Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

This was a very interesting ARC to read as I really like embroidery (it is something that I am steadily learning) and I wanted to see what the mystical element was. I found this very simple to follow and I found the spiritual aspect interesting to read about as I had never really considered a spiritual or mystical element to embroidery!

'Rating: 5⭐
Would I Read It Again? Yes
Would I Recommend it? Yes

This will be a great resource for those who are in the target audience, but you might want to preview it first to see if that's you. Johnson does a great job of showing you how to do lots of kinds of stitches and shows many wonderful designs. The whole book has a new age spiritual tone to it and it's definitely designed for those who want to incorporate that sort of belief system into their crafts. It also doesn't provide patterns as much as just a photo of each design and then a drawing telling you what stitches to use. There are a lot of really great patterns and I thought of getting it as a gift for one of my grown kids who does embroidery and loves nature patterns like the mushrooms in here, but she's not Wiccan or Pagan and I also don't think a lot of the designs would be a great fit for her aesthetic. The instructional section is very helpful though, and there are color photos of all of the designs.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

#MysticalStitches #NetGalley
Special thanks to NetGalley and Storey publishing for providing me with ARC.

I love Stitches so much, i get this hobbie from my mom, she loved it so much that she made a lot of things in our home like tablecloths.

This book is so good that provides me with a lot of ideas, i want to try it.

I didn't realise that this was mystical in the astrological sense. I went in thinking maybe it would have some zodiac signs but there's a lot about meditation, chakras and talismans which wasn't what I wanted.
However the actual stitches and patterns themselves were beautiful. I loved the botanical and animal spirit stitches. And I'm definitely going to embroider the universe on the back of my jacket.

Never really gave it a thought, but needlework, of any kind, is rather meditative, isn't it! I cross stitch mostly, but also do a little embroidery here and there, so this book looked interesting. It really is a magical work! Christi Johnson has put into print some fine ideas and observations! Easy read, lots of great ideas, and, of course, wonderful suggestions and observations! Kudos to you, Christi! Love the photos, too! So creative!

This is such a refreshing book to read. giving the reader the confidence to try embroidery and not feel constrained. There is a strong emphasise on the relaxing aspect of craft and producing hand made objects, as well as the importance of symbols. There are plenty of examples as well as practical information on materials required. At a time of lockdown, when people are turning to craft and mindfulness, this book is perfect.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
What a perfect blend of dreamy hippy vibes and art! It’s a little heavier on meditation and intention setting than actual projects, but it serves as a great baseline for ideas, symbols, colors, and inspiration. I’m still relatively new to the embroidery world and the instructions were clear and understandable, with a good overview of several stitches. I’m a sucker for symbology, so the many lists of shapes, plants, colors, etc and their meaning was really fun for me. If you’re looking for specific cohesive projects, this ain’t your book. If you want some basic skills with a whole plethora of ideas, this ones for you! 4/5 stars

This book can be summed up in one word, stunning! I loved the layout and as silly as it is I loved the the color palette being wrapped around sticks. Definitely something I plan on doing it was so pretty.

This Book is broken down in techniques, supplies and embroidery techniques, but my favourite part was the mythical section, folklore, planets and moon phrases.

This is great for anybody in all honesty from beginners to a more seasoned stitchers. Even if you don’t partake in the craft it would make a wonderful “coffee table book”.

The one thing I wish that was included was a few templates.

Thank you to the publishers for the proof copy

I'm not quite through with this book but it's very well done! Excellent information to start one off, solid info explaining the tools and how to use them along with a great deal of information on symbolism and some on meditations for creativity leading to stitch projects. Oh, and lots of permission to stitch the way that makes you happy! I'm sure that the placeholders will turn into lots of good quality photos -- the few included in this ARC were very clear and offered ideas for projects. It would have been nice to see more project photos but there was enough verbiage to show what was intended. If all stitchery and craft books were this informative I think more people would give these pastimes a try. Bravo.

This book can be summed up in one word: Beautiful! The images, the layout and the color palette all make this a stunning read even if embroidery isn't your thing. While an extremely useful crafting book, this is “coffee table book” quality imagery.

