Title: Cari Buziak
Pages: 128
Genre: Nonfiction, Instructional, Crafts
Source: Free ARC from Dover Publications
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Note: As stated under the Source (above), I received this book for free from Dover Publications via NetGalley. I pride myself on writing fair and honest reviews.
Review
Cross-stitch is one of the very first crafts I picked up as a child. My mother did it, as did my Aunt Grace, who was also gifted at embroidery, needlepoint and pretty much any kind of needlework. My aunt’s house had wall after wall of framed pieces of her work, all stunning, all screaming “art” at me. As a kid who was academically gifted, but creatively stunted, cross-stitch seemed like a way to be creative without too much risk. After all, it came with a pattern, so all I had to do was follow instructions and I could create something stunning like my aunt, right? Needless to say, I’ve been cross-stitching all these years, longer than I’ve done any other craft (other than perhaps crochet, which is a very narrow second). So much so, that like my aunt, I’m known for it (in my family), and when she passed, all of her unfinished work was passed on to me (unopened kits going back to the 70’s!).
So now you know why I was interested in this book. 😀
As for the book itself, it would be wonderful for any beginning cross-stitcher. The introduction offers clear and concise instructions on stitching technique and typical materials. Then the patterns are organized by theme. None of the patterns are overly complex (not that anything about cross-stitch really is anyhow), and all are on the small side, many being under 3” x 3”, all being under 6” x 6”. This means they work up quickly. Great for building confidence through practice without being overwhelmed. Each pattern shows a small image of the finished product, a larger copy of the actual pattern, and a color key box for DMC floss.
The patterns are whimsical, as promised. My favorites were the dragons, dinosaurs, hedgehogs and chickens, as well as the two that revolved around books. There are also holiday themes and one collection of alphabet stitches. Several patterns could be put together to create a sampler of sorts, allowing the stitcher to work on small projects and integrate them into one large one.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book for experienced cross-stitchers, but it would be fabulous for a beginner.
All around, a cute cross-stitch book.
This sounds like a book I could use. I have many of my mother’s cross stitch kits (she has been gone over 20 years) in a cupboard, but have never done any. I used to embroider, so it shouldn’t be hard, but I have a hard time following directions. 😄 I do love the cute hedgehog on the cover. Nice review Myndi.