Fun hand-stitched projects to make, embroider, and embellish.

Indulge your creativity—and stitch twenty-five fast and easy gifts from the heart. A unique laundry bag, a retro apron, a Christmas stocking . . . Every one of these gorgeous gift ideas is simple to make, leaving you free to get creative with the embellishments. Yo-yos, appliqué, embroidery, and other stitching techniques add that essential touch of personalization and care to every project. Best of all, they also provide the perfect opportunity for you to try your hand at new decorative tricks—on a small and easy scale. Includes color photos.

See it, stitch it! Thirty-five contemporary crazy-quilting stitches, photographed step by step. Rooted in the Victorian era, crazy quilting has a powerful allure for today's quilters, who use it to let loose and tell a unique story with fabric. Embrace crazy quilting with thirty-five must-know stitches and endless variations, shown in clear, step-by-step photographs for both right- and left-handed stitchers. Fine artist Sharon Boggon reveals design fundamentals to guide you in your process, so you can sew thoughtful, visually appealing blocks. Learn the theory and process behind this fascinating art: how to choose fabrics, piece stitch-and-flip blocks, and embellish seams with embroidery, beads, buttons, and charms. • Learn crazy-quilting techniques with colorful photos that show every detail • Combine fabric, embellishments, and thirty-five stitches, plus endless variations, into stunning crazy quilts as unique as you • Unpack savvy design principals to make order of the chaos and guide the viewer's eye around the block

Sew yourself a sassy collection of bags and accessories to carry you from day to night, and work to play Sew stylish . . . Create fashion with function; pretty shoppers, smart satchels, cute cosmetics purses and more, plus must-have coordinating accessories Sew special . . . Felt, denim, cotton, and even waterproof; fabrics new and old are mixed and embellished for one-of-a-kind creations Sew simple . . . No-fuss sewing techniques, from easy appliquT to simple seams, ensure the bags are quick and easy, leaving you with more time to enjoy them.

With Embellishments for Adventurous Sewing, you'll delve into various methods of applique, learn the nuances of free-motion embroidery and thread sketching, and learn to maximize the decorative stitches and embroidery capabilities of your sewing machine.