Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. This entertaining crafts/needlecrafts book is a fun gift idea for any and all of your snarky friends. I recommend this one.

A good collection of patterns that even beginners can handle, this book is funny though in this day and age can hardly be considered improper. This book felt more of a guide for inspiration rather than a how to. Overall, it is exactly as the description says. While it is not a be all end all must have book for crafters, it can serve to breathe some inspiration to someone in a rut.

With only 32 pages in my ARC (of the over 100 pages) I really can't tell you a lot about this book except that what I saw for patterns were not all that inspired. There are much funnier and more engaging books out there with inappropriate cross stitch patterns.
I also felt that the introduction to cross stitch instructions were not as comprehensive or useful as I would have liked. There is talk of even weave vs open weave which I found odd. No one calls it open weave anymore. Usually we are talking about linen, evenweave and Aida. So I'm not sure why the author chose to use the more technical definitions here instead of just talking about the supplies that are commonly available these days.

Yes the charts are all full colour and charted for DMC. But what cross stitch books aren't these days? For a hardcover book, based on what I saw I would not purchase this one. Just nothing inspired or interesting enough for me.

I can say that, as an experienced stitcher, this book has charts that are all appropriate for the beginner level. Nothing too difficult. Everything I saw had regular cross stitches or some backstitch in it. So if you want to start someone off whose never ever stitched this is not a terrible choice. Just give them better instructions than are at the front of this book and they should be fine.
It's too bad this one wasn't better as I love crazy, fun and inappropriate cross stitch. I've stitched more than my fair share of hearts, flowers, etc.; as have most long time stitchers so I'm always up for something different, appropriate or not. But I suppose not every book can be a winner.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

This book is cute but I can’t bring myself to give it more than 3 stars as nothing really stands out as new or unique. If you’ve ever searched for patterns about being crafting or geeky, you’ve seen very similar patterns or better. If you know you’ll make most of the patterns it’s worth it. You can probably find something here you’d want to make, but for me personally these are the types of patterns where I’d rather just buy individually on a site like Etsy as the whole book just didn’t wow me.

I really thought this was a fun pattern book. The improper Kresich has several patterns that look like a lot of fun and a great intro section for those new to cross stitching. I’m looking forward to starting several projects very soon.

Needlework has become popular again and there are plenty of books with the typical, old-fashioned designs as well as a crop of sassy, sarcastic, and even naughty designs. Improper Cross-Stitch fills a gap between the extremes. The designs are fun and playful with a good dose of snark but aren't so out there that one might be embarrassed to stitch them in public. They have a traditional feel to them because of the layouts and motifs but are updated with things that younger stitchers may actually want to hang on their walls.

I received a preview copy of this book. For the few patterns Included in the review they were cute and different from anything else I have seen in the cross stitch world. I would of loved it if they hd of added the cover pattern.

Included in the book are several tips to making cross stitch seem easier, as well has shopping tips, and a index of the tools of the trade. With each pattern there is a full color picture of the finished design, a full color pattern, and a list of the floss needed to complete the project as pictured.

I would loved to have been given the full book but since I wasn't I will just have to keep my eye out for in my local craft store or online. The full book features 35 patterns of naughty, funny, and improper patterns.

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.

This is not your mothers cross-stitch! Fun, trendy, and oh so hipster. Definitely adding to my Christmas lists for all my crafty friends.

#ImproperCross-stitch #NetGalley #Home #DYI

The catalog contains the easy to follow tutorials for very modern patterns of Cross-Stitch. My favorite sections was the HIPSTER section which is very modern for this classic art.

This book has lots of fun and easy to follow cross-stitch patterns and a handy guide at the beginning for people new to cross-stitch. I usually use free patterns online or pay to download just the one that I want, but this book won me over to the idea of buying books. My one complaint is that it didn't feel that "improper" or much different to other cross-stitch ideas I've seen online.

Very entertaining cross-stitch samples! I've always been interested in subversive cross-stitch but this book was just what I needed to explore ways to use this hobby that's different from what my mother or grandmother would have done.

