Cross Books

This is a 17-page softcover craft publication of the American School of Needlework, containing -- as the title promises! -- 50 different charted designs for counted cross stitch. It's a wide & imaginative variety of house plants, from cactus to orchids to tulips to spider plants, plus all different kinds of pots, vases, hanging baskets & other containers.

It isn't a project book, just the charts, so you are free to adapt the designs to your own table linens, box lid inserts, jar lid covers, coasters, framed pictures, apron pockets or what have you.

I love this collection of Santa Claus designs by Sam Hawkins. I'd say I've stitched 1/3 to 1/2 of the designs in this book, and was pleased with every single one of them!

I made Christmas ornaments using metallic gold perforated paper, and parchment-colored perforated paper as well. I also used perforated plastic, and aida cloth; all looked excellent, although the light green perforated plastic was my least favorite. I backed these in red felt for the most part, using fray-check or the like on the edges of the aida cloth.

For the ornaments I gave as gifts (generally the larger designs in this book, such as a heart shape filled with Santa peering out from within it), the reception was any variation of, "Wow, THANK you; I love it! This looks so marvelous!" I don't say this to say that my stitching skills are all that, but rather that the designs are great for gifts, for decorating the tree, packages, or elsewhere around the holiday home, or,, I'm sure stitched on other applications such as towels, coasters, etc.

I can't say I LOVE all 50 designs, but who would? I love many of them, and really appreciate the variety of types, shapes, and styles of Santa motifs provided; that, combined with the ease of use of the patterns and Sam Hawkins' nice designs are why I bought the book.

Highly recommended!

This book is just wonderful as there were 50 designs of all types of shoes - new designs and old designs.

Also, you could sew one design as a gift or a few shoes as a sampler.

Definitely would recommend this books

The book provides a set of 52 different learning exercises. The exercises focus on many aspects of how people lead and how they work together in organizations. These are the aspects of our work styles that make the difference between a "group of people working together" and a "high performing leader, team, or organization."

Stringer and Cassiday do an excellent job of sorting the exercises by degree of learning challenge and potential value for individuals, teams, or organizations. Each exercise provides a complete description of material needed, time involved, and plan of action.

A very helpful resource for people looking for experiential exercises as part of a learning program to effect change.

Like many people I saw a movie first. Naturally due to media constraints, you expect certain amount of the book to be homogenized. So I wanted to read what was missing. To my amazement very little was missing or modified. I don't normally read this sort of book. So I was surprised at finding myself wanting more when it finished.

Also until I read the book I did not realize that Charing Cross Road was a real place. The whole book is based on a collection of correspondence between Helene Hanff, an avid book reader, and Frank Doel an agent for British bookseller.

My wife has taken this one step further and is collecting all the books that were mentioned in the correspondence. Some of these books appear to have been reprinted due to this publication.

If you can find it there is a book called "The Library of Helen Hanff."
I wonder what became of all the other people described in the correspondents after the book.

84 Charing Cross Road

A MUST READ FOR YOUNG WRITERS. Reading this book is one of the best things I have ever done for myself. As a writer and an avid reader, Helene Hanff's quick wit and dry sense of humor was not only a lesson on how to keep your reader interested; it is a real writer's block ice-breaker for me!

The correspondence between Helene Hanff and the staff at the 84 Charing Cross Road book store are short and to the point letters about particular books, but the relationship that develops between characters is heartfelt and you can very easily put yourself in her shoes. I found myself spellbound. I read it in one afternoon.

Treat yourself to a wonderful easy read. A good book to follow up with after this is "Apple of My Eye" also by Helene Hanff. Even if you have never been to New York City before she will take you there.

I give both books 5 stars and can't wait to read the rest of her books!
Donna Raskin
Kansas City, MO

Like many people I saw a movie first. Naturally due to media constraints, you expect certain amount of the book to be homogenized. So I wanted to read what was missing. To my amazement very little was missing or modified. I don't normally read this sort of book. So I was surprised at finding myself wanting more when it finished.

Also until I read the book I did not realize that Charing Cross Road was a real place. The whole book is based on a collection of correspondence between Helene Hanff, an avid book reader, and Frank Doel an agent for British bookseller.

My wife has taken this one step further and is collecting all the books that were mentioned in the correspondence. Some of these books appear to have been reprinted due to this publication.

If you can find it there is a book called "The Library of Helene Hanff."
I wonder what became of all the other people described in the correspondents after the book.

The Library of Helene Hanff Limited Edition Signed

Like many people I saw a movie first. Naturally due to media constraints, you expect certain amount of the book to be homogenized. So I wanted to read what was missing. To my amazement very little was missing or modified. I don't normally read this sort of book. So I was surprised at finding myself wanting more when it finished.

Also until I read the book I did not realize that Charing Cross Road was a real place. The whole book is based on a collection of correspondence between Helene Hanff, an avid book reader, and Frank Doel an agent for British bookseller.

My wife has taken this one step further and is collecting all the books that were mentioned in the correspondence. Some of these books appear to have been reprinted due to this publication.

If you can find it there is a book called "The Library of Helen Hanff."
I wonder what became of all the other people described in the correspondents after the book.

84 Charing Cross Road - movie

When I saw this booklet, I couldn't wait to get my embroidery floss and needle out. My grandchildren all wanted their initials on various jackets, sweatshirts and pillowcases. The littlest boys wanted Space, Bugs All Around or the Creepy Crawly letters while the new baby's mom wanted Noah's Ark on her little girl's sweater. The older kids wanted Fiesta Folk Art which looks like a Mexican Fiesta and our "little princess" wanted In the Garden letters on her pillowcase and Once Upon a Time on a blanket to go in her play castle.

Needless to say, I had to get busy. The graphics were large enough for my "over 40" eyes to read without having to get new glasses and with the color prints of the letters on the same page, even if I had a question of which symbol was what, the photo made sure I didn't!

The last page in the book gives general instructions on working with carts and explanation of stitches in case I forgot what Mom taught me as a small girl. I have a feeling that as the children grow and their tastes change, I will be using this book for a long while. I can see my "off to college" grandchildren wanting an elegant initial on a blouse or pillowcase for their life on campus!

dr. shiraev's and dr. boyd's book, which i have recently read alongside a few other books on giving advice to international students coming to the united states in order to reccommend a work for friends of mine planning to come to study in the states, is by far the best that i have come along. it poignantly addresses all the issues of importance for a foreign student, leaving little to be desired, without being patronizing or attepting to prescribe receipies of how one is to manage once arrived. maybe it is the unique or if not unique: successful combination of a foreign and domestic point of view, that manages to be very precise and diligent in sketching out that, which is to be expected by those who come from cultures that are both very different, but also seemingly similar. indeed, as a german, i have found out that the seeming similarities of western countries contribute much to the skewed expectations of students that culminate often in a rude awakening, often without knowing why. it is often less important to be pointed towards the obvious, after all, if i had come to the us from myanmar, or swaziland, i would have known very well THAT i was to expect great differences and hence would have been more aware of them. even at the danger of being redundant: in my opinion the danger or difficulty is more often, that differences are not obvious and thus not expected. these subtle differences, different attitudes not perceived up front, the accumulation of otherness in often miniscule details are put forward in a way that i would have very much appreciated being told when i came to the us. unfortunately, then the book had not even been conceived. alas, now it exists - and i would not reccommend any other book but this to anyone coming to the us, in particular those 'familiar' with the western or european lifestyle.