Product Description

From folk hearts and roses to ballet shoes and butterflies, inside this book there are motifs galore, plus dozens of project ideas to please every cross-stitch crafter.

Welcoming newcomers to the craft, this book clearly explains the stitches, shows how to prepare the fabric, includes more than 800 illustrated step-by-step instructions, plus supplies directions for a traditional cross-stitch sampler from start to finish. Seasoned stitchers can skip ahead to hundreds of motifs, including numbers and letters. Covering a wide range of themes, each motif is accompanied by an inspirational photograph, easy-to-read color pattern chart, materials list, thread key, and step-by-step instructions. Plus you’ll find a useful size guide accompanying every motif, which allows you to tailor each pattern to the dimensions needed.

This easy-to-use resource is organized into three parts: Part One offers hints and tips for choosing the best fabrics and the differences between threads, as well as simple techniques of basic cross-stitch and its variations. Part Two teaches some ways to spruce up your projects with embellishments, such as tassels, sequins, beads, and fringing. Part Three provides a library of more than 900 motifs.

Crafters of all experience levels will find a motif to suit any occasion.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #346227 in Books
• Published on: 2005-12-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Features

• More than 900 motifs, plus dozens of projects?clearly explained stitches, how to prepare the fabric, a size guide, and much more.

From Booklist
From humble beginnings, a bunch of crosses--the easiest stitch in the world to conquer--becomes swimming sea horses, a plot of vegetables, even a fool-the-eye Middle Eastern kilim. As always, when editors at Reader's Digest identify a subject to publish, they explore its history, plumb the most popular techniques, then apply those learnings pragmatically. Here, cross-stitching takes on a more artistic bent, starting with the book's layout--big type fonts, step-by-step illustrations with full-color photographs of the projects--and ending with more than 900 designs. What is most unusual in a quantity-driven crafts book is the detail appended to each motif: charts, color photograph, thread key, a size guide, and stitching directions. A good reference--and even better source for inspiration. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
For more than 80 years,Reader's Digest editors have been the source of trusted information for readers around the world. Expert in gardening, cooking, home repair, health, consumer awareness, and general reference, we are committed to providing authoritative content that not only inspires but also empowers people to enrich their lives and improve the universe around them.

Customer Reviews

GREAT BOOK--even for a beginner
I checked this out from the library to get some new ideas for gifts. The designs are gorgeous-- lots of color pictures of each design and how they can be used as gifts. Most of the designs are fairly simple (or quick) even for the beginner, but are also beautiful and well-illustrated.

If you are a beginner, (I'm an intermediate stitcher)get this book! I learned some new stitches I didn't understand how to do. Now I'm going to buy it!

love it
Just beautiful. Im making projects already. Big and little, huge color charts color coded. Huge book, lots to do. I've been cross stitching for 25 years and I can tell you this is a winner.

An Excellent Book!
I was hesitant to get this book because of the negative review, so I went to the bookstore to check it out in person, and I loved it so much I purchased it right then and there! I am fairly to new to cross stitch, and I have not found this book to be hard to follow at all. I have this book as well as the other book that the other reviewer mentioned, the Better Homes and Gardens Book, and I have to say that there really is no comparison. To compare the 2 books is not really comparing apples to apples---the Better HOmes and Gardens book is mini motifs, and it is an excellent book, but so is this book, and it is not filled with mini motifs but larger designs that could go on pillows, etc. This book has truely beautiful patterns with everything from flowers to alphabets and everything in between. Each project has a full color photograph with a project idea, as well as suggestions for other project ideas. A lot of cross stitch books can be quite kitschy, but I have not found this book to be kitschy at all---many of the patterns are very elegant and modern. Sure there are some cutesy patterns, but those are the patterns that are meant to be cutesy --- like baby and children stuff. I love the variety, the photos, the clear diagrams, everything about this book. Another wonderful feature of this book is that for every project there is a list with DMC and Anchor floss#'s, and also a table that tells you what size your project will be stitched on different size fabrics. That is so awesome! LOVE THIS BOOK!