Organza Hoop Art by Sarah Godfrey

9781947163614

96 Pages
Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing / Landauer Publishing
Release Date: July 1, 2021

Nonfiction, Arts & Crafts, Hobbies, Needlework, Embroidery

The book has three chapters.

Chapter 1: Tools and Materials
Chapter 2: Stitch Glossary
Chapter 3: Projects

The author gives a detailed list of supplies and tools to make this beautiful needlework. She also gives the instructions to twelve different projects. The work in this book is so delicate and the photography is amazing. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy needlework projects.

4 stars

A great guide with detailed info for embroidering on organza or similar sheer fabrics. It includes some patterns for projects.

Working on sheer & light weight fabrics can be challenging, so I’d recommend this book for embroiderers with at least basic skills. The patterns include some very complex ones with intricate color shading involved, to more simple, straightforward designs.

[What I liked:]

•I’m learning tambour embroidery right now, which is worked on gauzy fabrics like organza or netting, so I was thrilled to find a guide to working on organza with such helpful details & hints! The informational guide in this book isn’t your run of the mill info for beginning embroiderers, but is specific to working with light weight fabrics. Exactly what I needed!

•The photos on the stitch guide are great, especially since working on see-through background fabric presents another level of difficulty for keeping a clean back (no knots, no loose threads showing through).

•Each project has a color guide, step-by-step instructions, and a detailed supply list.

•The included patterns have a nice variety, from cute stylized designs to very realistic floral ones. There are 9 in total.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•I don’t have much criticism. The only thing I can think of would be a resource list with the names & weights of specific fabrics, & where they’re available for purchase. But I’ll do some experimenting & figure out what fabrics I like to work with best.

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the photos were really helpful, showing you each stitch step by step to create the finished design. The colours were vibrant and eye catching and I loved so many of the designs, I can't wait to stitch the mushrooms. I also found the section about how to choose the right fabric to stitch on really helpful as well. I would highly recommend this book to those who want to try something new with their embroidery.

This is such a wonderful book for anyone who wants to know more about Hoop Art. If you like to embroider, this book would also interest you. You see different designs and things to make with a hoop and embroidery floss. I would suggest this for someone who wants more ideas in their craft making experience. The easy instructions allow you to work at home on the pictures of the finished products provided.

This is a great book on embroidery. I love the detailed pictures and the cute designs! This book is a great find!

Oh, this book was a feast for my eyes! I’ve been following embroidery on sheer surfaces for some time on Pinterest, but never thought I could attain the skills to create such beauty. Reading Godfrey’s instructions on how to embroider on organza has changed my mind! Her detailed tutorial and stunning projects have convinced me that I just might be able to pull it off. Another must have book for my stitchery collection. Now where do I start, the pansy, the goldfish, no the sunflower!

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher, Fox Chapel Publishing, for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. I gave it four stars.

There's a lot of nice patterns in here but I think they could benefit from using fewer strands of floss. Using all six strands makes these a lot less delicate than they should be. I think especially with delicacy of the organza, it makes it look clunky otherwise. I might use one of the patterns but a lot less floss.

While it never really left the needlework scene, the interest in embroidery is experiencing a resurgence. This book provides the opportunity for embroiderers to create on a different type of fabric and produce designs of different textures. The step-by-step stitch glossary will also assist visual learners in completing these projects. Beginning and established embroiderers will find this book is not only good for personal use but it will also make a wonderful gift.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the publisher and Net Galley but the thoughts expressed are my own.

Sarah Godfrey's Organza Hoop Art book is a great introduction to using embroidery floss to create designs that seem to float in an embroidery hoop. With a number of whimsical designs and step-by-step photos to help you learn this craft, the author makes this method of embroidery seem very do-able.

At first glance the art/designs might not be to everyone's taste, but the author does a great job of breaking down the technique she uses for shading, outlining, and adding details. Using those techniques it would be easy to apply those to another style of illustration, including making realistic designs.

