Michele Roberts, self-publisheD 2008, ISBN: 0-9760188-3-7
This project book by noted teacher, Michele Roberts, is a celebration of the American Flag. Like Patchwork of Peace (reviewed here) it divides the flag up into patches and uses a variety of threads to make the red and white stripes and the blue field.
That’s where the similarity ends. While you have plenty of help in creating your project, this book will help you create something unique. The flag project here has a total of 269 blocks; 204 square ones for the stripes, and 65 rectangular ones for the field. In addition there are almost 100 additional stitches so you can make substitutions.
Before the heart of the book, the stitches, there is a very helpful section about the design of the flag. Not only does it have two detailed maps to show you what stitch is where, it addresses the whole matter of compensation. This is particularly important when considering the stitches in the blue parts of the flag,
In the opening section there is a page of tips, plus an extensive index that lists each stitch in the flag, its name, block number and size, and its color. Following this there is a listing of all the stitches in alphabetical order. Stitches used in the flag have the same information as the previous index; the bonus stitches just list name and block number.
The heart of the book shows the stitches with diagrams in alphabetical order. Stitches used in the flag have that noted as well. The diagrams are clear but inconsistent. The blocks are different sizes, use different symbols for the stitches, and use different grids. Opening the book at random, I found true-to-size squares, rectangles, and diagrams that look as if they came from conventional stitch dictionaries (with virtual stitches on canvas-like grid). One diagram had numbers, and one other had a detail showing one row with numbers. It’s like this throughout the book. What’s more frustrating is that diagrams of the same type are not consistent. They may use different shades of grey or different line weights, the symbols might be different sizes. It gives the book a very thrown-together feel, almost as if Roberts took her notes for guild stitching and put them into a book.
The stars aren’t really addressed in the book at all. It took me awhile to find the only place where they were mentioned — in the tips. There a suggestion is made to purchase stars for your flag instead of stitching them. While I think this is a great idea, leaving out information about how to place them makes the book incomplete. The only help you’ll get for this is pictures of 9 US flags on the back cover of the book.
There’s lots to love in this book: many stitches, an intriguing idea, a project from a great teacher. But I find myself dissatisfied because with a little more care it could have been so much better.
This book is available at needlework shops.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Dee says
I have the book in it’s second printing and just want to note that the location for each star appears on page two. This page shows the blocks of the blue field and there are dots showing placement of the add-on star buttons.
Janet M Perry says
Thanks for the update.
Keep stitching,
Janet