Satisfying Stitches: Learn Simple Embroidery Techniques and Embrace the Joys of Stitching by Hand

by Hope Brasfield

Discover the creative satisfaction and stress-relieving benefits of embroidery while stitching fun, modern, vibrant designs such as flowers, plants, animals, landscapes, and celestial scenes.

Beginning a new creative pursuit can be intimidating, but Satisfying Stitches takes all the guesswork and fear out of getting started with techniques designed to boost confidence and provide relaxation. This easy-to-follow, photo-illustrated guide includes a review of the basic and inexpensive supplies needed to get started, foundational techniques , and step-by-step instructions for creating a variety of stitches . As your skills and confidence grow, you will find that stitches that may look advanced are quite simple, and you’ll be able to easily add dimension and texture to your designs.

The exclusive embroidery designs include a wide variety of motifs and patterns , such as houseplants , florals , mushrooms , butterflies , fish , landscapes , and sunsets , in a variety of color palettes. The projects are divided into three levels to match your confidence, skill level, and time.

While most beginner books don’t go beyond a couple of easy stitches, Satisfying Stitches takes the opposite approach, incorporating stitches that pack a big “wow” factor but are quite easy , such as fern stitch, wheatear stitch, thistle flowers, and woven wheel roses. Author Hope Brasfield offers tons of encouragement to beginners and beyond. You’ll learn to embrace imperfection, slow down, and enjoy the process.

You will also discover, as Hope did, that embroidery offers much more than a creative outlet. Focusing on something that requires imagination, handwork, and concentration can help reduce stress and promote relaxation .

Satisfying Stitches
 
So much more than pretty patterns, Satisfying Stitches offers an exciting opportunity to gain new skills, become a more confident creative, ditch the smart phone, and de-stress.

Genres: Crafts, Nonfiction, Art

128 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2022

About the author

I’m Hope (she/her), an embroidery artist and teacher based in Tennessee.

Years ago, I earned a master’s degree in applied psychology and found myself working toward earning a PhD in clinical psychology. I dropped out of that program at year five, landing myself in a rather precarious emotional place.

I began embroidery with just a few inexpensive and simple supplies, picking up projects in between barista shifts and sharing my progress to friends and family. Finishing something - even just a small embroidery project here and there - felt incredible!

I teach others how to do embroidery through video and blog tutorials; a monthly subscription box for hand embroidery; and, now, through a beginner-friendly book! I hope that my teaching can help you to get new things “stuck” in your head: that you don’t have to be perfect; that you can abandon projects that aren’t working for you; and that you can learn to have more patience with yourself.

Thanks so much for being here, and happy stitching!

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic crafting/making book! Hope takes you step by step with tools, supplies and techniques to create the most beautiful pieces. Her designs and colour choices are amazing. Highly recommended!!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satisfying Stitches by Hope Brasfield is a how to book on the basics of embroidery. The author/artist shows the reader how to:

• use a hoop
• Separate embroidery floss
• Thread a needle
• Transfer patterns
• 20 basic stitches
• 18 small doable projects

So basically it’s a 101 class to get your feet wet. Find out if you like and want to do this hobby. Very basic and fun.
Thanks Quarry Books via NetGalley.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy from Quarry Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking to learn embroidery, this is the book for you! Here you will learn the basics: what supplies you’ll need, how to transfer a pattern onto fabric, how to prepare your floss, starting and finishing techniques, and a selection of stitches. There is also a chapter on mindfulness and how to set yourself up for crafting success that you can read or skip, but I highly recommend the section on setting yourself up for success. I feel like there’s this misconception that we can only have one project going at one time and that everything must be perfect when that simply isn’t true. I think that this part of the first chapter will help anyone who feels an internal or external pressure to make these things happen escape that. It will really help them come to their own conclusions about what they want to gain from embroidery.

As far as the rest of the book, it is an excellent guide. There are in-depth stitching graphs, an explanation on the supplies you’ll need and what is optional, and the starting and finishing tips are excellent. This is the first time I’ve seen anyone mention backing a finished project with cardboard, and I think I’m going to try that out on one of my embroidery or cross stitching projects one of these days. I’m an experienced cross stitcher, but I’m still somewhat of a newbie embroiderer, and the tips and tricks outlined in this book are excellent. I’ve never seen some of the stitches that are in this book and I understood exactly how to do those stitches from reading the instructions and looking at the graphs.

This book also features 18 patterns ranging from simple to a little more complex. They’re separated by the following themes: florals, houseplants, fruit, skies, animals, and mushrooms. There are three patterns for each theme, and they range from levels 1 to 3 in complexity but all look fairly simple depending on what you’re ready to take on at the time of reading this book. Each pattern also has a list of stitches and stitches along with a color theme that one can stick to or do their own thing with. All in all, this is a great book!

