Brilliant book for embroiderers looking for inspiration

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Really good book, especially for beginners in embroidery. Everything is clearly explained and the diagrams make it very easy to understand. I will definitely be buying a copy.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I wish I had the patience for embroidery because these beautiful bird projects are gorgeous. Maybe someday, but I plan to get a copy for our crafty patrons.

An excellent resource for those looking to expand their skills in embroidery and to try new techniques.

My grandmother taught me how to embroider during a summer vacation when I was about 8 (she babysat for me during my mother’s work hours when I was young). I enjoyed embroidery and used to embroider my cardigans in the early 90’s - then I’d given it up as I grew older and started to get busy with other things. At 49, I’ve reached an age where I’m fully ready to pick formerly beloved hobbies up again and when I saw this book, I knew in a second that I wanted to look through and read it.

This is thread painting, and it’s beautiful. The author writes with the friendly tone of a natural teacher and encourager; her how-to’s for each bird (with corresponding pattern template in the back of the book) are laid out with full photos and written instructions that reading this I really did feel like hey, I might be able to learn how to thread paint someday.

Recommended for middle grade and up.



eARC kindly provided by Walter Foster / Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley. Opinions shared are my own.

Let us embroider birds
Embroidery artist and art therapist Beth Hoyes presents her book "Embroidery Made Easy: Beautiful Birds. Easy techniques for learning to embroider a variety of colorful birds, including a cardinal, a barn owl, and a puffin", published by Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster. After the Introduction, Tools & Materials, Stitching Techniques, and Finishing Touches Hoyes presents twelve Step-by-Step Projects with full-colored patterns, e.g., for the Calliope Hummingbird, a Wood Duck, an Atlantic Puffi, or a Barn Owl. Hoyes states: "This book is all about making the detailed and expressive process of thread painting more accessible, while simultaneously celebrating so many lovely bird species. Birds and feathers are one of my favorite things to stitch, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy these patterns too" (p. 5). For me this book presents more than simple embroidery. It presents art in the form of thread painting. It is important to note that the patterns are all for round embroidery frames, but could easily be used also on square or rectangular material. Sadly the patterns cannot be downloaded so they need to be photocopied for the transfer onto the material. The Thread color Guide is only for DMC floss. There is no conversion chars. This makes it difficult for readers who live in countries where Anchor/MEZ or Madeira floss is more common. Basically I recommend the book for artists who have already some experience with this kind of embroidery.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#EmbroideryMadeEasyBeautifulBirds #Netgalley

The patterns in this book are broken down into manageable steps even for a beginner. The patterns are beautiful. I’ve made a beautiful hummingbird which I wouldn’t have thought possible.

Beautiful embroidery patterns of many birds using thread painting (single thread embroidery) to create these lovely designs. Well worth taking a look at.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Walter Foster for the DRC of ”Embroidery Made Easy: Beautiful Birds" by Beth Hoyes. This book was very interesting, and although I normally stick to cross-stitch, Beth made the art of thread painting so accessible. She broke it down step by step, with full-color patterns, and I especially love how there are pictures of what your project should look like/how to perform certain techniques. I haven’t ever attempted embroidery or needlepoint as intricate as this, but I love birds, and Beth makes it seem like I can easily be successful if I follow her directions. The finished projects of each bird in this book are vibrant, splendid, and sure to draw the eye wherever you choose to put your finished piece!

Embroidery Made Easy: Beautiful Birds: Easy Techniques for Learning to Embroider a Variety of Colorful Birds, Including a Cardinal, a Barn Owl, and a Puffin by Beth Hoyes is currently scheduled for release on July 12 2022. Learn to create a variety of birds following the newest embroidery trend: thread painting. Through a collection of 12 detailed, full-color patterns, aspiring and established embroidery artists will discover how to employ the art of thread painting to create a range of popular birds and waterfowl from around the world, including North America, the Amazon rain forest, and Europe. Thread painting is the name for using single strands of embroidery floss to create lifelike images with beautifully blended gradients of color and detail. Fortunately, the process is not as hard as it sounds! After learning a bit about how to create gradients and blend colors, anyone can create incredible embroidered masterpieces.

