The Needlepoint Book: New, Revised, and Updated Third Edition
By: Jo Ippolito Christensen
Rating: 5 of 5
I have been enjoying needlework as a craft for almost 40 years and have, in fact, been made my living in the craft for more than 15 years. I have many books about needlework (with more of an emphasis on cross stitch as that is the medium I design in) and I have never seen a book more inclusive of such useful information. This book is truly a definitive work on stitches and materials. With all the many years that I have been working with needle and thread/yarn, there was so much in this book that was new and that I could use to learn and grow with.
Once I was able to actually pre-order the book, I did so immediately.
The author’s foreward is extremely touching and explains why it has been quite a long time since this book was revised and updated. As a person with much more minor eye issues of my own, I could really feel for Ms. Christensen. On a personal level, I am thankful that her eyesight has improved enough for her to update this master work to include new information in the craft.
The book itself – what can one say that has probably not already been said before. The book is exhaustive in its information: materials, stitches, techniques, etc. Some of the illustrations are not the best but they are all useable and show how long this book has been around in its prior revisions. It appears that the author wisely provided her additions in text to new information that would be helpful to needleworkers.
I received a digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher, Touchstone, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. The copy that I received did not include the 32 pages of color photographs that are referred to in the blurb on Amazon. I have already pre-ordered a hardcopy of the book and will update this review regarding those photographs once I have received it.
UPDATED: 4/28/15: I had pre-ordered the hardcopy and received it this afternoon. The color photography makes quite a statement as it is in a single area. The insert is between Chapter 3 Blocking and Finishing and Chapter 4 The Stitches. Towards the end of the book, there is an Appendix which discusses each of the photographed projects and identifies information pertinent to the project – when applicable, it identifies the stitch as well as the type of yarn/floss used in each segment of the project. When both the photograph and information are utilized together, it becomes a wonderful tool to show how stitch, fiber, and especially color make a different in a project. It is a wonderful edition to a fantastic book.
The hardcopy book is very nicely book together. It is quite sizable, as would be expect in a book over 500 pages in length. I’m thrilled to have received my purchased copy so quickly and I plan to begin utilizing it in my up and coming projects.
I have been enjoying needlework as a craft for almost 40 years and have, in fact, been made my living in the craft for more than 15 years. I have many books about needlework (with more of an emphasis on cross stitch as that is the medium I design in) and I have never seen a book more inclusive of such useful information. This book is truly a definitive work on stitches and materials. With all the many years that I have been working with needle and thread/yarn, there was so much in this book that was new and that I could use to learn and grow with.