Godfrey gives thoughtful advice about materials, including spending time describing what her ideal organza is like, but encouraging the reader to experiment to find their own preference.

While the book is just under 50 pages and might seem to not have much info at first, between the information in the beginning and the thoughtful way the author walks you through each project, this is a great book to hold your hand through starting to embroider on sheer fabric.

Organza Hoop Art breaks a delicate, complex looking craft down into manageable, understandable instructions. The projects featured in the book are lovely, and, once the techniques are explained, approachable. The pictures are vibrant and clear, and the step by steps help break down each style of stich and how it's used. The author had a lot of good tricks to offer, and practical advice on working with the medium. A great addition to any collection!

I loved this. Seemed easy enough to follow. I look forward to getting started. The pictures were very useful as well

Pros: Although I am not new to embroidery, I have never embroidered using organza before, which made this book appeal to me. I don't have the supplies at hand to try it yet, but I am inspired after reading this book. Also, hoop art is very popular right now (I see it all over Etsy), so I think there will be many people who are complete beginners who will pick up this book. This book is very beginner-friendly, and although not a beginner, I learned new stitches and techniques!

Cons: Although the author/artist does a pretty good job making this book accessible to beginners, it might be difficult for some to learn the stitches by reading a book. I've found it helpful to find videos on places like YouTube so I can watch someone else do the stitch.

I'm wondering if there is a mistake on page 36, the section page for Projects. The copy I'm viewing is a paragraph in Latin. I've seen this before as a placeholder for future text.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for the opportunity to read this book!

The projects in this book are beautiful and the book displaying them is beautiful too. I love it when a book matches the aesthetics of the art it displays. Even better, when the explanations are thorough and in-depth with lots of step-by-step pictures. This book checks all those boxes for me. Fantastic!

Thank you for the chance to read this book in exchange for honest review.

First -- the cover is really nice. This craft is really popular right now, and I always see really pretty hoop art. This book would catch my eye in the book or craft store.

Second -- I think that the author did a really good job of explaining the craft. I am not really great with my hands, but I have confidence in my ability to try this out after looking through the guide.

Third -- I think you would get a lot for your money if you bought this book. A lot of people look online for free guides, but I think that borrowing/buying this book would be well worth the time and money.

I have been an embroidery artist for 3+ years and have read almost any e-book on embroidery I can get my hands out, and I have to say that Organza Hoop Art by Sarah Godfrey is excellently done. The images are beautiful and high-resolution. They show not just the patterns but the steps and a black and white pattern for the reader to do the designs themselves.

Organza fabric used for embroidery is genius
Posted on February 11, 2021 by michellelovatosbookreviews, world's first book color commentator, book reviews with a twist



Oh, sarah, you had me at the title page.

Fiber artist and author Sarah Godfrey teamed up with Landauer Publishing to offer fiber crafters a new twist on the ancient art of embroidery.

Why, oh why, did it take us so much time to discover such a stunning twist? I mean, really. We’ve been embroidering since the cro-magnon days 30,000 years before Christ.

Regardless, Sarah, you and your new book, Organza Hoop Art: Embroidery Techniques and Projects for Sheer Stitching, are a God-send.

In this traditionally organized embroidery craft book, Sarah Godfrey walks readers through the various steps required to embroider a variety of designs on organza fabric.

The result is nothing less than stunning.

Using organza fabric to create these pieces gives each finished product a feeling of suspension in the air.

Organza is a light-weight sheer fabric many may automatically pair with wedding dresses and veils.

I did.

The delicate, classy, and formal fabric once derived from silk can now be created using a variety of different fibers to get the organza effect.

Regardless of how it’s made, combining the feminine, delicate feel of organza with the layered, sometimes beaded, always gorgeous art of hoop embroidery is sheer genius. Literally.

