Cozy Stitches: 12 Calm & Creative Embroidery Projects for Absolute Beginners & Beyond

by Celeste Johnston

Overview

A gentle introduction to the calming art of embroidery!

Slow down and experience the therapeutic benefits of slow stitching with these 12 charming embroidery projects for absolute beginners and beyond! Written by popular fiber art designer and author Celeste Johnston, the projects focus on uplifting messages, lovely florals, and the comfort of home. From fluffy sweaters and stacks of books to gentle affirmations and meditative mandalas, you’ll feel the warmth with every stitch.

Each project includes a detailed reference photograph, step-by-step instructions, a full-sized perforated pattern, and everything you need to know about stitches, thread, and materials. It’s a perfect book for beginners and advanced stitchers alike!

• 12 Skill-Building Embroidery Projects: Enjoy a diverse array of cozy subjects that gradually build your skills as you work through them.
• Easy-to-Follow Stitch Diagrams: Every stitch, floss color, and strand count is provided in an all-in-one labeled reference image for each project.
• Reflection and Encouragement: Inspiring quotes, reflective journal entries, and mindful prompts enhance the relaxing benefits of stitching.
• Practice and Guidance: With a cozy quilt sampler project to help you practice each stitch and a complete stitch guide that explains every stitch, beginners will have no trouble diving right in!
• Full-Sized Patterns: Expertly designed full-sized patterns for each project are presented on perforated pages for easy use as well as in downloadable form.

So put the kettle on, gather your stitching supplies, and enjoy the relaxing process of creating these twelve cozy embroidery projects. It’s time to start stitching!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780764368585
Publisher:	Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
Publication date:	07/28/2024
Pages:	168
Sales rank:	264,733
Product dimensions:	7.75(w) x 9.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Celeste Johnston is an artist, content creator, and modern embroidery designer living in Austin, Texas. She is the creative force behind the popular Lemon Made Shop, where she sells bespoke embroidery art. Her hand-stitched houseplants, flowers, animals, and uplifting words have caught the attention of over 100,000 engaged Instagram followers. Her work has been featured in Love Embroidery, Mollie Makes, and Be Creative magazines. Her first book, Freshly Stitched, was published in 2021, and her second, Sunny Stitches, in 2022. For more info, visit @lemon_made_shop on Instagram.

Editorial Reviews

06/17/2024

This whimsical embroidery primer from artist Johnston (Sunny Stitches) offers a modern spin on the cottagecore formula. Johnston begins with easy projects made from simple stitches and builds up to more complex techniques. The most basic design features the words “you are enough” written with backstitch and encircled by straight stitched pine branches and leaves. On the more complex end of the spectrum is the “winter botanicals” project, which uses satin, leaf, and straight stitches alongside French knots and whipped backstitch to create a bustling bouquet of anemones, eucalyptus, pine cones, and juniper and winter berries. Prompts at the end of each project encourage readers to reflect on the design’s themes. For instance, Johnston shows how to embroider a line drawing of a vanilla latte, reflects on how her morning coffee kept her sane after the birth of her son, and urges readers to meditate on which daily rituals “nurture peace and calm in your life.” The appealing projects nod to vintage embroidery while embracing a brighter palette and more streamlined compositions, as exemplified by the “cozy cottage,” which features outsized pink and white flowers blossoming around a steeply pitched gable roof. Beginners will take to this. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Exudes the comfort and calm that can be found in the gentle art of embroidery. This book is charming and filled with adorably feminine patterns. The projects feel approachable in size and skill level for beginners and stitchers of advanced skill . . . beautiful.

Melissa Galbraith