Embroidery Made Easy caught my eye, as I have recently gotten back into cross stitch and embroiderer, and most of my projects have been landscapes, flowers, and simple animals. Looking to expand my skillset I quickly requested the book and netgalley, and here we are. I thought the information on techniques and terms in the front of the book was well written and organized, but the idea of thread painting can be intimidating to new crafters. Even as someone that has been doing a wide variety of crafts some of the charts explaining the way multiple colors in a section create the effects we are looking for was a little overwhelming. However, once you get to the individual patterns with the color order, direction of stitch, and all the little details explained step by step it all felt much more manageable. The fact that the templates for your fabric are included is helpful and everything seems doable, but it is something that will take a crafter's full attention, at least until they feel more comfortable with the process. I still have a couple works in progress on my side table, but I will be tackling the hummingbird as soon as I can.

All who have always wanted to start embroidery, will find here, in addition to the colorful bird motifs, a compact tutorial on how and with which material to start. Especially the technique, painting with thread, is a special challenge, for which you get some very good tips.

Embroidery Made Easy: Beautiful Birds is a gorgeous volume of world birds to make in hand embroidery. I would rate this for individuals who are intermediate sewers. The patterns are very detailed and the results are gorgeous. The finished projects can be given as gifts individually or all hung together for a stunning display. There are nine birds to stitch all of which fit in a six inch hoop. You'll find everything from the colorful toucan to the sedate raven.

Embroidery Made Easy; Beautiful Birds is full of stunning images of beautiful artwork- which has been broken down into easy to follow steps so you too can have these embroidered works of art.

As someone familiar with embroidery and yet fairly forgetful in nature I found the techniques easy to follow and great for making it easy to follow. The DMC colours are laid out for each project and each section is numbered into the different aspects of the birds.
The photography is stunning and I particularly want to try the puffin next.

I was supplied a copy of Embroidery Made Easy: Beautiful Birds in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Beautiful patterns but not for a beginner. Blurb says for needlepoint artists of all levels, but only glosses over the required stitches. If you’re already experienced in embroidery this is a great book.

The birds showcased in this book are beautiful and very colorful. I greatly enjoyed looking at the photos of each completed thread painting and the progress photos, and I feel like I could get a decent sense of how to recreate them using my prior embroidery experience, though I have no experience in thread painting.

However, I found the diagrams and some of the written instructions hopelessly complicated and found that my eyes glazed over while reading through / about them and I learned very little from them. This could be due at least partly to my learning style, however.

I think this book would be best for those with a decent amount of embroidery experience under their belt and not those who are complete beginners.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Walter Foster Publishing for providing an e-arc for review.

Embroidery made easy, is a truly beautiful book. I would suggest it is better for people who already have some skill in Embroidery, as the designs are definitely not basic

Embordiery is comeback strong!
This delicate threads art is well-known as old as human desire to decorating and embellishing fabrics with some custom unique artwork. The technics always growing and the latest results is more lovelier than before. Nowdays people talking nonstop about how aesthetic thread paint. This book will show you a map straight through that art world.

As a beginner in embordiery, this essential guide help me so much to learn basics and avoid some mistakes. Twelve birds projects looks so realistic and highly with details. But don't worry, author providing us with step by step pictures, stitches diagrams and detail instructions. Personally I am feel so thrilling to challenge my self.

Thank you Netgalley and Walter Foster from Quarto Publishing group to trying new hobby with this copy. I am grateful and my thoughts are my own.

This is a beautiful book, just the thing for anyone that loves the look of embroidery but has been to scared to try. This book takes the scary and no confidence out the task. Firstly the birds are ones that one really wants to depict, and secondly the instruction are very well illustrated and easy to follow. There are flamingo, wood ducks, owls, toucans, ravens, swallows, cardinals, hoopoe, puffins and kingfishers to name a few, all gloriously stitched and with wonderful colors.

These are beautiful. I’d love to learn and decorate my home or make some as gifts. Easy read with instructions. I cannot believe how talented people are!

This book has beautiful embroidery projects for bird lovers. I would not say this book is full of "easy" techniques and would recommend this title for people who have some knowledge of embroidery. The pictures are helpful, but more would be needed to assist novice crafters and visual learners.