The first section of the book is all about the supplies and techniques used in embroidery. The directions on everything from picking fabrics to individual stitches are well illustrated and explained. While this section explains all you need to know to perfection, the general tone is light and fun. Everything you need is right here, but don't get too stressed about it; a sentiment that many hobby communities could use!

The second section is a guide to embroidered images and how to make them. While the images themselves are amazing, what sets this book apart is the discussion of the meanings behind the symbols. In addition to learning how to make an animal, you will also learn what the animal represents in magic and folklore. This book is an excellent symbology reference even if you never have, or ever will, stitch a single one of the gorgeously illustrated images. This section maintains the very supportive and forgiving nature of the book, there is no one right way to make these and the goal is to make your own mysticism shine through.

Any stitchers, from newbies to seasoned pros, looking to add a little magic to their art will love this book.

Such an interesting book quite unlike any crafting book I've read before. Johnson combines the embroidery with symbolism and a lifestyle that is sensitive to the universe.

I really enjoyed exploring this book. I recently got back into embroidery and as an avid yogi I knew I needed to check this book out. I loved the idea of the book. How you can use your embroidery to manifest, meditate, or simply connect. The author gives good descriptions and meanings for symbols and the artwork is beautiful.

Wow! Truly this review could be just that one word. This is the most comprehensive modern embroidery book I’ve seen in a very long time. As a quilt store owner I know this will be a hot ticket item in our store and we might just have to switch to it for our classes. Detailed with excellent illustrations that you can really see exactly where your thread should lay and needle should be placed. The designs and information from the author are thoughtful and unique, very happy to see this book in person.

I love the concept of focusing entirely on intent and creativity rather than skill and perfection in craft. While there are some crafts where being accurate is especially important (e.g. you'd probably want to make sure your seams were securely sewn if you were making a pair of trousers!) there are so many crafts where learning to enjoy the creative process makes it more fulfilling in my experience. I'm sure many other crafters will also agree that it's nice to be reminded that, yes, our hobbies can have big impacts on our wellbeing and it's a good thing to make time for them! This book is wonderfully emphasises all of those points.

Rather than being a book of strict patterns to follow exactly, this book is filled with meditations, science, stretches, practical tips, basic stitch tutorials (which you are encouraged to experiment with), ideas for how to embroider a range of symbols, and (of course) gorgeous photos of the author and her creations.

I really liked the ways the embroidery was incorporated into the written text - for example, the text being edited onto photographs of hand-stitched frames which feature the stitches discussed in that section. It was a really creative way to display stitch samples.

And since it's a major theme in this book, I can't review it without mentioning that I like that the author encourages readers to interpret her references to divinity and spirituality in any way which suits their beliefs, be that through religion or science or something else entirely.

Overall this is a lovely book. I'll be keeping an eye out for its publication so that it can be added onto my craft shelves for regular reference!

Thank you to Storey Publishing and Christi Johnson for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was expecting more in the way of patterns from this book so I'll admit I was quite disappointed.
Not the book for people who want to start with embroidery.

I didn’t care for this book at all. As a stitcher i know there are better books with the same information presented in a more straight forward fashion.

Beautiful book! The illustrations are not only instructive and easy to follow but so pretty! I love the idea of using creativity and crafting as a spiritual and meditative practice. This book teaches you about mysticism as it can relate to embroidery and teaches you the practical skills involved through several informative projects. Wonderful book.

This book has some great ideas in it, with plenty of easy explanations for those who are new to embroidery. I really enjoyed the way it brought stillness, slowness, and meditation to the forefront, as a way of practicing mindfulness while stitching. I loved the designs and creative ideas scattered throughout the book as well.

A beautiful book about stitching, symbols and calming rituals. The book starts of as a practical guide to stitching. It covers materials, methods and easy to follow tutorials. But the book also covers the art of creative rituals and the meaning of different symbols. A wonderful comprehensive guide to mystical stitching.

I’m what you would classify as a beginner sewer, but my cohorts where I am sewing, disagree! But, we are, are own worse critic! Now, I definitely am a beginner at doing embroidery and this type of style of sewing!

I enjoyed this book because the instruction was extremely detailed and explained enough that as I am a total dingy, but I could follow the directions.

The graphics were superb and her overall look of the book was phenomenal and I loved it and would definitely recommend this book to anyone!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.