stitch love // book walk-through

About a month ago, my book, Stitch Love: Sweet Creatures Big & Small was finally released, and although I've talked about it here, I've never shown a look inside! So that's what I'm here to do today.

When I first started talking with my editor about the book, she suggested that it be all about animals. I sort of freaked out about it, because if felt outside of my abilities. But I worked on it, and sketched, and now I'm completely smitten with animals and so happy with how this all came out.

Stitch Love has 25 projects and over 100 embroidery motifs, with animals are from around the globe. And I did my very best to make each one super cute!

Ready to take a look inside?



Some of the projects are shaped like animals, like this frog pond game with froggy and lily bean bags. The arms and legs flap and fly in the breeze!



One of the things I keep hearing from people is that the line on the front is what sold them on the book: Cute Kitties and Cows and Cubs and More...and a Yeti. And this is the yeti. (There's an embroidery motif of the yeti too!)

The yeti is an ice pack, like a boo-boo bear or bunny. Jess made one already, but she made hers into a little plush instead of an ice pack.



Also from the cover are these little outback animals. You can even make little house pouches for them to carry them along with you. Oh, and Nancy used this style of animal to make a bunny from the Stitch Love Valentine Blog Hop. I just love that people are using the projects and making them their own!



Speaking of the blog hop, the Cat Loaf bread cloth that I made used the Holiday Mouse Furoshiki Cloth from Stitch Love. Furoshiki is the Japanese method of wrapping gifts or other items with fabric, and the mouse design on here can be changed for different holidays and celebrations!

Of course, you could use any embroidery design on there, like I did with the cat loaf.




Each project has illustrations to show the steps, but they are simple enough that you probably wouldn't even need the how-to images. This is definitely a beginner-friendly book, but I find that fun and easy projects are a nice change of pace for even experienced sewists.

As I was working on the projects, studying the animals and deciding which creatures to focus on, I learned a lot, and added a few fun facts in throughout the pages. There are also some bits of info about favorite animals in my family, like manatees, guinea pigs, and chickens!



At the back of the book there's a basics section with illustrated instructions for embroidery, sewing, and working with templates, including a link to download the project templates at full size. I find that PDF templates are so much easier than tracing or copying them from the book!



But this is my favorite part of the whole book. I love embroidery, so you shouldn't be surprised that I would love the embroidery section the most. But what makes it special is that every motif is shown stitched.

Every single one.

At one point I thought about asking some stitching friends to help with this, but I'm ridiculously proud of the fact that I stitched all 117 motifs by myself. From a waving walrus to kissing prairie dogs to a fantastical wolpertinger (yes, that's a thing), and of course, many more, each is stitched with love.

There are more than a few things in here that are a nod to Japanese-style craft books, sewing, and even artwork. The pages of embroidery are one of those things, and that owl with his sleepy bubbles are another. The aesthetic is pleasing to me, and hopefully it is to you too.

Stitch Love: Sweet Creatures Big & Small is available on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, your local bookseller, and many more places.

If you've already purchased Stitch Love, first, THANK YOU! Next I'd love it if you leave a review online (either from the place you ordered, or your own blog). And finally, when you stitch love, post a pic and tag it #stitchlovebook so I can see and share your work with others!

One last thing. Some of my favorite reviews for Stitch Love: Sweet Creatures Big & Small have been from kids. Evie said, "It's so cute!" and Jess's daughter made this awesome video review! Even though there are plenty of kid projects in here, I didn't consider that the book would be as loved by children as it has been, and I just love that.

Thanks all for the support on what has been such an incredible critter-filled journey!