As I've shared before, I taught myself hand embroidery when I was laid up on the couch following an ankle injury. I really enjoyed watching YouTube videos because I could easily see how to create particular stitches. That said, I also relied on a number of wonderful embroidery books that I still reference today.
These are my favorite books that are "stitch dictionaries" and cover everything from a basic running stitch to incredibly complex stitches. They are chock full of photographs and diagrams that help you practice. It's also worth noting that a number of these books also cover cross stitch.
The Stitch Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to 225 Embroidery Stitches and Techniques by Kate Haxell
Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches by Mary Thomas
Embroidery: A Step-By-Step Guide to More than 200 Stitches by Lucinda Ganderton
Embroidery Pocket Guide by Leisure Arts (this isn't a book, but a handy little laminated guide)
Rebecca Ringquist's Embroidery Workshops: A Bend-the-Rules Primer by Rebecca Ringquist
Want more of my hand embroidery tips? You can find them here.
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