A wonderful resource of 500 retro-style cross stitch designs

Retro Cross Stitch: 500 Patterns, French Charm for Your Stitchwork

By: Véronique Enginger

Rating: 5 of 5

I have cross stitched for many years and own a lot of patterns and encyclopedia style compilation books. I am a little bit jaded when it comes to new design books. In many ways, the designs all begin to look the same.

This book, is another thing altogether. I have recently purchased the Fables and Fairy Tales by Ms Enginger and based on how much I enjoyed that book, I pre-ordered her Christmas book and picked up this book as well.

The designs range from small to full size pages. You can design your own sampler style project using any number of the designs in this book and they will all match well together. The designs are definitely retro but will a European flair that I have not seen in a US published book before.

What I have been really impressed by is the minimal use of backstitch in most of the designs. Usually, a book of small design uses intensive backstitch to give definition to the design. In this book, it is only used as part of the design element. As I am not one who loves backstitching (though, as hard as it is to believe, there are those who do love it), these designs are perfect for me.

I’ve looked at this designer’s previously published books which have been made available only in other languages and sincerely hope that she and the publisher will make those books available in English as well.

Here are some sample photos from the book: