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Book Review And Giveaway : Embroidery Companion

by

Embroidery Companion: Classic Designs for Modern Living

Embroidery Companion
Classic Designs for Modern Living

// Written by Alicia Paulson
On Sale: August 2010
Price: $22.99
ISBN: 978-0-307-46235-0

Alicia  from the popular blog Posie gets cozy is sharing 30 of her most loved designs/projects.  Whilst convalescing from a serious accident Alicia stitched her way to recovery. 12 years later she is putting all her new found talent into a beautiful book that will be released August 10th.

We are giving 1 lucky CraftGossip reader the chance to win our review copy simply by leaving a comment on this post. For your chance to win tell us what craft helps you to relax, unwind or heal.

Competition Open : Worldwide

Competition Closes : August 15th

Competition is randomly drawn

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Comments

  3. Although I like it, I’m a newbie to embroidery, so it not relaxing yet! I unwind with crochet – easy and fast, it’s very satisfying.

  5. Sewing and embroidering help me relax a lot. I also love knitting, especially in winter.
    Thank you for the chance to win.
    ap_lemos at yahoo dot com

  7. embroidery, sewing, painting, just creating in general really helps relieve my anxiety. this book looks amazing!! thank you so much for this giveaway!

  9. My mother & grandmother taught me to embroider when I was 5. They sat every evening – never without something in their hoops, stitching away. Things have finally come full circle as I find myself doing the same. Stitching away to unwind from a day at work.

  10. I have enjoyed Alicia’s other books. So I am sure this one is just as enjoyable. Thank you for the chance to win one.

  12. Oooooh, I’d love to have this book! Alicia is such an inspiration and she just fills me with envy (the good kind) every time I visit her blog. Thanks for the chance to to win!

  15. Sewing helps me unwind. After I put my daughters to bed at night, I pour a glass of wine and sit down to my machine. I have just started making my own patterns and it is so rewarding when it actually fits the next day. I try to sew a little every night.

    Looks like a really great giveaway.

  16. lately, i find that i am doodling in my visual journal or crocheting when i need to relax. want to get back into embroidery, but need some inspiration. would love to win this book. thank you for the chance.

  17. Sewing does it for me! I’m starting to explore embroidery and other needlework as well. Looks like a lovely book!

  18. Ahh. the love of embroider, and all crafts, relaxing and fun!! Thank you for doing this giveaway, It’s so wonderful to find new things and new places.

  20. This looks like a great book especially since it contains patterns for a variety of needlework types.

  22. coincidentaly, i just got an emroidery machine as a grad present, however its not helping me relax at the moment b/c i’m still trying to figure out how to use it. But i’m sure once i get the nooks and crannies out the way it’ll turn into a healing art 🙂

  23. The reason I craft is to relax, unwind, and heal! The most forgiving, relaxing and fulfilling would have to be hand embroidery.

  24. I’ve just recently gotten back into embroidery. It’s so relaxing and you can get some instant gratification on bits of a project.

  25. Feel very relaxed when and after I embrioder, cross stitch or knit.

    Thank you for the giveaway.

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

  26. embroidery and card making are my “must do” crafts! Get stressed if I don’t do one or the other for a while.

  28. Knitting, crocheting, x-stitch, embroidery, quilting…it all helps me unwind. It’s why I do it. Thank you for doing this give-away!

  31. Embroidery or crocheting helps me get back in the right frame of mind. I’m calm and have something to show for it!

  32. I am new to embroidery and find it very relaxing. I am making a crazy quilt my first. I also crochet and do other needle crafts. I check in with many of the Crazy quilt and embroidery blogs almost daily.

  33. I do all kinds of crafts to unwind. I love sewing/embroidery, quilting, knitting, and scrapbooking.

  35. I’ve embroidered for years, but lately have lost some of my mojo – maybe this would help me get it back! In the meantime, I quilt and needlepoint and look for that perfect floss project.

  36. Definitely embroidery – I love to work with my hands so for me it’s pretty much a no-brainer. Crazy quilting is the best of ALL worlds as far as I’m concerned because I’ve found I can adapt most types of crafts for use in a CQ piece. Thanks for a chance to win what looks to be a great book!

  37. Thanks for the chance to win!

    I relax, unwind and heal with either small hand embroidery projects or by stitching up yo-yos.

  39. I like to crochet to unwind. It’s nice because I can do it with the little one still running around (usually when I need to unwind the most).

  40. Quilting helps me relax like none other! It’s just the pattern of cutting and stitching that is so methodical you just have to give yourself over to it.

  43. Patchwork and quilting are my sanity savers! I love Cosy with Posy blog and I bet the book is wonderful. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.

  45. All of my crafts relax me! I get into them and tune the whole world out! Especially crocheting! 🙂
    jenn14_85 at yahoo dot com

  48. My mother taught me to embroider. Now I’m teaching my daughter!I love embroidery because it can be portable, so I can take it when I know I may have a wait at the doctors. So glad to hear Alicia has a book coming out .

  49. I need alot of unwinding.(lol) Anything involving a needle and thread or needles and yarn are VERY relaxing to me. You get a sort of rhythum going and you can zone out. It’s helped me through many a tight spot in my life

  50. my mom could crochet, and knit like a fiend, but my passion is for embroidery, thanks for the chsnce to win this book. it would be a nice addition to my library

  51. Sewing the binding on to a quilt I’ve made is the most relaxing part of crafting for me. I love it.

  52. I love to do embroidery; it’s so relaxing! For those of us who are needleworkers, this is an awesome giveaway, since we get tired of doing the same old designs. Something with contemporary appeal will be great!

