Customer Reviews

Big Book of Cross-Stitch Design: Over 900 Simple-to-Sew Decorative Motifs

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

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.

Most of the time when I open a cross stitch book I find some basic instructions, occassional additional stitch instructions, supplies, materials and then a selection of motifs or samplers etc. Usually the chapters cover the types of motifs used in the book or specific pieces of work. Sometimes they go by themes. Many times I find a piece here and there, perhaps several pieces, that I want to make. This book is different. It is exceptional in almost every area. I found myself lingering over most of the pages and wondering which design to do first. The focus is on presentation. Sometimes you see the motifs on pillows, bags, clothing, samplers, table linens etc. Always, the piece is showcased to bring out the best in the design. I found the directions and the charts easy to follow although I would take the book to Kinkos and have the charts enlarged. They are color coded but also symbol coded and that can be hard to read in the smaller print size required to fit the book. This is a beautiful book and very interesting. The choices are novel, not "Ha Ha." The selection is extrordinary. It is a collection of the best of the best and the pieces are simple. The motifs have pizzazz. You don't see these everday. Some are designed with the option of embellishment but you can always leave this out. If you can only afford one cross stitch book and want to do more contemporary work, or use bright and beautiful color get this book. If on the other hand you are looking for a muted book or a single themed book, this is not the one for you. But for most of us this would make a welcome addition to our collections. There is a bit of everything here. It features lots of variety in many categorys. The floral section and the Samplers alone are well worth the price of the book and you get so very much more. It's like openning a package on Christmas morning and finding exactly the right gift inside. However, it is a bit shy on the alphabet choices. Oh well, I guess you can't have everything in one book or we wouldn't buy any others. I'm drawn to the unique Samplers. The are lovely and you can lift the unusual motifs and use them very successfully on their own. So, I like this book very much and I think it will get a great deal of use.

This book is worth getting only if you are an intermediate/advanced stitcher who is interested in the pattern library in the back of the book. There are some nice patterns in there, especially floral, but nothing you can't find some other place. HOWEVER: they don't give you stitch count for any of the designs, only 'design size' on different fabric counts (like 25!@!), so you'd first have to convert it or count it yourself if using any regular sized fabric. I recommend getting it from a library, or just skipping it altogether.

A *much* better reference book/pattern library is "2001 Cross Stitch Designs: The Essential Reference Book" (Better Homes & Gardens Crafts) by Better Homes and Gardens (Paperback - Sep 7, 2004)

My biggest problem with this book is the first half - all the text. Obviously written in the UK, this book pretends to be instructive and comprehensive but leaves a ton of stuff out! Seems to be a tie-in with the materials of only a certain chosen few manufacturers, everything else is apparently not 'worth mentioning'. If this was a David & Charles publication I'd understand, but this is Readers Digest people! Not worth spending your money on if you are looking for a real survey of what is out there today, especially in the U.S. - which is all also available world-wide through online shops.

The sections lacking the most?
--Threads: limited types listed - no mention of the variety of silks, overdyeds and other specialty fibers (bamboo, etc.) out there.
--Fabrics: limited types listed - no mention of the various evenweaves (everything is either aida or linen - no lugana, jobelin, etc. Tells readers that aida is only available in 2 counts (it comes in five.) Absolutely no mention of the overdyed fabricss available from established firms like Silkweavers, PictureThisPlus, etc.
--Needles: doesn't tell you all the sizes or types (petites, gold-plated, etc.) available
--Frames: doesn't mention Qsnaps or a bunch of the different kinds/sizes of scroll frames
--Tools: No mention of tools like magnetic needleminders, Star DeTailor, tacky bob, seam ripper, thread snips, tweezers, needle puller, FrayCheck, etc. All the little things that can make stitching even easier.

Besides the lack of information about products not being sold by their 'sponsors' (listed in the back of the book), I didn't like some of the instructions either.

My biggest beef was with the fact that they instruct you to measure and select fabric only 2 inches larger in each direction than the design. That is terrible! Leaves you with only 1 INCH on any side of the design. Generally accepted is a MINIMUM of 2 inches on each side (so 4 inches larger), while most stitchers go with a 3 inch per side increase (6 inches larger than the design.) I would hate to be a beginning stitcher following these directions! You have no room to put the design in the frame to work it (even in-hand would have a problem), and absolutely no room for error and very little for framing allowance.

Argh!
As you can see, I pretty much detest this book.
Definitely don't reward the publisher by buying it, there are much better ones out there - for both beginners and pattern libraries!

For the most comprehensive online source of 'how to' for beginners, go to: http://home.comcast.net/~kathydyer/

I have bad eyesight but this book is very easy to see and even easier to follow. If you're a beginner, then this book would be good for you! It is organized into categories, each category having mostly stylish designs. I actually made my daughter a fairy from one and it turned out beautifully! It has designs for all occasions and types of cross stitching (quilts, hand towels, Kleenex boxes, etc...). The pages also stay open easily if you have it in your lap following it (which is what I do).

I was browsing the library when I came across this book. I am a first-time cross stitcher and have fallen in love with this book. Finally had to buy it! I recommend it for anyone just starting out!