I started doing freehand sewing machine embroidery about 25 years ago in my twenties, recovering from lung surgery. I have never garment sewn and never will. I discovered a hobby that's stuck with me into my fifties.

It is particularly disturbing that the manufacturers have duped so many men and women into thinking they have to have one of those 'passive' embroidery machines. You know, the ones where you either draw a little design on the computer, or even lazier, just buy someone else's design. Then you sit back and watch the machine do all the work. Parallels the difference between painting and doodling on a computer with an inkjet. No, you don't have to have one of those machines, you never did. As Ms. Holt illustrates, any zigzag sewing machine where you can drop the feed dogs or cover them works for her type of work; she is using a Bernina 1030 from the 80's.

I don't pretend to be in the same league as an artist like Ms. Holt. However, it was fun to watch her illustrate her techniques. You see, all freehand embroiderers do things a little uniquely. Some combine painting or dying with the embroidery. Some only use thread, and lots of it. Some do a type of patchwork quilting with fabric, then combined with thread.

This is a terrific DVD. Unlike some I've bought, lighting is excellent and Ms. Holt is easy to watch and easy to listen to.

For all you people out there who think you have to buy one of those silly and expensive embroidery/sewing machines to make your art and express yourself, watch this first.

I've been interested in machine embroidery for many years with landscapes being of particular interest. In this video, Alison Holt shows you step-by-step and in detail how she goes about creating her landscapes. From choosing materials, mapping out your idea, painting the background, and creating the big picture as well as the details, she shares her complete methodology.

Maybe the hardest part of getting started is to design the work. Alison discusses how she does it and gives a step by step example, discussing her thoughts and design choices as she goes so that you can learn how and why choices are made. She then follows through creating that same design in the rest of the video, along the way, discussing design choices.

I have few criticisms of this instructional DVD. One is that she uses an unfamiliar description for the weight of silk she prefers to use as her background. I have been unable to find it as described though there is no shortage of silks available. The second is the little grimace-like smile at the end of each segment that should have been cut out or at least brought to her attention during production so that she could stop doing it. My other criticism is that I would have liked to have had a gallery of her other work to view and maybe a list of materials to print out.

One thing I like about it is that the setting is pleasant but not distracting, enabling one to concentrate on watching what she is doing. She gives excellent demonstrations of each part of every technique and the camera work catches it brilliantly.

In short, if you want to learn to make your own landscapes with a sewing machine, buy this video, you won't go wrong.

This is proving to be a great resource. Alison's directions are clear and easy to follow. It will be a DVD that I will revisit many times. Each segment explains a different technique. The segments build on each other but can be viewed separately. This enables you to practise one more than another. The segments build until you end up creating a simple scene. Excellent!!