Customer Reviews

A Rainbow of Stitches: Embroidery and Cross-Stitch Basics Plus More Than 1,000 Motifs and 80 Project Ideas

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First off - I think this is a great resource for the experienced crafter. I enjoyed it a lot and will use some of the motifs. However there are numerous pictures of household items - pillowcases, aprons, etc. - shown with cross stitched motifs. No discussion is present on how to do counted work on an uncounted fabric. No mention of stitching over linen and removing the threads, nor of using waste canvas. I think this would not be too helpful for the novice stitcher.

I love this book! I both embroider and cross stitch, and for me this book is like a dream come true. This book is both a cross stitch and embroidery book that is divided into sections based on a single color (green, pink, red, blue, white/taupe). Each section starts off with beautiful photos of project ideas, and is followed by motifs used in those projects as well as others. Each project is worked in a single color thread on a simple background, which makes for a very modern and fun effect. I would say that the ratio of cross stitch to embroidery motifs is fairly even. The motifs are very diverse, some are vintage looking, some are very modern and fun.

Some caveats about this book: the how-to section is very sparse, so if you are new to stitching I would suggest a more comprehensive book from which to learn; there are not any directions for any of the "projects" .. the photos are meant to serve as ideas for projects, rather than full directions. Lastly, the book is not spiral bound, which is something that I really feel all craft books should be.

I gotta say though...I own A LOT of craft books, and this is by far one of my favorites. It reminds me of the beautiful books that you can import from Japan with the high quality paper, and gorgeous photos...that is what this book is like. There really are very few designs in here that I don't like... I really like the majority of them...and there are A LOT.

Really an excellant book!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book! I buy lots of sewing, knitting, and embroidery books and this is by far the best one I've bought in quite a while. The designs are unique and unusual, not the boring, outdated, typical geese, teddy bears, etc. that are usually found in embroidery/cross-stitch books. The designs are whimsical and delightful, I can't wait to get started on them. The photographs are beautiful throughout the book, there are full charts and ideas for stitching on all sorts of things. A very creative, inspiring book. Every page is a delight!

This book had so many wonderful stitchery patterns from embroidery to cross stitch. Each sections is full of so much inspiration for projects of your own. I would say this book is more for the advanced stitcher and sewist as the instructions are just kept to the basics and quickly covered - which I really appreciate as I want more pages dedicated to the meat of the book. The photos are beautifully done giving you lots of ideas on how you can incorporate your embroidery into projects. The projects shown are not given with instructions to make, but more as a jumping off point for you to add to existing items or to sew up yourself. If you like a craft book that is inspiration and a great piece of eye candy (as well as useful) then this is the book for you.

This is a very nice book. I love the cross stitch patterns and embroidery motifs. The only thing I was unhappy about, is that most of the patterns need to be enlarged in order to use them.

This book is awesome! It's a hip, modern embroidery and cross-stitch book. No ducks in bonnets here! It's arranged by color, green, pink, blue, white, etc, and each section has 15-20 color pages with project ideas. This book will definitely give Sublime Stitching a run for their money! I almost like this better. It's just as comprehensive without being too trendy and maybe a bit more timeless.

I love this book. I bought 2 more of them for gifts after I received mine. It is well worth the cost and is full of motifs and wonderful ideas. A must have for your Cross stitch library.

This book is beautiful! The patterns carry different vibes: modern, vintage, French, seaside... I'm 30-something and like almost all of the patterns. This year, I created ornaments for friends and family using a mitten pattern (see posted picture).

I agree with other people that this book is best for fearless and/or experienced stitchers. A beginner could definitely do many patterns here, but may experience frustration. But the patterns are so pretty that it would be a shame to shy away from this book when thorough directions can be found elsewhere.

Craft books tend to contain a few interesting patterns and a bunch of stuff no one will make. This book is different. It delivers.

A very nice book to add to my collection on embroidery. I like the "one color" stitching and the simple designs are easy to follow, a great book for beginners. The project ideas are great, I will get allot of good use from this book, thank you.

I borrowed this book from the library so many times. There's over 1,000 templates and you just want to keep the book, which you can't of course, so I bought my from Amazon. I love it sooo much, if you like to embroidery, this is the book for you. From sea life templates, to French items like the Eiffel Tower, to beautiful flowers. This is a keeper!