Cross Stitch Miniatures

Sometimes life really does become one big rush – work, family, meetings, events, dinners… and at the end of a long day it can feel like nothing productive was accomplished.

Fransie Snyman understands this. Cross Stitch Miniatures was created just for this purpose – for the person who doesn't always have large amounts of time on their hands, but wants to get their creative juices flowing and see an end result in a matter of hours.

Although Fransie mentions that a certain amount of beginner skill is needed, she makes a great attempt at showing what the various stitches look like, and gives some handy tips to get them right. Everything you'll need for this project – from fabric to embroidery thread, needles and hoops, and the cute bits and bobs you can use to make pieces truly unique – are outlined in the introduction.

There really is something for everyone. Ever wanted monogrammed towels or robes? Fransie will show you how. She includes patterns for napery, jam jars (cute little fruit patterns to stick on jam lids – such a good idea!), and patterns perfect for a baby, child or teen. Best of all, they look fun, and achievable.

If you've dabbled with cross-stitching but never really given it a good go, this book is perfect. The projects are small, and can be combined with other crafting interests. Large, bright photographs and a pattern accompany each project, making the instructions easy to follow.

By the time you get to the very end (might take a while – there are over 100 original designs to try), you'll be ready to take on something a little more complicated.

Reviewed by Tarryn Henrick

Published by Metz Press.