Embroidery: Threads and Stories from Alabama Chanin and the School of Making

Part biography, part instructional guide, this book details Chanin’s (The Geometry of Hand-Sewing) cathartic swim with barracudas that led her to create Alabama Chanin, the author’s design, sewing, and fashion company. Nestled between lush pictures of clothes, patterns, and Southern scenery, the book offers a brief history of Alabama Chanin, an introduction to design techniques, definitions of sewing implements, project tutorials, and a list of essential sewing supplies. There is also a section devoted to myths about sewing. Chanin is unafraid to go against tradition that knots should be hidden, and fabric edges should not be left raw. This book is a smorgasbord that dabbles in color, stories, regional history, techniques, tips, and stencils. However, the book floats from one thing to another without ever going in-depth. Readers hoping for a deeper look into Chanin’s life or more specifics will be disappointed.