Craft book review: Quick & clever cross stitch: Eight sampler templates with over 1,000 pick-and-mix motifs

Craft book review: Quick & clever cross stitch: Eight sampler templates with over 1,000 pick-and-mix motifs

Book title:

Quick & clever cross stitch: Eight sampler templates with over 1,000 pick-and-mix motifs
By Helen Philipps

What is it about?

This is a rather unique book of cross stitch designs which focuses on creating your own custom cross stitch samplers. The first section of the book provides a selection of templates for you to fill in with either your own designs or from the variety of designs in the motifs collection in the book. There are detailed instructions and plenty of hints on how to make a sampler with the templates and provided motifs.
The motif collections are a perfect size for cards if you just need a quick stitch for one. There is a large variety for each of the themes presented in the motif collection of the book.

Who is it for?

I would recommend this book for beginner to intermediate or above cross stitchers. The designs themselves are small but use a variety of stitches and techniques. Also to make up your own unique sampler you may need to do a little charting of your own. This may seem like a little extra work but to be honest it is very worth the effort since you will have the tools with this book to make a unique sampler for almost any occasion.

Any extra info?

I'm not sure where to begin with all of the extra info you get with this book. Along with the usual run down of cross stitch techniques I love the collection of alphabets that come with this. Not only good for the samplers in the book but for other projects. I like to use these alphabets as reference for cards and small projects.
Even though this book is about customising your own samplers there are a variety of pre-made samplers which can be used straight from the book should you wish or altered just a little for your own needs. My favourite for this is the wedding sampler on page 10.

For the Buzy Bobbins Index page Click here.