of the finishes of the book are bright, colorful, and fun to experience. Frazer's basic stitch descriptions and diagrams are clear and easy to understand. She gives the necessary foundations to tackle the projects in the book, which do admittedly look intimidating. The projects themselves have articulate, step by step instructions, with enough photos to guide crafters through. The designs radiate joy and pride in a way that's inspiring to see. I must add to any crafter's bookshelf!

This was a really great idea for doing embroidery, making transfer designs of some of our strongest women onto fabric.

I know how to embroider, but it’s always good to get easy to see and read details. The book provided this well. It went over the diffère types of Embroidery Thread, How to Do Different Stitches, Best Supplies to use to Draw and Transfer Designs.

My favorite designs that the book has are Kahlo Kahlo, Maya Angelou, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

So, I love new craft books and this is an especially good one.

Thanks to NetGalley, Amy L. Frazier, and Quattro Publishing Group for an ARC.

I am grateful to have received a digital edition of Empowered Embroidery, by Amy L. Frazer, through a request on NetGalley.
I enjoy embroidery as a very occasional and casual hobby and know little of it except what I have learnt from my mother and grandmother and grandaunts. I have been growing more keen over ways to increase my skill as well as commitment towards embroidery, and I found this book to be an inspiring and guiding force for the same. While I am nowhere near starting projects of the stature expressed within the book itself, the book itself is so explanatory about the basics of embroidery, including all the tools used and illustrated examples of various types of stitches, that it also becomes an ideal means to encourage yourself to practice as well as learn more.

The illustrations inside the book are pleasant and colourful, adding to the overall experience of taking in creative expressions.
The choice of the projects, creating embroidered images of inspiring women, and the author's brief explanatory note over the reason for the same feels like a connecting medium to the author. We have all been suffering in various ways for over a year now, struggling with grief, anxiety and loneliness - the products of the pandemic, and learning from challenges has been a motivating force, and creativity an outlet for growth and better mental health.

The moment the review is posted, I am hunting about the house (I am currently staying with someone else), for various scaps of clothing, threads and a needle, to practice a little embroidery today. And hopefully, I will keep going. :)

I am so thankful to the author for this book, and I am sure it is a source of comfort for many. I love that the author suggests how one may even take the projects as a guide towards creating embroidered portraits of others who are meaningful in your life. Notes like this from the author truly insure a sense of kindness and warmth to the book, beyond instruction.

Just like the author, my mother and grandmothers and aunts and grandaunts have been so important to me. Perhaps there will be a project dedicated to them through me, inspired only from this book. Thank you, again!

This book is gorgeous.

It starts by going through the materials needed, and looks at different options when it comes to essentials such as needle, thread and hoops.

It then takes you through the creative process of choosing and drawing out a design, followed by a stitching guide and techniques section.

Finally it takes you through step by step guides to embroider each Empowering woman, Frida Kahlo, Eleanor Roosevelt, Maya Angelou, Harriet Tubman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Michelle Obama.

The designs in this are beautiful, and the book contains enough information on skills and techniques needed that I feel it would allow me to complete them.

ARC kindly received from Net Galley and Walter Foster Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

This is an excellent embroidery book. Although it includes all the information you need as a beginner, I’d say it was more aimed at intermediate to experienced stitchers. There are patterns, stitches, history and different techniques to use.
A really enjoyable read and I think I’ll have to give a portrait and whirl now!

Empowered Embroidery: Transform sketches into embroidery patterns and stitch strong, iconic women from the past and present by Amy L. Frazer
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster
Genre: Arts & Photography | Crafts & Hobbies
Release Date: March 16, 2021

Empowered Embroidery by Amy L. Frazer is a beautiful guide for embroidery.

The beginning of the book explains the basics of embroidery, including tips & tricks, as well as various stiches. The author also explains how to transfers designs and sketches onto the fabric.

The patterns provided are exquisite! There is so much detail provided, along with specific instructions on hoe to create the detailing. I wish I was more experienced with embroidery so I could try to create these beautiful works of art!

I would definitely recommend this book to someone who is experienced in embroidery and is looking to create beautiful works of art featuring strong and iconic women!
I'm so grateful to Amy L. Frazer, Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I often do not like artistic renderings of humans into embroidery patterns. The lines don't seem to work well, but the patterns in this book do a very good job of keeping the individual's likeliness in a truer fashion. The only one that I think doesn't seem to hit properly is Michelle Obama's and I think if you edited one or two lines that would fix the issue.