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just too pretty. The projects are adorable and set up in levels, level 1 is the easiest, level 2 is more difficult and so on. I like that there are multiple levels for each theme so it’s not like oh you want to do a fruit embroidery piece? Your skills aren’t there yet! There’s something for everyone!

I also really liked the pieces on the way embroidery can be mindful and help relieve stress. I completely agree! I feel like embroidery reminds me to be less hard on myself and take things one step at a time.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to learn hand embroidery. On her website (hopebroidery.com) the author states:
'I wrote Satisfying Stitches with the total beginner in mind! It includes 18 new hand embroidery patterns; step-by-step instructions for all the stitches and techniques you'll use to complete those projects; and tips for setting yourself up for both creative and emotional success. I can't wait for you to read this book, and I'm so excited to see what you make!'

With this book, she does exactly what she set out to do. The book begins with a bit of the author's story--after leaving a PhD program, she was depressed and having an identity crisis (I had the same experience, so could relate). She turned to hand embroidery as a way to put her mind of something else, to learn a new skill, and to hopefully have some satisfaction as a result of creating things. I did the same with other kinds of stitching. Out of financial necessity, she used what she had and what she could find in thrift stores to learn and she encourages readers to do the same. She encourages stitchers to substitute where desired and to take her designs in new directions, stating that there are no rules in embroidery. Although I have done minimal embroidery, usually as embellishment on other projects, this is the same as my own approach to teaching and creating in other needlework techniques. I quite enjoyed this part of the book with its words of encouragement, passion, and practicality.

The book contains sections on embroidery tools and supplies, instructions on how to do basic stitches, which include clear step-by-step photos; finishing, and finally, beginner friendly patterns, which can be used as is or for inspiration.

If you're interested in hand embroidery, I can highly recommend this book.

I received a a copy of the e-book from NetGalley in exchange for a review. I thank them, the publisher, and the author.

[Leyla Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book that takes a person who would like to stitch, step by step from beginning projects to various levels of proficiency in embroidery.
the book uses a hoop frame to teach the basics of thread, needles, fabric and stitches. The stitches start with an outline stitch and finish in a beautiful multi complex piece of art to hang on the wall. There are 18 motifs to trace and sew, and lots of very easy and visually explained stitches. Really lovely book. Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DRC

[Sofya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satisfying Stitches
Author: Hope Brasfield
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a good embroidery book for total beginners, but I didn't find it super useful for myself. It has really rudimentary information like how to use an embroidery hoop, separating embroidery floss, and threading a needle. It is really simple to understand and has step by step photos of how to do various stitches. The Projects chapter is broken up into different categories (florals, fruit, skies, etc) and within those categories there are three levels of patterns which is great for someone trying to work up to more detailed projects. I think this book would be a great gift for someone who is interested in starting embroidery but has no previous background in it.

Thanks to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group, and Hope Brasfield for an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts in this review are my own.

[Maggi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is absolutely perfect for a beginner stitcher, or even just someone who wants to embroider without pressure. The book gave a lot of great tips without becoming convoluted. The layout is nice and clean with easy to follow instructions, something I usually struggle with reading. The designs on the projects are fresh and pretty with something for most modern tastes. I highly recommend this book to aspiring/beginner crafters.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - Quarry and NetGalley for the eARC.

[Flocarine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learn Simple Embroidery Techniques and Embrace the Joys of Stitching by Hand

----My review
I am a crossstitcher myself - I don´t do Embroidery, but I like it and was interested in this book. Stitching fior me is a stress reliever and so it is for the Author too. So she says don´t put yourself under so much pressure to finish a project perfectly, try to focus on your mental health and stress.

Well, myself I am passionate about the neatness of my projects (and my backs =)))) - but I do it for myself and not for other people, so I do enjoy this!

The book itself is nice to read, has many photos and pictures and ste by step instructions - you can easy follow those. It is a book for beginner - really nice to start with.

Note: 1+++
#SatisfyingStitches #NetGalleyDE! (thanks)

[Jeanniehay64 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me want to pick up my needle and start a new project . I love hand embroidery and this book reaffirms the benefit of crafting it also made me realise that perfection is not always achievable something I struggle with.

This book is very clear and concise not overwhelming the reader and encouraging even the beginner stitcher. The photographs are beautiful making me want to have a go at many of them.

I really recommend this book it’s beautiful.

[Ruth Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives and insight into sewing. I found that it allowed me to pick up new techniques easily. I would recommended this title to other sewing enthusiasts.

