Fall is my favorite season. The chill in the air makes it a perfect time to craft! If you're looking for a project (or 25) as summer transitions into fall, I have a book for you.
I was sent a copy of Lindsay Swearingen’s new book, Magickal Cross-Stitch: 25 Witchy Projects to Enchant Your Home. As the title suggests, it’s the perfect book for spooky season, with a collection of designs that bring the occult to life. Here’s a peek into the book.
I come to Magickal Cross-Stitch not as a cross-stitcher, but as a cross-stitch admirer. But in going through this book, the projects make me want to get some Aida fabric and give them a try!
👻 How the book begins
After a short introduction, the book dives into the materials needed and the essentials of making and finishing a cross-stitch project. If you’ve ever looked at a freehand embroidery book, you’ll know there are pages upon pages of stitch demonstration. For Magickal Cross Stitch, the material and technique demonstrations are over by page 20.
This makes the book feel accessible—there’s not a ton you need to know going in. You only need to be able to perfect a few basic techniques, and you too can recreate Lindsay’s patterns for a bewitching good time.
Although I’m unfamiliar with how to cross-stitch, the descriptions and guidance made me feel like I could confidently pick out the needed supplies and start stitching. (I say that, however, as someone confident in other stitching and knowledge of fabric.)
🌝 25 witchy projects
With 25 projects, the book is a majority patterns. They are divided into sections and based on themes like "Hag Homage" and "Arcane Artifacts." But no matter the theme, the format is always the same. There's a spread introducing the pattern, whether that's a charming story or a suggestion for completing the design. Additionally, there's pattern info (count size and finished size) and the materials needed. The spread following the intro pages is the pattern and a DMC floss color chart.
🎃 Final thoughts
Magickal Cross-Stitch: 25 Witchy Projects to Enchant Your Home is a charming book perfect for the spooky season. While these patterns might seem daunting to a beginner, there are a variety of designs that new cross stitchers could tackle and more advanced stitchers are sure to enjoy.
I found myself studying the designs and picturing working on these patterns; they are very different than the type of embroideries I create, and I like how they marry order with creativity. Following the giant grid pattern—and completing it—seems like a very satisfying thing to do.
Magickal Cross Stitch is available on Bookshop.org and Amazon.
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Sara Barnes
Embroidery illustrator and writer
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