Cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, budgies, guinea pigs, goldfish, rats and ferrets are just a few of the popular animals featured in this parade of pets in cross stitch. Over 40 popular breeds of dog and cat alone give the stitcher plenty of choice, whether they want a detailed portrait or a nose-to-tail likeness. Additional themed alphabets, fitting sentiments and cute motifs reflect the humorous side of being a cat or dog lover. Other pets are also represented, from the tiniest mice and goldfish to wide-eyed reptiles, mischievous ferrets and familiar farmyard friends. Advice is given on changing thread colour to match your subject, and many chart keys feature alternative colour combinations. Gift and keepsake ideas suggest how to display your prized pet's pictures

Learn the art of thread painting from Instagram sensation Michelle Staub Cats and dogs seem to always have a paw planted firmly in our hearts. Capture the life in their eyes and the texture of their fur with a unique embroidered pet portrait! Insta-famous artist Michelle Staub puts a modern spin on thread painting with her easy-to-learn approach. Get started with 4 basic embroidery stitches, and follow the detailed tutorials to hone your skills. Capture awe-inspiring details of your pet with lessons in full-color thread painting or go clean with a simple line drawing—the choice is yours. Learn to personalize your art piece with names, dates, and decorative accents. With 20 sample patterns to customize, you can easily recreate any breed! Paint stunningly realistic pet portraits with just a needle and thread Try your hand at two styles—minimal outlines and incredible full-color renderings Make it modern with floral garlands, personalized banners, and crisp lettering Start today with 4 easy stitches and 20 customizable projects

CROSS-STITCH GOES WITCHY WITH DARK AND ELEGANT DESIGNS From spooky skulls to ghoulish graveyards, Lindsay Swearingen of Tusk and Cardinal gives cross-stitch a dark yet whimsical update. Curious creatures like phantom felines, legendary fixtures from folklore like Baba Yaga and all manner of haunted houses make the perfect subjects for these needlework masterpieces. Fun and easy to learn, cross-stitch is an art form that truly anybody can master. Lindsay gives you a crash course in the basics to ensure you have all the materials and techniques you need to start off on the right foot. Then, dive into her incredible patterns and stitch yourself some oddities that range from quirky to downright eerie. Anyone with an appreciation for the macabre will swoon for patterns like Lovers’ Graves, which features twin headstones and a heart-shaped weeping willow. Meanwhile, the ghosts, ghouls and ghastly bats of Trick or Treat and Haunted Wings are perfect pieces to hang on your wall to keep the spirit of Halloween in your home year-round. With moody tones, muted hues and spooky subjects, this collection of bewitching patterns makes it easy to add a little subversive charm to your cross-stitch repertoire.

Needlework is America's most popular craft, with about 38 million stitchers according to the Hobby Industry of America. Subversive Cross Stitch puts a 21st-century spin to this age-old art. Step-by-step instructions for 35 hilarious projects are sure to appeal to the savvy stitch-n-bitch generation.

Jill Gordon, best known for her vivid portrayals of nature through her tapestry designs, now recreates her observations in cross stitch.Fourteen stunning new designs reflect Jill's unique interpretations of the natural world, encompassing animals, landscapes, gardens, fruit and flowers. With the whole fabric worked, the images produced are as full and vibrant as nature itself. Striking zebras quench their thirst at a shimmering savannah watering hole, and brightly coloured macaws inhabit the tropical beauty of a rainforest. Watchful owls are illuminated by moonlight, while a lizard lazes the day away in a succulent cactus garden of exotic aloes and yucca. Cows are found grazing beneath the blossoms of a summer orchard, and topiary hedges and trees adorn a formal garden. Jill's own watercolour sketches, from which she has taken the designs, offer extra inspiration.While many scenes are finished as simple framed pictures, Jill shows how easily the stitching can be transformed into eye-catching and unusual items to adorn the home. A wall hanging, footstool and box lid insert are just a few of the exciting ideas featured. Step-by-step instructions accompany every project, while the comprehensive techniques section includes hints and tips for successful stitching. However the finished work is displayed, these designs are guaranteed to bring the beauty of the outside world into any home.Jill Gordon started stitching and painting in 1971, producing her nature inspired art as beautifully in textiles as she does in watercolour. While designing kits for the John Lewis Partnership, she also produces her own needlepoint kits under her own name.Jill lives in Waterhouses, Staffordshire.

Say no to sweet sayings! From aging disgracefully to Christmas chaos, these projects put the “cross” in cross stitch. Naughty but Nice Cross Stitch features a collection of fifty fun and sassy cross stitch sayings to remind you not to take life so seriously. Each themed chapter presents the ideal answer to the endless demands on a woman’s time—husbands, chores, children and work. Whatever the crisis, these witticisms are sure to put a smile on your face! A great selection of project ideas accompany the sayings—from hanging signs to framed pictures and cell phone covers—so that you can share the fun with family and friends. “Perfect for the sassy crafter, simple images with comical phrases which make perfect cards and presents for that person in your life who enjoys a laugh.” —Baking and Making in Bristol “Chock a block full of fun patterns this book will give you a chuckle.” —Trish Alan Designs