Sew Mindful Cross Stitch by Sophie Crabb

SEW MINDFUL CROSS STITCH by Sophie Crabb is a wonderful concept – I know plenty of people who choose to sew or knit as a form of relaxation. Crabb, a designer, crafter, and small business owner from Norfolk in the United Kingdom, tackles mental health concerns by writing about her own experiences and offering subtle suggestions (like avoiding the comparison loop). She has designed cross stitch examples with supportive pithy sayings (e.g., self-care isn’t selfish or today is a new day); to get a better idea of her style check out her UK website (the US Esty page has a security warning). The book itself illustrates “22 beginner friendly cross stitch projects to bring you color and calm.” These are intentionally small projects – just right for a beginner and the book’s photos are colorful and appealing. Plus, Sophie shares helpful insights for executing the projects (like what color to use first). The preview of SEW MINDFUL CROSS STITCH that I saw lists supplies (including specific quantities and colors for embroidery thread), but the patterns were indecipherable to me on the Kindle app. The pdf version on NetGalley was significantly improved and there are several projects which would be fun to try. They’d make great gifts, too!