First Time Embroidery and Cross-Stitch

A very comprehensive book that is ideal for anyone new to embroidery. The book is split into chapters on equipment needed and other supplies that are available, what fabrics and threads to use and the various stitches that can be employed.
Each stitch description is given in the form of a written summary, with suggestions for how the stitch can be used as well as photographs and diagrams. There is a section on the different ways to transfer a design to your fabric ready for stitching. The instructions for the stitches are divided into three sections, creative embroidery (free style), crewel work and cross stitch. Each of these sections has two simple projects to illustrate the way the stitches can be used. There are also handy hints along the way.
This book would make a perfect gift for anyone interested in taking up the craft of embroidery.

This is a wonderful book for those who want to learn how to do embroidery and cross stitch. It is well written with lots of photos and explanations. The book begins with a comprehensive list of materials, explaining what is needed and how they are used. There is a nice list of projects with very good explanations and lots of easy to follow photos. An excellent book for a beginner and I will be sure that I will get a lot of use from this book. I received this book as an ARC and was very happy to do my review.

A very accessible step-by-step guide to embroidery,cross-stitch and crewel.

The book is very easy,with clear instructions and great descriptions.
As the cover says,it is meant for beginner but as a old lover of cross-stitch this was a great memory refresher.

A detailed list of what is needed is offered at the beginning of the book:different types of needles,scissors and other materials.

I particularly appreciated the graphic parts that show the way to do the proper stitches.

The final part of the book includes some projects to work your skills on.

Truly enjoyed this book!

First Time Embroidery and Cross-Stitch by Linda Wyszynski is a wonderful primer for first time cross-stitchers and embroiderers. The book also includes Crewel work. The book is therefore divided into three sections. In each section there is detailed information about what materials to use, what types of needles and other supplies. There are wonderful graphics depicting each type of stitch and how to make it. So if you are a visual learner this book will be perfect for you. There are several projects for each section so you have something to work on to practice your newly found creativity. Well done.
I would like to thank Quarto Publishing, the author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very simple to follow how to book. The pictures and descriptions provided were really easy to understand and made practicing the stitches no problem at all. I had very little confusion while trying these stitches.

I love embroidery and cross stitching and will be using this book to continue to learn the crafts!

This is a fantastic introduction to cross stitch for a beginner. I was able to create something after an hour of reading this book. Will recommend that it is purchased for my library.

This is a wonderful book for a new stitcher! The book begins with a detailed list of supplies including needles, hoops, scissors, fabrics and threads. This section has plenty of color photos to help you understand the differences in supplies, This is especially helpful for thread and fabric. There is also a short section on how to transfer a pattern. The book goes into detail on stitching basics with clear illustrations. There is a chapter on each type of stitching: embroidery, crewel and cross-stitching with pictures of stitches specific to each type. In addition, the book includes two projects for each type of stitching. My favorites were the embroidered jacket collar and the cross-stitched journal cover. I would have liked to see more projects included.
This book is definitely recommended for any novice stitcher! 5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nice introduction to Embroidery. All the basic stitches clearly explained with both directional diagrams and photographs. Lots of advice and easy projects to get you started.

Excellent beginners book. Gives you all the information you need to what tools, fabric and cottons to use. Well illustrated with east step by step instructions. Would recommend for anyone starting out.

This book is a great introduction to embroidery and cross stitch. It covers everything you need to know to get started. I'm excited to use this for my projects!

This is a great introduction to embroidery, crewel and cross stitch. It covers all the bases you need to get started, from the supplies you'll need to how-tos on the basic stitches for each craft.

I really liked the range of stitches that were included in this guide, and the inclusion of a couple small projects in each craft was a great addition. This would be a fantastic guide for those looking to dip their toes into needleart!

An excellent introduction to three types of needlework on fabric: free embroidery, crewel, and cross stitch. The information about techniques and supplies is excellent, and the illustrations and photos of stitches are outstanding. Throughout the book you'll find little tips for success that are not often found in most introductory books but that make it easier to create successful projects.

After the chapter on basics, there are three sections, one for each technique. Each has a dictionary of stitches at the beginning. Every stitch has both a picture and diagrams. Following this are two projects in the technique.While I wish there were more projects, this is enough to get the reader started and to try out these forms of needlework.