Just to page through this beautiful craft book is a dive into the soft, relaxing world of embroidery and offers inspiration to create its projects, and so much more.

In Organza Hoop Art: Embroidery Techniques and Projects for Sheer Stitching, Godfrey shares her methods for creating the most adorable prickly pear cactus I’ve ever seen. She shares patterns and methods for a variety of flowers – including the very popular purple bearded iris, which is my late mother-in-law’s all-time favorite flower.

Godfrey shares her ladybug pattern, her goldfish pattern, and, for a change of subject matter, artists can learn to stitch their own cup of relaxing coffee while enjoying this book.

Bravo Sarah Godfrey. Bravo Landauer Publishing.

One problem: This title doesn’t publish until early April in the vicinity of my 57th birthday. This post may be a bit early. But I was so enchanted I couldn’t hold back. Perhaps I’ll have to repost it again.

ml@michellelovato.com BoutiqueBooks@hotmail.com

Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things. Psalm 128: 1-2

Organza Hoop Art by Sarah Godfrey has me even more excited to start learning embroidery!

The introduction was great. I followed everything very well. I really appreciated the tips for sewing on more delicate/sheer fabric. I want to make every single item in this. All of the patterns are fun, colourful, and beautiful. I don't know which one to try first!

I might start on more sturdy fabric and then try the organza once I get the hang of it. We shall see.

I thought the concept of this book was very unique. There is so much out there about embroidery, but I have never heard or seen anyone do it on organza. Everything is so beautiful and well explained. A great book for beginners and more experienced embroiderers alike.

I received an eARC from Fox Chapel Publishing through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

This is a fantastic book for all ages that give projects that seem like beginners to more advanced would be able to use or be inspired by. I can't wait for the library to get a copy of this book!! I need some organza now!

Thank you NetGalley, just reviewed Organza Hoop Art by Sarah Godfrey. #OrganzaHoopArt #NetGalley

This book was unexpectedly inspiring and inviting to me! Before this book, I had no idea what organza even was, let alone that it could be embroidered on. Considering this book has essentially all the information you would need to get started in embroidery, it really encourages the passive reader to pick up this craft. One thing I would say though, is that having a "trial" project where one is required to flex their developing embroidery skills in the book would help ease beginners even more. For instance, maybe having a project that is just a simple outline of a shape would allow for practice without having to be a "final project". In the same vein, I thought that the "Blue Flower Lady" project should have come first, at least because it has more empty space and seems the least intimidating to me. The fact that the patterns for the projects are provided to transfer to fabric is a great feature of this already inspiring book! I know many family members, friends, and co-workers would love to get a personalized piece of art made with the help of this book!

I'm a sucker for embroidery and all things botanical. Organza Hoop Art takes both to another level with gorgeous designs on sheer organza fabric. I've never worked on sheer fabrics for embroidery projects, so this book showed me projects completely new to me. It's easy to get hooked on this type of fabric since the embroidery designs just pop out from the fabric.

This book is fairly straight forward with three chapters - one that goes over materials, one that goes over the stitches, and the projects chapter that has details on how to create all the gorgeous projects. My favorite: the toadstool mushrooms! I'm actually excited to try this and have a creamy colored silk organza in mind on my next fabric store shopping trip.

For those that have never worked stitches on organza, there are several considerations to keep in mind and Godfrey shares her tips for success. My favorite tip: (quote from an advanced reader copy - actual text may change with the final version)

"Avoid knots. Especially when I am working on delicate details, I avoid starting and stopping with knots when embroidering on organza. Instead, I start by leaving a tail of thread and then stitching it down as I go to secure my work. When it is time to stop and rethread my needle, I simply weave through at the back of my work a few times and snip."

The pictures that accompany the stitch glossary are clear and bright and easy to follow. There are easy to trace patterns for each project so replication is a cinch. All in all, a really fun book on how to create pretty botanical art on sheer fabrics. Highly recommended for anyone new to this type of embroidery medium.