[.ca] Flowers Birds (ISBN 0810933160)

My Favorite Book of Needlepoint Patterns:
If you love to do needlepoint, this is a wonderful book to have. I've done several projects using DMC wool, and they all turned out beautifully. I always work on 10 point penelope (double thread) brown canvas, just because I find it turns out so nicely. If you've never done needlepoint before, I think it's one of the easiest of the needle crafts, it just takes a bit of practice to master. I find working from a book like this one much better than a kit, because you can choose your fabric and wool, and you don't have to worry about a slightly off set pattern printed on the canvas. Though if you're a beginner, you may want to start with a simple kit to get the hang of it. This book does have a how-to section that discusses technique, materials and how to finish each project. Most of the patterns in this book are based on medieval tapestries. I did the lion and the unicorn, making both into pillows that look beautiful together on my couch. They work wonders on adding a touch of elegance to any room. One issue I had about this book is that it shows a lot of projects that it doesn't have patterns for, and I haven't yet found those patterns, though I've seen kits. For instance, there are really neat little Zodiac patterns, but only four signs of the Zodiac signs are included. My only other complaint is the mottled colors used in the patterns made it hard to distinguish between two of the colors on one pattern, but the projects are beautiful, and this wasn't a general problem throughout the book. Getting supplies for needlepoint can also be difficult. There is a conversion chart in the back, however, that works well. I used DMC wool rather than the Appleton that was suggested, since it was all I could get. Though there were a few instances of colors no longer existing or being too close a match to another color in the pattern, it was easy enough to substitute. I have several books of needlepoint patterns, and this one is by far my favorite. Some other good needlepoint books with patterns are "Graham Rust's Needlepoint Designs," "The Ehrman Needlepoint Book" and "Beth Russell's William Morris Needlepoint."