A handy guide to embroidery for beginners, offering an introduction to creative embroidery, crewel and cross-stitching, with a couple of project ideas for each style. My favorite part of this book was the helpful stitching guide, instructing how to do stitches both elementary and more advanced with textual descriptions, photos and illustrations (for all types of learners). Most of the projects strike me as between challenging and difficult for a true beginner, though, but I recommend this book for the stitch guide itself!

This is an awesome resource for those who want to learn this craft or to develop your skills. Very descriptive info from what one needs to start to how to do various stitches. Would make a great gift for someone just learning!

First Time Embroidery and Cross Stitch is one of the First Time Guides. Due out 3rd Sept 2019 from Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 128 pages and will be available in paperback format.

It's nice to see embroidery and other fibrecrafts enjoying a renaissance of sorts. In times (long) past, people would learn these skills as a matter of necessity, handed down from generation to generation in the family. That's no longer true, so crafters must turn to other sources of instruction. The internet (youtube, ravelry, et.al.) and social media are a good sources of instruction, but for not -strictly-visual learners like me, books are still vital. I learn better if I have a book sitting in front of me and if I don't feel like I constantly have to pause the video to figure out what I'm doing.

These first time learner guides are formatted attractively and logically. The photography is stellar across the series and this one is no exception. The concepts, tools and terminology are shown simply and understandably.

About 30% of the page content is used in the introductory and starting chapters. The author covers tools, supplies including fabric, scissors, needles, fibres and more, charts diagrams and patterns, transferring patterns, stabilizers, and a basic introduction to fabric preparation and surface embroidery.

The next three chapters cover surface embroidery, crewel, and cross stitch. All of the stitching chapters have project tutorials. The stitch diagrams are clear and well photographed. It would definitely be possible to learn to do the stitches with the instructions in the book. It's helpful to have a stitchy friend to consult, of course, but it's not absolutely necessary, and a total beginner could do the projects in these chapters without any other resources. The projects themselves are attractive. They include embroidery embellishments on clothing, soft furnishings (pillows), a cross stitched candle band and an embellished journal cover.

This is a basic beginning-level book. Advanced stitchers won't find a lot which is challenging. I was very happy to see surface embroidery getting some love; it seems like cross stitch dominates the embroidery crafts these days. The step by step stitch diagram tutorials are worth the price of the book for reference.

Five stars.

This is an excellent source for embroidery, cross stitch patterns, ideas, tips and projects. The directions are illustrated and every tool you would need is explained also. The book says for beginners, but it is also is a great refresher for anyone who does stitching. I have read several books on embroidery and this is truly the best one yet. The book is a treasure.



I was given this book as an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. The opinions are my own and freely given.

I would recommend this to anyone beginning or an old pro.

I just got early access to “First Time Embroidery and Cross-Stitch” by Linda Wyszynski. As the title suggests, the book provides an introduction into information that you’d need in order to get started with freehand embroidery, crewel embroidery, and cross stitch. The book is adequate. I understand that the author has undertaken a daunting task, these are historical crafts with a lot of history and variation over continents.
The embroidery section seems straight forward and very well illustrated. I do wish there was more projects though. There are only 1-2 projects for each example and they are pretty basic. They also are kind of unfinished. The examples are pretty dated as well. I have seen so many cool applications for these crafts, it is disappointing to see them limited to flowers.
Cross-stitch is the only craft in the book I have experience in and as a result, it also feels like the least explained craft. They go through the several stitches of cross stitch, but they leave out the variety of counts that cloth comes in, the different number of strands one is suggested to use depending on the fabric count, the various types of coloring systems (DMC is not the only item out there). I understand not inundating the new user, but I don’t feel like these instructions even begin to explore the fun of cross stitch.
Most projects don’t really take the learning of the craft as the focus. They all have the embroidery and cross-stitch as an accent which means most of the instruction is assembling instead of focusing on the practice/learning of the craft. Overall I wouldn’t buy this book, this information is already present in many forms on the internet with better projects and more detail.

Gorgeous book. I have done cross stitch in the past and had done some complicated patterns. But I had a strong desire to learn how to embroider. This book has great examples for the beginner. The pictures are clear and would allow the beginner to create a simple but beautiful design on an project. Supplies can be found at local craft stores but more unusual fabrics may need to be purchased online. I look forward to trying some of the examples on my own knitting/crochet projects. Thank you for allowing me to review an advanced copy.

