Curl up and embroider the winter away with two great needlework books!

I Love My Dog Embroidery is a collection of 380 adorable dog-themed stitch motifs for pooch parents and their beloved fur babies, with project ideas, how-tos, and templates. Created by embroidery artist MakikoArt and six other amazing embroidery artists, this “dog fanciful” collection of stitch motifs celebrates all things canine. With this lovely embroidery guide, you can create all manner of pups, including: The sweet Labrador retriever, fluffy poodle, noble German shepherd, and many others Dogs doing what they do best—classic poses, postures, and tricks—like “roll over,” “give me your paw,” and the ever-popular “rub my tummy” Pooches disguised as people—the farmer, the artist, the businessman—and who can resist the sneaky but lovable mailman? Mutts in different styles and shapes, including borders, frames, and alphabets You’ll also find guidance on how to customize a motif to fit your favorite Fido, plus a gallery of project ideas for showcasing your stitches. So grab a needle and floss and take everything in your home and wardrobe from drab to double-dog fabulous! With designs contributed by: Chloe Redfern Embroidery / Chloe Redfern How Could You? Clothing / Mia Alexi  Insanitynice / Valentina Castillo Mora Miho Starling / mipomipo handmade Solipandi / Anja Lehmann Stitch People / Elizabeth Dabczynski

The author

Oksana Kokovkina—better known to her fans as MakikoArt—is a textile artist and jewelry designer noted for her naive and whimsical animal embroidery motifs, especially her hand-stitched custom pet portrait brooches. Born in St. Petersburg, she currently lives in Vienna, Austria. Hand Sewing Magic is an essential reference to all things stitching, featuring how-tos for dozens of stitches, from the basics for sewing and mending to stunning embroidered embellishment. Hand Sewing Magic is a modern, all-in-one guide for hand stitchers of all levels of skill and experience, and for all applications. In this unique guide book you will: Get an in-depth overview of essential tools and materials, including thread, needles, fabric, and other key supplies. Explore a comprehensive visual dictionary of 35 stitches plus dozens of variations, from basic mending to stylish decorative embellishment to unique art stitching. Discover key techniques, from starting and ending threads to the right way to use an embroidery hoop, from stitching curved shapes to color shading, and more. Learn essential tips and tricks from influential and innovative stitchers, including Joanne Sharpe, Allison Aller, and Catherine Redford. 10 simple and stunning projects show unique ways to use stitches and techniques.  With Hand Sewing Magic, you’ll make the most of your hand stitching and give all your projects a beautiful handmade look. The author Lynn Krawczyk is a mixed-media surface design artist who focuses on pattern and color. Her work features painting, drawing, and hand stitching on both fabric and paper. Lynn has written nearly 50 magazine articles for such publications as Quilting Arts Magazine, Cloth Paper Scissors, Uppercase, Fiber Art Now, and Sew Somerset, and is the author of The Hand-Stitched Surface (CPi, 2017) and Intentional Printing: Simple Techniques for Inspired Fabric Art(Interweave, 2014).She also has a collection of floss with thread manufacturer Aurifil, Inked by Lynn Krawczyk, as well as three instructional DVD workshops with Quilting Arts/F&W Media: Print, Design, Compose; Color Theory Made Easy; and Thermofax Screen Printing Essentials. Lynn teaches surface design workshops at various venues throughout the United States. She lives in Plymouth, Michigan.