Machine Embroidered Seascapes By Alison Holt

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• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Search Press (May 8, 2012)
• ISBN-13: 978-1844486847
•  8.5 x 0.7 x 11 inches
• 
  

I have become enamored with the work of Alison Holt- machine embroiderer extraordinaire. I reviewed an earlier book of Ms. Holt's about flowers, woodlands and landscapes last December and I still go and take the book down off the shelf for inspiration.

This is her latest book from Search Press - one of hand-full of my favorite art/craft book publishers. Seascapes is another hit of a book! 

A small thing perhaps but I really like it when the cover of the book is the same as the dust jacket 

The contents page

As is usual with Search Press, the book is laid out beautifully and the instructions are well written, easy to follow and very well illustrated. Here Ms. Holt discusses the proper way to set up your machine for free motion embroidery - her method really works!

Setting up your sewing machine for machine embroidery the Alison Holt way!

Detailed instructions and examples for each type of stitch. 

The book highlights the creative process from start to finish and is well documented and easy to follow. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of how to create cliffs, headlands, deep water, waves, sand, lighting, atmosphere, rocks, pebbles, foam, skies, and clouds are all covered. There is an excellent section that covers how to use sketches and photographs as inspiration for your embroidery as well as how to plan your work using paint and stitch to create to right atmosphere.

One section covers how to effectively paint your background as a starting point- using photographs as a guide. There is an entire chapter that focus' on how to transfer your design to cloth - and how to use masking fluid to enhance the design before painting.

Also included are five project pieces to get you warmed up to use your own imagery successfully.

The book illustrates how to create every imaginable part of a seascape that you might want to add. This book is very detailed and thoroughly illustrated in great detail. One the most interesting things to me is how Ms. Holt uses paper in her work to enhance the overall effect of the machine embroidered stitches. I love this technique!

All in all this is a book that will delight many artistic types - both hand and machine stitchers will find great inspiration from this book as will textile artists, quilters and painters. Yes! I do love this book and can't  imagine why you wouldn't want to have a look at this book for yourself!

Using paper to enhance the stitching's effect in wave. Genius!