Thank you, NetGalley for the preview of this eBook.

First Time Embroidery and Cross-Stitch by Linda Wyszynski is a very useful manual/book for anyone interested in embroidery and cross-stitch. The instructions are easy to understand to follow which makes it a good gift to all the beginners out there.

Very thorough for the beginner stitcher. Great description and great visual references. Highly recommend.

The “Getting Started” portion of this book gives very clear information regarding the tools and materials one will need to take up this craft. The fundamentals of preparing fabric, transferring patterns, and stitching basics are well described and reinforced through helpful photos and diagrams.

The chapters on “Creative Embroidery” and “Crewel” include extremely good descriptions of a wide variety of stitches with very clear photos and diagrams of each. These are some of the best I have seen, having looked at many such books over the years.

The chapter on “Cross-Stitch” is the weakest part of this book. While a variety of individual stitches are shown, the chapter does not address a run of stitches or the best way to transfer from one line of stitching to the next, or working with multiple colors of floss where the color on a line of stitching may change a multiple of times. While the projects given for creative embroidery and crewel are practical, the first one given for cross-stitch is not.

I am grateful to have received a copy of this book from Quarto Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

Whilst the book states it is for first time embroidery and cross stitchers, it also includes a chapter on something called Crewel. Plus the Getting Started chapter doesn't explain what the difference is between embroidery, crewel or cross stitch. As a first timer, I would expect this to be there rather than telling me all the equipment I might need; the first explanation what each method is doesn't come until page 45, 79 and 107 respectively.

In this book you learn 8 cross-stitch stitches, 16 crewel stitches and 21 embroidery stiches, which all come with good colour photography, drawings and steps to show how its achieved.

Once you have mastered the stitches, included are six simple projects to carry out: Embroidered jacket collar, Embroidered pillow case, Paisleys & pearls pillow, Fedora hat band, Candle band and Journal.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

This is a good beginning introduction to embroidery and cross stitch that is simple to follow. The embroidery stitches can be a bit hard to remember, and the book illustrates them well along with pattern ideas to use them. I wasn't a giant fan of some of the ideas, like a fedora, but the stitch can be applied to anything and the accompanying idea completely discarded. I liked that the steps to complete a stitch were illustrated clearly and labelled with numbers to guide the reader. I read on an ebook arc, but I would suggest using a physical copy to follow the directions since it's a pain to juggle thread and a phone at the same time.
Again the cross stitch section was pretty bland with patterns, but really good as an introduction to the stitches used. There are basically just flowers to choose from, but the directions are clear and helpful, and good as a reminder of some stitches I forget about. If you already know how to attempt cross stitch and embroidery, this may be very dull for project ideas, but is a great refresher and teacher of stitches.

First Time Embroidery and Cross-Stitch: The Absolute Beginner’s Guide by Linda Wyszynski is currently scheduled for release on September 3 2019. This beginner’s guide teaches everything you need to know about a variety of hand stitching techniques. It is filled with detailed descriptions of materials and tools, the easy step-by-step instructions for classic embroidery, crewel, and cross-stitch will have you creating and embellishing projects like jewelry, journal covers, pillows, fashions, and more with confidence.

First Time Embroidery and Cross-Stitch was a wonderful reminder for me, because I used to do a great deal of needle work but had switched most of my crafting time to crochet- mainly because I can read on my kindle when crocheting and that does not usually work out so well when working with a sharp needle. This has inspired me to get back to it and maybe get through some audio books or my Netflix queue instead of my reading pile once and awhile. I liked getting the refresher course on tools and supplies, and think that newcomers to the craft will get a good understanding of the options- but they might be a little overwhelmed. There are so many options out there that I had never even considered and details I was unaware of that I was eager to try something new, but all that information at once might be too much for someone that has yet to thread their first needle. Beginners might just want to take it in small pieces or read what they are interested in at the moment. I found all of the writing to be very accessible and clear, both in the supply descriptions and the instructions. The pictures and diagrams were helpful and were well placed for optimum usefulness. The handful of designs included were simple and well explained- a nice starter set for beginners. I now how a few personalized pattern ideas running through my head.