Totally into the idea of having a Harriet Tubman embroidered hoop!

I received a copy of this book for my review, but all opinions are my own.

This book is an absolutely wonderful guidebook, leading the way into fully self-empowered creativity and embroidery-style stitching. It is also a permission slip to jump heart-first into your very own style of stitched or multi-media creativity, with your imagination leading the way.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
* This book is GORGEOUS- beautifully and colourfully put together in such a way that makes me want to start creating right away. I love that this book is so bright and full of amazing illustrations. Before I even started to read it, I had to flip through every single page to see what jewels awaited me.

* I just LOVE how the author describes her own method for creating patterns to embroider, and continues to urge readers to make each piece their own. This absolutely sets this book apart - and where the EMPOWERED portion of the title stands proud. Not only can you make your own version of the patterns that she has provided, but you can also create your own portraits and/or text embroideries using her easy-to-follow method. Each reader is handed their very-own permission slip to stitch whatever and however they want to, based on their own unique interests. Personally, I think that people would be a lot more willing to try out their own creative muscles if the teaching of all arts was as encouraging as this book.

* I have done some embroidery in the past - usually as a means to visibly mend and/or embellish clothing and accessories. I have done a bit of counted cross-stitching as well. I feel relatively comfortable with a needle in hand, though these are by no means my go-to creative method (like knitting is). Simply put, I am not a complete novice, but I am neither a skilled stitcher. With that caveat, I personally think that the instructions for both individual stitch types and all patterns in the book are very easy to follow.

* I usually really like learning things like this in a workshop setting because I feel like you can learn better from the presenter’s own personal mistakes that way. But in Empowered Embroidery, there are all sorts of little ‘tips’ and ‘tricks’ scattered throughout that achieve the same result. The author obviously wants to make her readers feel comfortable and supported as they practice this new skill.

* There are patterns included of six iconic women: Frida Kahlo, Eleanor Roosevelt, Maya Angelou, Harriet Tubman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Michelle Obama. The author not only walks readers through the process of embroidering their own project of each, but she also includes various ways in which you can make each differently. In this way, each pattern can be made by everyone from a very anxious novice, to the more adventurous creative, to someone who only needs vague suggestions before running off in their own direction. Honestly, these is a very hard balance to attain when teaching, and I think it has been done marvellously in this book.

WHAT I DISLIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
* I would have liked to see more progression of easy projects through to much more difficult. I’m not sure the given patterns are even in order of difficulty - they all seem much the same level, except for the second last (Ruth Bader Ginsburg). I would really have liked to see at least one pattern a bit more filled in, but less intimidating that the facial embroidery of RBG.

* Personally, the patterns given aren’t really my style. I still think that the book is fabulously executed, well laid-out, and explained wonderfully. Plus, it definitely gives the reader permission to create whatever they might be inspired to. I am sure that I could often reference this book for its creative method - but I don’t think I will make any of the patterns as they stand, unless I was making a gift for one of my feminist friends.

Ultimately, this book is a real winner. Whether you are new to embroidery, or already know how to stitch but want to venture into portrait making, this Empowered Embroidery is a solid choice.

Thank you to the author, Amy L Frazer, NetGalley and the publisher, Walter Foster Publishing, for an e-book copy of this title in return for an honest review.

This book hit at the perfect time: the pandemic has forced us all to rexamine our hobbies and some have looked for brand new ways to express their penchant for arts and crafts. Frazer's book hits the spot.
Presenting the age old art of embroidery in fun and modern ways, it works as an inspiration of what can be done. Although perhaps a bit too advanced for beginners, it's still a vision board for aspiring artists looking for something to while away the hours, not unliked our forebearers in this art before us.

Amy Frazer has created the loveliest book for needle workers of all levels, from beginners to experts. She starts with the basics, tools and supplies needed, drawing ideas, stitching techniques, the usual topics of any stitchery book. What really makes this book stand out however is her detailed instructions and tutorials on face painting with thread. This is something I have long been interested in learning to do and this book does not disappoint. Her step-by-step details have me excited to try out my first face painting with thread. Embroidery is no longer just making pillowcases and potholders; it is serious art! This book belongs in every serious stitcher’s library. I thank NetGalley and the publisher, Walter Foster Publishing, for the opportunity to read it for my honest opinion. I gave it four stars.

I am an absolute beginner at embroidery so I have to admit being a bit scared to tackle these patterns. However the designs are beautiful and the book is laid out so well I know I'll have no trouble.