pretty_little_bibliophile's review
5.0
Embroidered Life, by Sara Barnes, follows the craft of embroidery as practiced by Sarah K. Benning. And it is the ultimate craft inspo!
From beautiful botanicals to bold affirmations, the work of self-taught fiber artist Sarah K. Benning gives any embroidery enthusiast, art lover, or plant fanatic a new appreciation for the craft of needlework.
I absolutely loved the art that is this book in itself. It sheds light on Benning’s embroidery process and her successful business model, while also offering behind-the-scenes insights that rally inspired me to pick up the needle and thread after almost a decade.
There are also some amazing pictures of the various embroidery works done by Benning and they are so lush and beautiful! A lot of her works feature nature and plants and the colour green overall, and it was no wonder I was so very attracted to it. Following each picture, the author has also included notes to explain the meanings and processes behind the stitches.
It also obviously pushed me to make my own embroidery piece and so I too ended up embroidering my personal logo. I had a great time making it and I realized that it is a kind of meditation. It just feels so good to sit down in the warm sunshine every morning and do the stitching. I really felt at peace doing it.
Moreover, the book is so aesthetic, and the addition of the die-cut case with actual stitching on the front cover just amps up the aesthetics! Like the embroidery which is a very physical thing, the inclusion of this stitching on the front too is iconic for emulating that sense of touch.
From beautiful botanicals to bold affirmations, the work of self-taught fiber artist Sarah K. Benning gives any embroidery enthusiast, art lover, or plant fanatic a new appreciation for the craft of needlework.
I absolutely loved the art that is this book in itself. It sheds light on Benning’s embroidery process and her successful business model, while also offering behind-the-scenes insights that rally inspired me to pick up the needle and thread after almost a decade.
There are also some amazing pictures of the various embroidery works done by Benning and they are so lush and beautiful! A lot of her works feature nature and plants and the colour green overall, and it was no wonder I was so very attracted to it. Following each picture, the author has also included notes to explain the meanings and processes behind the stitches.
It also obviously pushed me to make my own embroidery piece and so I too ended up embroidering my personal logo. I had a great time making it and I realized that it is a kind of meditation. It just feels so good to sit down in the warm sunshine every morning and do the stitching. I really felt at peace doing it.
Moreover, the book is so aesthetic, and the addition of the die-cut case with actual stitching on the front cover just amps up the aesthetics! Like the embroidery which is a very physical thing, the inclusion of this stitching on the front too is iconic for emulating that sense of touch.
coffinfinite's review
fast-paced
2.0
First I want to stress that my rating of this book is in no way reflective of my opinion of Benning’s embroidery. Her work is beautiful, and she is a very important figure in the contemporary embroidery community.
However, the book is rather lacklustre. It reads like a magazine article stretched - visibly, with some pages barely reaching a paragraph - over the length of the book. There’s very little real insight into Benning’s life and work, just repeated mentions of the year she lived in Spain and details about how she’s been able to buy a house with her embroidery business earnings. Not the reason people tend to pick up books about an embroidery artist!
The pictures are of course beautiful, but none of the accompanying commentary is in depth enough to be of real interest. The fact Benning did not write the book hits it hard - I would have been far more interested in a first person perspective, rather than the prolonged interview style we get instead. The entire thing reads like a promotion for her monthly pattern club and her workshops, which feels a little like it’s missed the point. People wishing to read about Benning’s “Embroidered Life” are already well aware of what she sells.
I gave this book an extra star because I got it for free with a magazine subscription... and I can see why they’re giving it away.
However, the book is rather lacklustre. It reads like a magazine article stretched - visibly, with some pages barely reaching a paragraph - over the length of the book. There’s very little real insight into Benning’s life and work, just repeated mentions of the year she lived in Spain and details about how she’s been able to buy a house with her embroidery business earnings. Not the reason people tend to pick up books about an embroidery artist!
The pictures are of course beautiful, but none of the accompanying commentary is in depth enough to be of real interest. The fact Benning did not write the book hits it hard - I would have been far more interested in a first person perspective, rather than the prolonged interview style we get instead. The entire thing reads like a promotion for her monthly pattern club and her workshops, which feels a little like it’s missed the point. People wishing to read about Benning’s “Embroidered Life” are already well aware of what she sells.
I gave this book an extra star because I got it for free with a magazine subscription... and I can see why they’re giving it away.
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