  53. I love all crafts, but when I really want to just destress, it is hand embroidery all the way. The repetitive motion and concentration help drown out all other thoughts swishing through my brain.
    This book looks wonderful!

  54. Hmm… I love crafting so just going in my craft room helps me relax…. but really making an art doll is what I love to work on the most right now.

    Thanks.

  55. how fun this would be! I love to add stitches to everyday items and especially to handbags! Yum!

  57. Cross stitch is my way of unwinding, especially since my 86yr old mum has come to live with me I find that when doing my sewing I can have me time while doing omething productive. Great site.

  60. Any type of hand sewing will quickly take me to another space mentally and allow me a chance to renew my spirit and energy. Just put a needle and thread in my hand and a piece of fabric to embellish. Great book giveaway and one I would love to win.

  61. To unwind, I love to take my dog to the dog park. Its great to spend time outside, and I love seeing my best puppy friend so happily playing with the other dogs.

  62. Of all the things I like to do (craftwise), I’d say the ones that help me unwind the most are embroidery, knit, and crochet. Some, like sewing, I enjoy but I get too frustrated sometimes to consider it relaxing. Obv. I should get some practice in on that when I’m NOT stressing 😀

  63. I grew up cross-stitching and am now an avid beader, but would love to learn embroidery. Those dainty stitches have always awed and intrigued me.
    thanks for the chance!

  64. Though I’m still a beginner, I love embroidery! It’s so calming, and helps me unwind after a stressful day.

  67. Being bedridden, this fun-looking book will help me spiff up my wardrobe considerably. Best of luck with it.

  69. I love Alicia Paulson, she does such amazing work, and embroidery is something I’ve been wanting to take up…this would be perfect!

  72. Knitting! But I’m sure if I felt more confident in my embroidery skills it would too! =0)

  74. I have taken embroidery up in the past year and would love this book. I have made a few items out of Alicia’s last book, bought some of her patterns and follow her blog.

  76. Honestly, when I am tired and cant bring myself to actually craft, I love to read about crafting. I keep all my magazines/books in a cabinet close by. A glass of wine in hand, I head to the craft book cabinet to find some good (re)reading material and relax in heavenly crafting bliss.

  79. i love her blog, her book is a sure succes.me and embroidery are struggling, we’ll see how it goes…but i’m trying and it is so cool when you see the result.and the feeling after you i have managed to make something!!;)

  81. knitting is what I use to relax, but I love handsewing, embroidery and needlepoint as well.

  85. I can unwind after a full day with 3 little ones by sewing and then a glass of wine. No wonder my seams are so wonky.

  88. I would love this. I learned basic embroidery as a little girl and just started sewing. I would love this so I can learn more. Hand sewing, quilting is very relaxing to me.

  90. There are six crafty females in my house and I am always on the lookout for new projects. We would love this.

  91. Crochet is my salvation!!! But I have always wanted to do some embroidering. I love pouring through old embroidery pattern books.

  92. I love embroidery not only because it’s so creative but because of it’s tradition. While stitching I think of my great grandmothers hands as she taught me how. I think of my grandmother sitting in her chair in the wee hours of the morning working on a cross stitched Santa Claus for her Christmas quilt. I think of my niece & nephews excitement at learning how to make something beautiful. It’s a way to connect to those no longer with us and those far away.

  93. Tha craft that makes me relax is certainly doing embroidery, whether it’s ribbon, beads, cabochon or thread embroidery.
    They’re just can take off my mind from any problems I had 🙂

  94. Hand work while watching TV or resting helps me relax – whether sewing, embroidery, or quilting. It calms and relaxes me.

Have you read?

Designer Spotlight: Counting Puddles

Counting Puddles is an Etsy shop that doesn’t have a huge selection of cross stitch patterns, but it does have some printables that might be relevant at the time of year that I am writing this.

Most of the patterns you’ll find in the shop are seasonal, with a couple of space-themed ones thrown in. 

I of course love this Books are Magic design, which includes books, flowers, a butterfly, moon and stars worked in back stitch. There are lots of techniques here including cross stitches, back and straight stitches, French knots and star stitches, which give it a lovely, textured look. The design is 114 by 140 stitches, which comes out to 7.1 by 8.8 inches, or 18 by 22 cm, on 32 count linen stitched over 2.

Many of their patterns combine cross stitch with techniques that might be considered more embroidery, which is a fun way both to learn some different techniques and to give your project a different look than straight cross stitching gives you.

As I mentioned, in addition to patterns, the shop offers a couple of good looking printables if doing more cross stitch and being better organized are among your new year’s resolutions. There’s a cross stitch tracker printable to help encourage you to stitch a little every day and a project tracker that’s set up with 12 projects on a progress wheel with another page for notes with more details about what each project is and when you started and finished them. 

The tracker has am x (like a cross stitch, of course!) for each day so you can color it in when you do stitching. It’s important when forming or reinforcing a habit to not break the chain and this gives you a visual reminder of that. 

Check out all their designs at the Counting Puddles Etsy shop. If you try out their printables, or you have another way of keeping your cross stitch goals on track, I’d love to hear about it.

[Photo: Countin Puddles]