Needlework Animals: With over 25 Original Charted Designs

by Elizabeth Bradley

Book by Bradley, Elizabeth

168 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Jacqueline M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is gorgeous to look at even if you aren't going to make any of the designs as the author gives a nice natural history overview related to each pattern. But this is definitely not a book for someone who has never done wool needlepoint (like me!). Absolutely no instruction. Even if I did figure out the needlepoint piece, the author includes projects like a footstool but doesn't give any actual instruction on how to use the needlepoint piece to create the final stool. Likewise, she gives very scant instruction to even get you halfway "use the butterfly motif to create a border of the correct size and shape. Um. What is the correct size and shape?

I was also super disappointed to see that the bobwhite quail pattern I wanted is not even in the book and is only available through a kit. Only this is a 30+ year old book so that kit is long gone. I don't feel like it should have been included if it wasn't in the book.

I would probably check this out again from the library because it's truly lovely and maybe I could figure out at least the needlepoint pieces for framing flat, but I wouldn't invest in this for my own collection.