Mini Cushions in Cross Stitch: 30 Original Designs to Make

This is one of the line of excellent Guild of Master Craftsman Publications. I purchased this book based on the first, most helpful, review you see here. She got it right, by gum, and you should note how highly ranked and inexpensive this book is. It's really a good deal. As shown on the cover, all of these designs are quatrefoil, an ancient stylized quarter pattern found in textiles and architecture in many countries. This is not to say that all the little designs are symmetrical: as shown on the left-hand pillow of the cover, some of the coloring and, often, the designs within the quarter are different. For example, a Christmas one has 3 white poinsettias with a bell. Another is based on a deck of cards with the king, queen, jack and jester radiating out from the center with the 4 suits and bands of color surrounding the quatrefoil. All of the designs can be used to make a little pillow but many of the individual design elements are also shown made up as greeting cards or ornaments.To help the reader see how easy it would be to design her own pillow, Sheena Rogers includes an empty chart with the quatrefoil shape with which you can play around with designs and colors. I am particularly impressed with the close-ups of the directions for stitching, beading and making up the items. The materials used are described in great detail and in all the hundreds of stitch books I have, this has the best diagramming, via color close-ups and directions, just on how to start a line of cross stitches. The beading demonstration is excellent as is making up a card with a stitched insert and adding braids, tassels or a beaded edge.If you enjoy making miniatures, also consider these books which I can highly recommend: Exquisite Miniatures: In Cross Stitch and Other Counted Thread Techniques Needlework Designs for Miniature Projects: 64 Charts for Counted Cross-Stitch and Needlepoint (Dover Needlework) Miniature Needlepoint Rugs for Dollhouses: Charted for Easy Use (Dover Needlework Series) Miniature Embroidery for the Tudor & Stuart Dolls' House

How many of us have more than a few UFOs (unfinished objects) in our cross-stitch collection? This book provides a variety of small patterns that can be finished in a reasonable length of time. Not only are there the mini-cushions of the title; for most of the patterns there are also even smaller pieces - a section of the cushion motif, re-arranged, for example - that can be used as card inserts, pincushions, even jewelry.Although these are small projects, they are not simplistic, as so many "quick and easy" booklets have - these are sophisticated designs. Most are offered with alternate color choices suggested, too, so that they can be varied to match your decor or personal preference.Color numbers are given for DMC, Anchor and Madiera, reflecting that this is a UK book; those in the US, we are most likely to be using DMC floss. For those projects where beads are suggested, you can look for brands of beads available in the US - the colors are pretty general, for the beads - or you can substitute floss of the bead color; the patterns won't suffer from that, although they look nice with the beads. Speaking of substitutions, I also note that most of the patterns call for whole stitches and back stitches only, no half or quarter stitches - which means that they can also easily be used for needlepoint as well as cross-stitch. (Or single crochet, if you really want to give yourself a challenge! Not suitable for knitting, however, as the graphs depend on an even-weave scale, and knitting is not even as to length and width.) I plan to try at least one of them in needlepoint, although still using cotton floss rather than tapestry wool. The variety of colors available in tapestry wool, though, is even greater than floss, so you could really go to town on variations on the patterns in that wise.While most of the motifs are floral, not all are. There are patterns that use playing card images, chess pieces, fossils, heraldry-like shapes, and others. The only animals, however, are insects (bees, butterflies, and a few others). For those of us who have the usual (who knows why, but there it is) affinity for cats along with our needlework, it would have been nice to have a design that somehow featured cats; perhaps we can hope for that in a second book by the same designer!

There was what looked like a bite taken from one corner of the book’s cover. Otherwise fine.Would be helpful if some additions page shots were included so you have an idea of the different designs.

Great book, interesting designs, & variety of techniques used to stitch these Mini Cushions or however you want to use them. Beautiful colored photographs making the designs just pop & easy to read patterns.

thank you

I do a lot of cross stitch, and I a always looking for interesting things to make as gifts. This book gives lots of examples fo things that won't take a long time to make, but that would be interesting examples of the craft I enjoy.

Fabulous book with wonderful designs! I haven't embroidered any yet, but plan to in the near future.

The book arrived on time very fairy easy stich pattern to fallow,haven't desided which one to stich yet.Thank you.

When I first took a glance through this book I was delighted with how colourful these mini cushions are. The author has a taken a simple design template, that of a four petalled flower, and within that template has come up with various subjects e.g bees, chess pieces, card suits as well as florals and leaves in complimentary colour ways. Although the basic design, upon which most of the book is based, is 80 by 80 stitches square the author has adapted some of the designs which could be made into key fobs, scissors keepers or cards for example. You are also encouraged to use your imagination in using different colour combinations to make your design individual and the basic template is included to help you do this. Although aimed at the beginner as well as the experienced I believe it would be need to be an enthusiastic beginner as most the designs involve intense coverage of the fabric. The photography is superb (every design is photographed in close-up) and the layout extremely pleasing. All the charts are in colour blocks with symbols.

This is a beautiful book. Can't wait to get started. Arrived quickly as expected.

Purchased for my old Ma, who texts "Book arrived. Lots of beautiful cross-stitch pictures to keep me busy. Thank you very much".You made an elderly lady very happy, Sheena Rogers. Be proud.

I think Sheena Rogers designs are original and brilliant. They are fun to sew with lots of colour. They make wonderful gifts or you can make them in to cards. I recommend this book. Also check out Sheena Rogers website. Brilliant.

Item came quickly and great quality - lots of patterns to stitch all with clear instructions