Needlecrafts For Dummies

by Cheryl Fall

How did Betsy Ross know how to sew those stars and stripes together? As part of the fabric of the tradition of this craft, Needlecrafts For Dummies explores the art of putting needle and thread to practical use with a touch of grace.

Needlecrafts For Dummies author Cheryl Fall helps you jump through your first hoops, from filling your sewing basket with the necessary needles, floss, and frames to working with patterns and designing your own creations. Cheryl then keeps you in stitches -- freestyle embroidery, cross stitch, satin, and needlepoint -- even guiding you through machine embroidery. If you're a beginner, Cheryl's handiwork shows you the steps to creating your first sampler, until your fingers begin to fly through the finishing steps. Try any of the sixteen projects included (with patterns and illustrations), such as a crewel placemat and napkin ring or a needlepoint pillow featuring pears, and get started showing off your stitchery wizardry. And don't forget to sample a few of these extra goodies from Cheryl's basket: tying French knots, mounting and framing your work, or adding a tassel to your treasure! Needlecrafts For Dummies is a stitch in time, showing you what Cheryl learned from her mother and passed on to her daughter, for all time.

336 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2000

About the author

Cheryl Fall hosts the NeedleKnowle site and has been one of America's favorite needlework, craft and quilting designers since 1986. She has created designs for major companies including DMC, Coats & Clark, HTC, Zweigart, Pellon and others.
She is an active member of the Needlework and How-To Communities, has served as Guide for About.com's Needlepoint and Embroidery sites, and as the Social Media Liason for DMC Threads. Cheryl is a Life Member of EGA (Embroiderers' Guild of America).
In addition to over a dozen published book titles, Cheryl is also the author of several thousand articles for publication in craft and needlework magazines including Woman's Day, Country Living, Traditional Quilter, Crafts and many more. She has also hosted a nationally-distributed PBS Series called "The Creative Life," which featured over 78 episodes full of creative ideas.

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great place to start for basics, but I've found books at thrift stores that are just as good for that stuff. The projects are neat, but rife with errors. I got through about a quarter of one project, then discovered that an error in the instructions/diagram would make it impossible to complete.