[Bonnye Reed]

Netgalley SHELF
pub date November 15, 2022
rec date December 7, 2022
Quarto Publishing - Quarry Books

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little how-to book for folks new to embroidery. I like that the author stresses that any materials will do and it’s fine to have imperfect results or to give up on projects. She focuses a lot on mindfulness and using embroidery for emotional healing. There is information on materials, how to do a variety of stitches and other newbie info and then an assortment of simple projects in three levels for items like mushrooms, plants and skies.

I read a temporary digital arc of this book for review.

[Love-Leigh Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not only an adorably book with lots of cute little projects, it’s also really helpful in its instruction. I’m just learning how to embroider and the breakdown is great. I especially loved the simple projects at the end that seem to vary in degree of difficulty as you learn. I’m excited to get started on those for sure.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute book! It is definitely made with beginners in mind.

There are some fun an simple patterns included. The book has pictures showing how to do various stitches and read patterns as well as information on choosing materials. The patterns and what the finished pattern should look like are included. The patterns are good for beginners and are nature focused.

Overall a nice find.

[Tractor Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good starter book on embroidery, plenty of encouragement giving confidence to the reader and anyone new to. the craft.

And I agree, it is ok not to finish a project!

[Fi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going on my book wishlist immediately!

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated the author's kind and insightful words in the beginning of her book about mindfulness versus a "corrective emotional experience." Creating and tapping into the artistic side of our brain can be a therapeutic exercise, but doesn't necessarily make it a mindfulness technique. The author prefers seeing it as "an experience that allows you to see yourself or a situation in a new, more emotionally fulfilling or productive way." Her reminders to be kind to yourself, learn from choices and imperfections, allow yourself to not finish a project, and work with what is available to you, allow the crafter to create without pressure or comparison. I appreciated the supply list was divided into two parts- must-haves, and optional extras. a couple of the extras I had not known about and am looking forward to trying out. The explanation and instruction for the different types of stitches are easy to understand, with clear photographs assisting. The projects are whimsical and fun, with florals, fruit, and plants in three different skill levels. They include all the patterns in the back of the book, and they are simple enough to finish in a relatively short amount of time, perfect for practicing the various stitches! A wonderful book for beginners that fosters enthusiasm and encouragement.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

[Shilo Quetchenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good beginner embroidery book. I found the information on different stitches incredibly useful as there were many I did not know. There are photos included with the step-by-step instructions that makes it easy to understand what to do.

I wasn't terribly interested in the designs - they're not really my style and they're a lot simpler than the designs I usually use. However, a few of the designs were cute or offered a different way to think about technique. I am excited to employ my knew knowledge in my own designs.

The beginning information was perhaps more useful for those completely new to embroidery, such as how to use basic embroidery tools and the many reminders that embroidery isn't supposed to be perfect. The designs included emphasize that principle - they are solely nature themed (plants, fruits, flowers, skies) and lead naturally to the 'nature isn't perfect so your embroidery doesn't need to be and shouldn't be perfect' theme.

I would definitely recommend it for those who are new to embroidery but want to learn or those like me who have been dabbling in creating our own designs for years but lack knowledge of some of the more useful stitches.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Quarry Books for providing an early copy for review.

[Alisha (booksmellz) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started dabbling in embroidery during Covid lockdown - that was my picked up craft thanks to my sister getting me set up and started with a kit. I still love doing it, but I’ve found a lot of my designs that I’ve wanted to do are a little more tedious than I originally thought and therefore, I get a bit bored doing it.

There are a variety of designs that include things such as florals, butterflies, fish, landscapes, and my favorites: houseplants and mushrooms. The stitches featured in this book are super easy, but also super cute and range from levels 1-3. They’re smaller designs, but I can see myself putting these onto clothing items and not just hoops.

The instructions are clear and step-by-step with photos.

One of the other things I enjoyed about this book is that the author gives the colors of the threads with a decent size circle so you can match the thread colors. I don’t always have the exact number that’s given in some books, and if there is a color example given with it, it’s super small and you can’t match the threads very well.

I can’t wait to get started on some of these designs!

- Quick note, the author’s website is different than the one listed in the book, it’s now https://www.hopebroidery.com/

[Ag · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful book! I have been eyeing all the beautiful, creative and yet somehow minimalistic embroidery works posted by others all over the internet, I have been getting lost in the world of pinterest and Instagram where there are lots and lots of beautiful embroidery pieces posted by so many people and I kept thinking to myself that *someday* I am going to find something that shows me how to do it. I want to create something beautiful too! And then I saw this book. And I know that this is it, I need it!
And the book does not disappoint. There is EVERYTHING in it, if you want to get started with embroidery, but have no real experience and have no idea what supplies you are really going to need. Awesome, now I have a shopping list for everything I need (there are some items on it that I never thought I would need, but it makes sense to have those!) and there are so many detailed instructions on how to create texture, how to make the stitch stand out, how to do this and how to do that. Lots of useful tips. Lots of explanation and advice. Lots of clear photos.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely little introduction into embroidery! The book is wonderfully laid out - it didn’t overwhelm me, a complete novice to this craft.