In 2017 I went back to cross-stitch after more than 20 years and I am desperately in love with the current subversive crafting movement. "Proper" cross-stitch is boring. Improper cross-stitch is where it's at! This is a very entertaining book with some really good patterns.

I enjoyed this preview of the book. The designs were humorous and attractive. The introductory materials were efficient. I may recommend addressing the usage of the term warp and weft threads on page 2, possibly in the images on page 4. But the exclusion doesn't cause confusion.

I am excited to see the final product when it is released and see what interesting patterns reside in the rest of the book.

This is the book I wish I’d had when I started Cross-stitching, it’s exactly the right combination of snarky/nerdy cross-stitch patterns combined with advice on what the tools of the trade are. I had a short class and was given AIDA cloth (14) and a needle, but I had no idea why I’d been given AIDA 14 (as opposed to what), or the needle’s size. This book covers that, and so much more.

Threader conditioner was new to me, I’d seen someone use it at a session, but why? This book solved that question for me too. These are just a few examples of the valuable content in the book. I particularly enjoyed the section on framing because I’d never thought what to do with the project once it’s finished. (I appear to have one eternally on a hoop while I contemplate whether it’s done or if I should add more). But now I have good advice on framing a project in multiple different ways.

I was also glad for the section on how to design your own patterns. As someone who crafts (knits, crochets, sews) I enjoy making my own patterns and adapting designs to fit my requirements. Providing advice on how to do this for cross-stitch speaks to crafters like me, who want help, but also some autonomy in their patterns.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book for new cross-stitchers. Great advice.

The best part of this book is it's accessibility. All of the patterns I was able to view were small and simple, perfect for the beginning cross-stitcher. As well, the sections on materials and finishing (including washing and mounting) were wonderful. And I love that the author has free PDF downloads for 14 count and 28 count grid/graph paper for designing your own cross-stitch.

Unfortunately, this was only a preview so I didn't get to see all the patterns or any of the instructions on the patterns I could view, so I can't really speak to the quality of instruction (though I'm going to assume it is along the same lines as what I could view, which was excellent). And I'd be lying if I didn't admit I was a little disappointed in the level of "impropriety". The patterns were quirky and untraditional, but only one came close to improper. The primary reason for my interest was the promise of high level snark and sass. Alas, that is the one place where this book fell short for me. Still, it's a great book for quickly learning the basics and some patterns that will work up quickly and easily for practice.

3.5 stars

Not just slightly humorous patterns, but a good introduction for people who haven't done cross-stitch before. The digital copy that I received only had 30 pages, so I didn't get to see the whole thing, but the layout was well done and the patterns would be easy to read. I have seen in other reviews that the cover pattern isn't featured in the book, but I can't say that for sure.

I would be interested in seeing the full book to see if I'd want to make any of the patterns, but... *shrug* I guess I will be waiting to see if the library gets a copy, but for now I'm giving it a tenative rating based on what I saw.

Even though this is only a preview of the full book I am excited to see it complete. The designs are simple yet effective and allow for some creativity on the part of the stitcher if they feel the need to add some personal flair.

I love me a good sassy cross-stitch.

I loved this little book. It gave instruction on how to get started in cross stitch. It also gave some really cute patterns. I didn't think the patterns were over the top improper, which is good. If you love cross stitch, get this book!

Improper Cross-Stitch is an irreverent slightly snarky take on cross stitch patterns and books. Haley Pierson-Cox has a humorous, nerdy, tongue in cheek style that is definitely not 'grandma's cross stitch'.

I received an ARC preview which included 60 pages of content with a really good introductory tutorial. This would be a good starting book or gift for someone who was interested in learning the basics of cross stitch and finishing some fun gifts for themselves or friends. The first chapter provides a thorough introduction to materials and supplies. She discusses needles, fabrics, thread counts, embroidery floss, hoops, etc. The photos are full colour and clear and the instructions are easy to follow.

The full published edition contains 128 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. Published by St. Martin's Press and due out 7th August 2018.

Four stars, some fun projects here.

The how-to sections at the beginning and the end were helpful and offered new tips. The sample pages were cute but not nearly as improper or outrageous as I'd hoped.