I was really excited to review S is for Stitch by Kristyne Czepuryk. I love monograms, so the idea of a whole book of alphabet embroidery patterns definitely appealed to me, and it didn’t disappoint. The patterns in this book are adorable and a great collection to make some beautiful keepsake pieces!
The book has a fantastic collection of information about getting started with embroidery. The photos and information are great and will make any beginner feel comfortable jumping into embroidery. It’s very detailed and there are a lot of good tips, even if you’re a more experienced stitcher. I feel that even if you are familiar with materials and techniques, it’s always beneficial to hear other things you could be doing. I have always used temporary transfer pens that disappear or are water soluble, so I was interested to see Kristyne’s permanent transfer method using a Micron pen.

One of the things I like is the part in the embroidery section about knotting your thread. Kristyne tells all the reasons you shouldn’t knot it, then tells us she knots it anyways. As a knotter who can’t seem to break the habit, I am so glad to hear others do the same! I like Kristyne’s attitude that it’s ok to break rules or deviate from the pattern to create something that is your own.
This book has a terrific guide to the different embroidery stitches, and as an added bonus also has great basic quilting instructions. Many of the embroidery projects are made into quilt blocks or other sewn projects, so including this will be very helpful for anyone who isn’t familiar with quilting. The information is very basic and I’m sure a seasoned quilter would skip over it, but it is a very concise guide that I’m glad was included.

Let’s move onto the most important part of the book, the stitching! There are two complete alphabets of patterns, one for a girl quilt and one for a boy quilt. I am going to embroider Evie and Mira’s initials (but I’m going to use the “boy” patterns, they’re really adorable!) The patterns are really simple and extremely cute. The instructions are very clear and all the colors are laid out. The small, straightforward patterns are perfect for the quilt, but also scale to be used for larger projects.

The main focus of the book is definitely the large, quilt pattern, but there are some other terrific project ideas. The soft fabric blocks are wonderful and I want to make a set for Mira! One of the great things about this book is how customizable everything is, a simple color change or scaling it larger and you have a completely new piece.

S is for Stitch is published by C&T Publishing and available on Amazon.

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