I particularly love that the author highlighted that the craft can be as inexpensive, or expensive, as you like, but to start off you don’t need a lot. I also love how she didn’t disparage you if you put a project down, noting that those projects have worth, even if you don’t pick them back up - you’ve learnt something about yourself, how you like to craft, and what works (or namely, doesn’t work) for you.

I like how the final section, with the different crafts, has three different levels for each category - for instance, there is an easy mushroom project, a medium mushroom project, and a harder mushroom project, which applies for each subject. The author also encourages you to just have a go at each one, and learn as you go along.

Highly recommend if you’re looking to have a go at hand embroidery.

Thank you to Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want to start embroidery but worried about not being good enough, or not having the right supplies, this is the book for you. The author comes from a psychology background and writes in an almost conversational style, giving you confidence to just give embroidery ago with whatever supplies you can afford.
The stitches are clearly illustrated with photos and the projects are well explained with handy hints of what to watch out for as you stitch. It's like having the author sat with you, and something I've rarely seen in other similar books.
The projects are small but satisfying, giving you confidence to go on to larger projects from elsewhere if you wish.
I definitely recommend this to beginner embroiderers and also unconfident ones.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book as it's not entirely what you think it is from looking at the cover and reading the title. Hope goes into the emotions of embroidery, from what it is perceived to be beneficial for and what it can definitely be beneficial for. I really enjoyed the chapters which explained her take on the craft. The rest of the book is split up into chapters on materials, tips and tricks and goes through popular stitches. The basic ones covered will be enough to see you complete the projects in the book and many more. The last section with the actual patterns and instructions was a delight as I saw some gorgeous designs that I can't wait to get stuck in to. Very well explained and a great book for beginners.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice collection of stitching projects that feature flora, fauna, and fungi.

The instructions and diagrams are clear and easy to follow, and projects are ranked according to difficulty. I love the author's unusual and soothing color palette choices.





This is a great book for both beginners and the more experienced stitcher.

Pour some tea, pick up a needle, and begin . . .

A big thank you to NetGalley and Quarry Books for sharing.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beginning embroidery book, which begins by trying to set the reader/embroiderer up for "creative and emotional success." Brasfield, from Alabama, was a psychology graduate student and makes the point that embroidery is not really/properly mindful but can perhaps function as a "corrective emotional experience." She explains all of that in several pages of text which you may find helpful (or not). But then she moves on to essential and optional supplies, beginning techniques with options, and a nice variety of stitches. Each grouping of small creative projects--florals, houseplants, fruit, skies (my personal favorites), animals, and mushrooms--comes in three levels of difficulty, by numbers of stitches and colors used.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Embroidery isn't supposed to be perfect - it's handmade!"

I've been reading a lot of embroidery books, but this is the one I'd recommend to others first! It's great for beginners but I've been stitching for awhile and I still needed to hear author Hope Brasfield's message of accepting and embracing the imperfections in embroidery projects.

She shows how to do basic stitches with written instructions as well as large color photographs, step by step. The project ideas range from Level 1 (for beginners) to Level 3 (just a bit harder). Brasfield's key reminders, like "you don't need to learn every stitch" and "use whatever supplies work best for your budget" make this one a must-read, whether you're just starting with this craft or have been stitching for years.

[Rachel Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read through a lot of books about doing embroidery and so far this one is my favorite. It’s organized well and the instructions and pictures are colorful and easy to understand for a beginner. The patterns included and simple and tasteful. Things I would hang on my wall or want on my my skirt. I recommend this book to beginners and those experienced looking for some fun patterns. There are 18 patterns included with instructions and suggested thread colors. There are 20 different stitches taught before the projects are given and all of the projects use these stitches.

[Michelle "Champ" · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I am an intermediate stitcher and not a beginner, I enjoyed the photos and descriptions that showed me how to do things. I think this book is perfect for a beginner and can challenge even the advanced. An advanced stitcher can skim over the instructions on how to knot and go right to the patterns. The patterns were fun and exciting and Hope teaches you how to transfer these fun designs to your material. Hope even shows us how to do some stitches, many I did not know, and was thankful for the step-by-step photos.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to get my hands on this one.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good reference for someone just learning embroidery. Starting with a description of how the author came to learn embroidery, going through all the supplies you might need, teaching a good number of stitches, and finishing with a number of projects that you can use to build your skills. My favorite project is the sunset pattern, and even though it is very simple, the results look very impressive. I'll be referring back to the stitch dictionary in the future since it is clearer than those I've seen in many other embroidery books.