Celtic Art in Cross Stitch [Paperback]

The designs in this book are mesmerizing. My jaw dropped when I got mine in the mail, I couldn't believe how gorgeous they were. The best part is that the patterns are large and easy to follow, and in full color. There are intricate patterns and simple patterns, some are lively and colorful and some are more muted. All of them are just amazing tributes to Celtic art. There are so many beautiful projects to choose from, and the motif library is a wonderful resource for your own projects you dream up. I highly recommend this book. You won't be disappointed!

Much of Celtic art is very colorful, yet I found the examples in this book to often have only 3-5 real color variations. Most of the designs concentrated on crosses and swirls, and of the 75 designs listed, most of them are just small repeatable motifs. I was hoping for some actual Celtic Art reproductions pieces and a lot more big complete projects to do, rather than just ornamental designs. I was so disappointed with this book, knowing that I would never stitch anything from it, that I returned it.

The book does offer a brief history of Celtic art and each different type of design has an introduction explaining it's history. I did find this quite interesting.

Since tastes in stitching projects are so wide, this book may have exactly what you're looking for. I would just suggest you try to get a look at it first to be sure before ordering site unseen.

I received this book as a birthday gift at the same time I received Carol Phillipson's "Celtic Cross Stitch Designs." It says "over 75 beautiful designs" on the cover; online purchasers should be aware, however, that only approximately 25 of the designs are individual project designs -- a few relatively large and complex (including two different pillow tops, a tablecloth design, a firescreen, and a picture of two Celtic peacocks) and then several more fairly small and quick coordinating projects (such as a 4x4 inch scissors keeper pillow, a key ring design, and a couple of bookmarks). The major themes/designs are as follows:

*a set of small but lovely knotwork-design stitchery items (shown on the cover of the book)

*a purse-purse mirror-keyring-glasses case set done in scrollwork and swirls in muted colors "to reflect the colours and textures of rocky landscape"

*a picture of a pair of peacocks adapted from the Book of Kells and stitched in very vibrant colors

*a notebook cover, paperweight, bowl lid, and card in celtic key patterns (worked in just one color on a black background) plus two bookmarks (two colors each)

*a picture of golden dragons with knotwork around them stitched on a black background, also

*four variations on small, round intertwined serpent designs worked in pastel colors

*a Durrow circle firescreen in red, gold, and green, with a large central disc and then two angular knotwork bands at the top and the bottom

*two throw pillows (one birds, one hounds) worked in pastels similar to those used in the snake designs

*a cat-with-interlaced-birds bell-pull done in muted but not quite pastel colors

*and finally, an extremely elegant-looking tablecloth and napkin set using La Tene-style designs in shades of gray-blue.

The other 50 designs are a "Celtic Motif Library" of borders, small knots, small animals, and so forth which could be used for a variety of purposes.

I think that Phillipson's book is likely to result in a greater number of projects for my own stitchery, primarily because it included a larger number of distinct project designs, but I still definitely like this one very much and I'm happy to own both. There are a number of very beautiful projects, most of the major designs would be easily adaptable to projects other than those shown in the book, and the motif library is likely to prove useful, as well, since I do a fair bit of improvising my own designs. For novice stitchers who primarily want to work projects precisely as they are printed in books, the Phillipson book might make a better first choice, but this one would be excellent for anyone who has a specific interest in any of the major designs included in it (all of which are quite nice) or who enjoys futzing around with design elements, as I do.

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