If your hand sewing is limited to the mending-when-necessary variety--stitching on buttons, repairing split seams--then you already have the skills necessary to make every project here. These 18 inventive projects for embellishing and personalizing clothes and soft furnishings are organized around the six basic and easy embroidery stitches: cross, blanket, line and chain, satin, feather, and insertion. Stylish photography and helpful line drawings outline every step, and a complete template guide is included, so in no time complete beginners will be stitching away. Take items from your home or wardrobe and with a few turns of the needle produce a 1920's-style floral skirt, a silk scarf with daisies dancing along the border, or an elegant two-toned cross-stitched tablecloth.

Photographer(s): Chris Tubbs