First Time Embroidery and Cross-Stitch is a nice stitch guide and a good resource for beginners. I would have liked a few more patterns and a little less about supplies that a beginner is not likely to need, however it offers exactly what the title suggests.

This book features some cute beginner projects and really easy instructions to finish each one. It will help a new stitcher stay motivated to learn more. A more experienced stitcher can also enjoy these projects, most of which can be wrapped up quite quickly.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book would make a welcome addition to any crafter's bookshelf. There are only a few projects featured but the appeal of this book for me was the variety of stitches showcased.

The intro with equipment needed was informative and helpful

It would make the perfect stocking gift for crafting friends and I think will particularly appeal to crafters looking to try something new.

This thoughtful, well organized beginner's guide will make any embroidery and/or cross stitch novice comfortable with the tools, materials and instruction for a first time project. I wish I had had a copy when I made my first attempt!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
#FirstTimeEmbroideryAndCrossStitch #NetGalley

Such a comprehensive and detailed book. I've never done much embroidery beyond the odd bit of cross stitch and with this book I have been able to create some amazing crafts.
Might even be able to enter them into the local crafts show!!

It is amazing to see how many people are teaching themselves embroidery and cross stitch these days. (Cross stitch being one of many embroidery stitches.) Just search Flosstube on Youtube. As much as is available on Youtube and the Internet, you can't beat having everything in one place and spending your time and energy learning this hobby rather than parsing through online research to find instructions that are presented well - and this book does that. You will find tips that would otherwise take time, trial and error to learn or hopefully stumble across them on Internet searches. It is all here in one place. Why waste that time or lose hope in what can be a rewarding lifelong hobby.

This is an excellent book tailored specifically for beginners although there is useful material for self taught intermediate and long time cross stitchers as well. As someone who learned the craft a-hem lot of decades ago, it is the most comprehensive and high quality reference manual on embroidery I have come across. The crisp layout of the pages is not bogged down with more than the eye needs to focus on, when glancing from one's work in hand back to the book for instruction. Each stitch fills an entire page and a short text description of the stitch is placed next to step by step photographs as well as line drawn stitch steps numbered from start to finish. Outside video, this gives the readers all of the other ways stitch training is offered and the ability to see instructions in both forms helps especially with more advanced stitches.

Reference material includes descriptions of the full variety of needles used in embroidery and when they are used. I found this useful as I have a few needles that I had questions about before reading this book. Scissors, stitching frames, assorted necessary small tools, fabric, thread, pattern transfer, stabilizing fabric, and how to deal with different kinds of thread are all included. There are so many new fancy threads on the market and the useful tips on handling these and also specialty fabrics is particularly use to more advanced stitchers. The practice projects are simple and doable, yet attractive and the patterns can easily be adjusted to a different medium than those in the book, even by a beginner.

I give this book a five start review. In my rating system this is “I absolutely loved it! It will stay with me for a long time and/or I would read it again in the future. Highly recommended.”

As a reviewer for NetGalley, I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#FirstTimeEmbroideryAndCrossStitch #NetGalley

I loved this book! I have never embroidered anything before but have seen so many beautiful pictures online and always wanted to try and this is the perfect book to help me get started! It was such a good introduction with things explained very clearly and all the stitched shown in such detail and with great pictures I feel very confident in starting my own project.

I love doing cross stitching.
I loved this book because: it was informative, gave tips and yes it is perfect for begginers and these such as myself rookies who just want to learn more.
Highly recommended book!

This beginners guide to embroidery and cross stitch is a truly pleasant surprise.

I am an experienced cross stitcher, and so won't be commenting on those sections in particular, though they do appear to cover most of the major points. This is an introductory book, and I am not the intended audience here.

I am however a complete novice who has felt intimidated by Embroidery/Crewel. Every piece of information is relevant, and all easily accessible. Personally I particularly appreciated the details about alternative methods on how to transfer patterns. This book would one which I would happily purchase to keep around as a stitch reference!

I have looked at many books similar to this in the past, selling and recommending titles to others — this will be on the top of my list from now on. The stitch diagrams are so wonderfully clear. There are also excellent photographs of what a stitch should look like as you are in the process of stitching, and as a final result.

A few more sample projects would have been a pleasant addition, and this really is my only major criticism.

