Still more mag reviews--remember it was a good week!

OK, since I didn't finish the reviews from yesterday, I have two more for you! Hopefully, you have availability to these issues.


The Cross Stitcher (US version), February 2008

I think the best thing that this magazine ever did was get a new editor 5 years ago because it truly has increased in quality and value since then. There were occasionally cute ideas under the old editor, but not in the quantities of the new editor. And this issue does not disappoint. I think one of the major things I like about Cross Stitcher is that it very much is a "grab your keys and go" mag in that you could literally buy it at lunch, read it on your lunch break, and then, after work or whatever, go to a craft store and purchase the right supplies to have a project started that evening.

My favorite design, and I can't put my finger on why is Winter Beauty. It's a pretty little thing, with cardinal buttons, simple but fancy looking embroidery stitches and a nice verse, "Icicles, redbirds, Snowflakes and Pines, Winter's Beauty is not hard to find." That is so true. They finished it as a pillow, which is probably the best way to do it, because it's awfully expensive to frame things and this makes for a quick change.

For our Valentine's Day enjoyment, there is a pretty door hanger with LOVE on it. I guess you could put that up on the front door, if you had a storm door. There is also a box with My Crazy Heart on it; a crazy quilt heart. It's nice, but what do you do with something like that? Maybe a paper box?

There is a design called teenage language that I don't get. It's a bunch of words that I think are from text messages. Maybe it's just a bad case of the crankies because I still feel like I am sixteen, and I looked at these and had no frigging clue what they meant, and I feel like I ought to. I don't know, though; it could be cute for my SO since we text so much. But he doesn't tend to do the abbreviation thing since he has a full out keyboard on his phone, and I have to do the "1-1-1-1, 6-6, 5" deal to tell him something, because I have a basic phone.

There is a pretty sachet pillow that would make a great Mother's Day present. But I would stuff it with lavendar. Wouldn't that make an awesome gift for the bed? I have a sachet Mama bought me, tucked under my pillow and it is so nice to smell!

Another design is a repro sampler. I don't know, but it seems like there are a lot of repro samplers being published that look alike.I am not really a sampler person, so this is wasted on me.

Right after that chart is an ad for some fascinating dragon designs. Aren't these cool?
I especially love the ice dragon. Very striking on black.


There is a chart for men's grooming supplies. I don't understand why anyone would stitch this. It is a sepia-toned pic of a comb, cufflinks, a shaving brush, and other stuff. Where would one put that? Unless you know someone who runs a barber, NO WHERE.

I like Jo Gatenby's Was It Worth It. Jo Gatenby is a pretty interesting person and it's a cute design. They feature it on JAR Designs fabric, but, they say you can pick out any complimentary fabric. However, this fabric is pretty kick butt; it's a leaf print. Very cool.

There is also a cute little snowman, stitched on Babbling Brook by Wichelt. You could substitute that new marbled DMC aida for this if you must stitch on the fly. I like the Hardanger tablerunner too, but it's pretty big and has a lot of buttonhole stitch, which I hate. I am still looking for my next project, but not this one.