Book Review: Free Spirit Stitching

It’s so fun to combine different kinds of stitching in the same project. Free Spirit Stitching: 8 Vibrant and Colorful Stitching Adventures by Debra Valencia allows you to do just that.

These projects include cross stitch and embroidery techniques together to make projects with a different look with lots of texture and style.

The projects are:

The single-color Chic & Cozy Clutch, worked in cross stitch, stem stitch, French knots, blanket stitch and straight stitch
A boho paisley heart pillow, combining cross stitch with stem stitch, split stitch, chain stitch, satin stitch, straight stitch, French knots and eyelet stitch
The Summer Love tote bag, which features a giant cross stitched pastel peace sign surrounded by flowers and other motifs worked in stem, split, satin, straight stitch and blanket stitch, along with long and short stitch, seed stitch, backstitch and blanket stitch
The sweet love nest wall hanging, which uses muslin cutouts of birds embellished with embroidery and stitched on muslin; in addition to cross stitch it uses straight stitch, stem stitch, blanket stitch, French knots and lazy daisies
The beauty sleep door sign, probably the easiest project in the book, it’s mostly cross stitch with a touch of stem, satin and straight stitching, plus a rhinestone and fun trim for extra bling
An eyeglass case made of felt and embellished with cross stitch flowers with stem stitch, lazy daisy and French knot details (the case is also sewn with blanket stitch)
Cactus Garden hoop wall art, pictured on the cover, featuring cross stitched cacti with stem stitch, satin stitch, French knot and lazy daisy details
The love rainbow pillow, mostly worked in split stitch and long and short stitch, also has a cross stitch heart

Several of the patterns are rated for all skill levels, while a couple are intermediate. If you’re comfortable with basic embroidery techniques and transferring patterns, these are all great options to try. There are general instructions for the stitches included, and each pattern has a charted design as well as a photo of the finished project showing what to stitch where. This is helpful for working with cross stitch and embroidery at the same time.

If you like to cross stitch but haven’t done a lot of embroidery before or just haven’t mixed them in projects, this is a fun book to get you started thinking about how to combine different kinds of needlework that will inspire you to freestyle with different stitches more often.

Get the book here: Free Spirit Stitching: 8 Vibrant and Colorful Stitching Adventures

About the book: 64 pages, paperback, 8 patterns. Published 2019 by Leisure Arts. Suggested retail $12.99.

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Fourth of July Cross Stitch Patterns

One of the most common supplies for cross stitch, aside from fabric, needles and floss, is an embroidery hoop. A hoop isn’t needed for every project, and indeed there are some stitchers who prefer not to use them at all. I generally don’t use a hoop when I’m working on a small cross stitch project, especially something that’s shape isn’t conducive to using a hoop (like a bookmark).

But embroidery hoops can be really helpful for cross stitch because they hold your fabric at an even tension, which allows you to stitch more evenly without any more work on your part. It’s great for beginners to use hoops because the tension on the fabric can both help make your stitches more even and make the holes in the fabric a little easier to see.

I’ll admit to always just buying whatever hoop is available in the right size when I’m ready to start a project without giving it much more thought than that. But there are things you should consider when choosing among the different kinds of hoops, which Caterpillar Cross Stitch covers in their great guide to embroidery hoops.

The post walks you through wooden, plastic, spring tension and flexi hoops (which I’ll admit to having never heard of; they’re made of vinyl and plastic apparently), as well as Q-Snap frames, which aren’t really hoops because they’re made of plastic tubes that you snap together in the size and shape you need.

It also covers what size hoop you should use for the project you’re working on and how to actually use a hoop in the right way.

Whether you’re new to cross stitch or more seasoned, you’re sure to pick up a tip or a product to try in this post, so go check it out over at Caterpillar Cross Stitch.

Do you have a favorite kind of embroidery hoop to use for cross stitch, or do you go without? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[Photo: Caterpillar Cross Stitch]

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