Celtic Cross-Stitch [Hardcover]

Mike Vickery (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1996

Drawing inspiration from a wide variety of Celtic designs, theprojects presented in this book feature knotwork, key and spiral patterns together with animal, plant and human forms. A separate section of classic Celtic alphabet designs is included.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Interest in Celtic design as applied to needlework has been increasing, with The Book of Kells and other manuscript treasures proving to be rich sources of design ideas. Designer Vickery has made good use of these sources for his own beautifully striking designs. The major part of his book consists of border designs and a fantastic original alphabet. Also included are several pictorial designs in sampler style. Lawther's (Christmas Craft Sourcebook, LJ 8/95) designs are adaptations of Celtic sources, particularly as they apply to knotwork and alphabets. Lawther also includes general instructions for working cross-stitch. Many of her projects very effectively use lines of black cross-stich for outline and separation, providing an alternative to the backstitch outlines frequently found in modern cross-stitch. Both books have step-by-step projects with full-color charts. In both books, a very effective use of vibrant color contrasts with the more subdued designs found in Angela Wainwright's Celtic Cross Stitch Samplers (Cassell/Sterling, 1995), which uses many of the same sources. Needleworkers will find these books inspiring sources of patterns for clothing and accessories as well as household items.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

What at first glance appears to be yet another cross-stitch book from the prolific fingers working for Chapelle Studios turns out to be a brilliantly colored celebration of the fantastic, the allegorical, and the mythical. In fact, other craft books purporting to be based on Celtic forms seem almost lifeless by comparison; Vickery has made his designs breathe by including not only color but also animal and human forms--serpents, stags, chieftains, and even Manannan mac Lir, the god of the waves. Moreover, the 30 patterns, plus the Celtic alphabet, can easily be transferred to other types of needlework. Each pattern features expected information: materials needed, pattern size, stitch count, Anchor/DMC threads needed, color graph, and, when appropriate, a color photograph. Barbara Jacobs

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Sterling Pub Co Inc (January 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806913827
• ISBN-13: 978-0806913827
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #705,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Celtic Cross Stitch, February 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Celtic Cross-Stitch (Paperback)

This isn't the greatest book on Celtic stitchery out there. It doesn't claim to be. It's a book of the authors interpretations of the celtic style. While most may not be historically accurate in the least, there are some nice charts in the book that are beautiful and inspired. The charts themselves range from easy to mid-level in difficulty. While I was very disappointed with the knotwork, I love working with the bright colors and the interesting designs. I have stitched two designs from the book and have been very happy with them.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Authentic Celtic this book is not, November 17, 1999

By 

Bethany Cai ([e-mail]) (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celtic Cross-Stitch (Hardcover)

I was very disappointed with this book. The use of pastel colours has no precedence in Celtic art. Also, the fact that nothing in the book, none of the knot work, is symetrical! Obviously the designer had not looked at any Celtic art before he did this book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very basic charts, November 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Celtic Cross-Stitch (Paperback)

I was disappointed by these charts. They are not very complex, and there is very little of the traditional knotwork patterns, which is what I was hoping for. The charts are easy to read, and it would be a good book for a beginner/intermediate stitcher.