The Kew Book of Embroidered Flowers

This sumptuous and inspiring book is a stunning, contemporary guide to embroidering flowers. Focusing mainly on long-and-short stitch and the author's delicate, considered use of silk shading, the book contains all the clearly-illustrated stitches needed, and gives thorough advice on preparation and choosing fabrics and threads including a handy thread conversion chart.

The embroideries are reworkings of botanical artworks from Kew's Art Collection. There is one 'starter' project to encourage readers to try out the techniques, one large sampler containing 18 small elements that can be worked individually or as a group, and nine further projects including a striking spider chrysanthemum, an elegant waterlily and an opulent magnolia. All the projects are shown step-by-step, with an order of work diagram given where appropriate.

The enclosed reusable iron-on transfer papers offer embroiderers a fast and accurate method of transferring the designs – the transfers simply need ironing on to fabric so that the reader can start embroidering straight away. The templates are also included at full size at the back of the book.