Improper Cross Stitch by Holly Pierson Cox

Amazon                 B&N                  BAM




Like many crafts, Cross Stitch is finding it's way with a new generation and Improper Cross Stitch is exactly what many people have been looking for. I've been doing crafts since I was allowed to (not) run with scissors and I would have loved this quirky book back then as much as I do now.

It begins with a great introduction to Cross Stitch, the standard how-to for stitches and what the count on fabric means, along with how to read charts. So this book works for the very basic beginner to a crafter that has been stitching for a while. There are full color photos alongside the charts, which helps a beginner to see what a finished project should look like. There are 35 + projects so there has to be something for everyone.

I received an ARC of the book and it contained just a couple of charts, "Grammer Police" is my favorite, I'd definitely do that one for my mom and daughter, and there may be some included that aren't for all audiences but nothing that I saw would preclude me from buying it for any ages that were interested. Most projects seemed like ones that could be completed in a short amount of time, which is all most of us have for crafting lately. After all it can be fun to be a bit improper!

I'll be on the look out for this book during the holiday season. I think it would make a great stocking stuffer or quick gift for anyone looking to get into Cross Stitch or a quick craft with a bit of attitude!

Thanks to Net Galley and the author for an ARC of the book, it has just come out on August 7th so make sure to check it out on Amazon and in your local book store, If nothing else you'll get a great laugh and just maybe you'll end up with a few presents of your own. As a personal aside, this is available on Kindle, which is the version I had and I would spend a bit more and get the hardback. I have other craft books on the kindle and it can be difficult flipping back and forth to find the right pages to refer to when working a project.