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Book Review: My Cross Stitch Doll

November 9, 2024 by Sarah White

Even as our kids’ lives get more saturated with technology, many kids still like playing with dolls and imagining worlds for them. Making a doll for a child is a lot of fun, and you can personalize them for the child’s style or interests.

My Cross Stitch Doll by Susan Bates includes charts for making 20 specific dolls, plus a mix and match section with other options (though of course you can mix and match charts from the main section, too).

The dolls are stitched on 28 count evenweave (equivalent to 14 count Aida, but a little easier to sew up when you’re done stitching) and use whole cross stitches and back stitch. There’s a chart for the front and the back of each doll, which are trimmed, sewn together and stuffed to make the dolls.

There’s a wide variety of options for dolls including a ballerina, a person dressed for playing in the snow, girls in pinafores or floral skirts, sportier clothes options like a vintage varsity jacket or joggers, one in pajamas, another in a dapper suit. Accessories like headbands, glasses, bracelets and a backpack could be altered or interchanged to make your own unique doll.

The mix and match section includes additional hairstyles, hats, tops, bottoms and shoes, along with tips for how to combine patterns whether you work from these or ones shown earlier in the book. You could even design your own once you have the dimensions of your doll.

A techniques section at the back of the book includes tips for cross stitching and finishing the dolls. There are a couple of diagrams showing stitching lines but no photos of the process, which might have been helpful for people who haven’t made 3-D cross stitch projects before.

My Cross Stitch Doll is a fun book that’s sure to get you thinking about how you could represent a loved one or yourself in cross-stitch form. Of course you can also just stitch a doll you like without it matching your personality. The book gives you lots of options and the confidence to design your own details if you want to.

About the book: 112 pages, paperback, 20 patterns. Published 2024 by David & Charles, suggested retail price $24.99.

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Bookmark Cross Stitch Patterns

It seems like there’s no end to the available options when it comes to cross stitch bookmarks, which is a good thing because they’re perennially popular to stitch as well. This time I thought I’d share some colorful cross stitch bookmarks to get you ready for the new school year or to make meeting your reading goals a little more fun. 

I love these retro floral designs from The Stitch Patterns. This set of four patterns is rated as very easy, and each bookmark measures 2.5 by 6 inches (or 6.35 by 15.25 cm) on 14 count fabric. 

These cute ones that look like mosaic tile would also be fun to stitch. This set includes five designs from EmbroSTyle Designs, and they call them folk art but they mostly look like old mosaics to me. Either way, the bookmarks are 25 by 101 stitches, and to stitch the full set uses 12 colors. 

If you’re looking for more of a challenge, you can stitch up a work of art with this set of 16 bookmarks designed to look like famous paintings. Stitch some sunflowers or a great wave or a starry night. Most of these are between 14 and 20 colors (the great wave is only 8) and the bookmarks are totally covered with stitching at a count of 35 by 100 stitches. Grab this set from Sunset and Sea Design.

Or how about some bookmarks inspired by books (or by movies inspired by books)? This set of Lord of the Rings bookmarks includes four landmarks from the books/movies. Each one is 35 by 115 stitches and uses between 8 and 17 colors. You can find them at byCountryMagicStitch.

These don’t quite all fit the description of being colorful bookmarks to cross stitch, but a few of them do, and speaking of book-themed bookmarks I had to share this set from Mama Geek inspired by Heartstopper. There are seven designs in all that should be quite familiar to readers (or viewers of the series). 

25 Christmas Bookmark Cross-stitch Patterns [Cross-Stitch]

25 Floral Bookmark Cross Stitch Patterns

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