By Sandy Amazeen Mar 3, 2008, 21:35 GMT
Holland-Daly who learned an appreciation for needlework from her mother and grandmother has taken that love and turned it into Monsterbubbles, a cross-stitch design business. She shares her expertise by getting beginners off on the right foot with a working knowledge of the basic materials and tools required to do a nice job while showing how to find inspiration in their favorite music, quotes and quips. Each project is shown in two, clear color photos with a complete materials list and stitch charts that include the readily available DMC embroidery thread. Projects are broken into three chapters including “Graffiti” with a collection of bright observations stitched on pillows and plaques. “Tattoos” focuses primarily on wearable motifs including a delightful spider stitched onto a mesh bag while “Stuff” expands cross-stitch boundaries by showing how to turn window screen mesh and fly swatters into whimsical bracelets and wall decorations. The alphabet chart located in the back of the book encourages readers to graph out their own sayings and the many “Liner Notes” include several tips for dyeing fabrics and threads to make each project truly their own. There are many beginner cross-stitch books on the market but few are this bright and breezy.
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