[This eARC was given to me via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

This the perfect book for any first timer. The instructions have been well written, with pictures to make it easy to follow. The designs are lovely. I feel that a little more on cross stitch would make this book the perfect companion.

Thank you Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

Having been an avid cross stitcher when I was younger I have been wanting to get back into it but needed something to help me get used to the stitches again. This book was perfect for that.
It has very clear pictures of how to do the stitches and instructions are step by step. The information on equipment needed was great as well.
Although this book has not got many patterns in it it is a good reference book to start any project.

A perfect little book on the basic stitches for Embroidery, either with thread or yarn. There is also a small section on Cross-stitch as well. Besides the well detailed set of instructions for the stitching, the author also includes a few examples to practice these on. A great book for a beginning, and even for a novice like me. Highly recommend this book for a reference or easy teaching tool.

This book is ideal for anyone new to embroidery. The chapters on materials and equipment is comprehensive and the detailed explanation of different stitches is brilliantly described in written and photographic form.

This is a useful book for a beginner or anyone wanting to extend their stitching knowledge. Perfect reference book for a sewing enthusiast.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this fantastic book.

Go for it if you want to sew with a needle
Linda Wyszynski's book "First Time Embroidery and Cross-Stitch. The Absolute Beginner's Guide - Lear by Doing Step-by-Step Basics and Projects" was published by Quarry Publishing Group - Quarry. After the introduction the book is divided into four sections: 1) Getting started, 2) Creative Embroidery, 3) Crewel, and 4) Cross-Stitch. It also contains a glossary and an index which is very helpful.
In the "Getting Started" section Wyszynski gives a detailed overview over stitching equipment and supplies, fabrics, threads (included is also information about "Blending Threads" and "Conversion Charts"), charts, diagrams, and patterns, transferring patterns and stabilizing fabrics, and stitching basics. The "Creative Embroidery" sections presents a vast array of stitches and how they are done as well as some projects. A similar approach can be found in the "Crewel" and "Cross-Stitching" sections. The book presents great photos and graphics / diagrams. The glossary and index are highly appreciated. It is a very thorough book and can be a really great guide for beginners. The projects can be reproduced or used as inspiration. It can also be a great gift for those who are interested in embroidery and cross-stitch.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#FirstTimeEmbroideryAndCross-Stitch #NetGalley

This was very informative and I enjoyed the lay out. I cross-stitch but have had so many projects but this is encouraging to me to try new things.

This book has very clear instructions and great pictures. Someone who has never done needlework before will be able to complete projects with its help. I think that craft-interested students will enjoy it, as well as adults.

I good book for beginner had good tip and show clearly the stitches to show beginning students.
, I will purchasing my library i think it is a good book to have in my collection.

This is the most comprehensive book that I could ever want if I decide to take up embroidery. I have this (probably bad) habit of purchasing everything required for a hobby even as I step into it. When I began crocheting, I bought a huge book and a lot of hooks and did not really use all of yet, comforting myself instead that I am fully armed for the day I finally sit down and not have to run around for the supplies when actually starting (and completing) a project! (The same goes for block printing, sewing and a couple of other such 'hobbies')

This book has all the tips on how to go about doing embroidery(including fabrics and thread types), and all the possible stitches one could employ and how we can use those stitches. It is so detailed (without being too verbose) that anyone could put together a whole new project using it as building blocks apart from the ones suggested by the author. The steps are shown in intricate detail, both as graphics and the actual stitch on the actual fabric. It is well done enough to compete with video tutorials and that I think is something that books usually find hard to compete with. I do not know when I would ever have the actual patience to work on an embroidery project that is elaborate having used cross-stitching to mark my initials into clothes hung out to dry in the corridor after washing in my college hostel. I hoped that that would deter people with itchy fingers and I might have been partially successful with that ploy. I may not have gone farther than a few stitch kits from ANCHOR company that came with explicit details and a ring cum frame to hang in the same box every summer in middle school but I aspire to someday work on something more interesting. 

For everyone out there considering Embroidery and thinking of picking up a comprehensive guide, this would probably be it! I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is completely based on my reading experience and my past brushes with cross-stitch.

I need this book! I would love to learn and the pictures and instructions are easy to follow. This will be on my christmas wish list for sure.