I received this book as an advance review copy e-book, and it is absolutely beautiful: I imagine that the "hard copy" would be even more so, one of those books it is just a pleasure to hold and to flick through and to linger on some of the wonderful illustrations and photos.
I have to admit that the spiritual element of the book, with its emphasis on new age mysticism and talismans was not for me, but the variety of designs in the book means that you do not need to be a pagan or wiccan to find something that you will like. The promotion of stitching as a form of meditation, of slowing down and really looking at things was right up my alley however.
This is probably not a book for a complete beginner at embroidery. Although the stitch instructions and illustrations are some of the best I have seen, the patterns as presented require the stitcher to do a fair amount of work in incorporating them into their own designs. It is however a wonderful resource book for someone with some stitching experience who wants to branch out a little.
With thanks to Netgalley and Storey Publishing for the advance review copy.

Magic Stitches combines the craft of embroidery with spirituality to create talismans and amulets that you can wear. In this book, the author gives clear step by step guides on how to do the basic stitches in the patterns provided. They were extremely easy to follow and the visual steps were perfect for the more tricky stitches.

This book also discusses common embroidery themes throughout history and what they can mean. This is great if you want to create your own embroidery talismans. She also goes over the color wheel and how color can play an important part in your embroidery. I thought it was a great addition because everyone is affected by colors but it’s not something that is discussed in some embroidery books.

The author provides quite a few embroidery patterns at the end of the book, all of which are for incorporating onto your clothes. I don’t think I will actually alter my clothes this way but will probably create a small embroidered talisman to carry in my purse or pin on the inside of my jacket.

Overall, this was a good embroidery book for beginners, but I also think experts will also learn from this book. I think everything is also easily applicable to any embroidery project.

I usually like to crochet. But I found some really nice stitching books.
And this here is one of them. I started to do some work on Jackets and bags and I am giving them to my friends and they really like it.

This book it nicely structured and good if you are a beginner ,like me.

Thanks for letting me read this book

Wonderful link between crafting and meditation! It's nice to seem someone connect the dots between the two. There are great explanations of both stitches and mindfulness/meditation practices, and patterns that I may be brave enough to try. A good add to your collections; in a time where we need mindfulness practices and coping strategies more than ever, this is going to be a book I booktalk often.

MYSTICAL STITCHES by Christi Johnson

As the title implies, it is all about sewing stitches for decoration on clothing or accessories. I chose this book for the designs offered, I value them for their artistic properties. There is a good spread of designs, none too satanic or witchcraft looking. I had reservations since it's titled Mystical.

The author has models wearing clothing articles that have been embroidered using the designs offered in the book, so you will have an idea of how they look on the finished product.

Highly recommend. Perfect for needle artists and even journalers like myself.

Many thanks for the complimentary copy of #mysticalstitches from #netgalley I was under no obligation to post a review.

This book is really good! I wish I had a book like this when I started embroidery. It explains how to start and the different kinds of stitches and how to realise them.
I also learned new tips, stitches, improved my skills and harmonised the colour of my threads.
I really loved all the symbols and the explanations that are within it was really interesting and inspiring.
I am just sad that there is not really pages with the pattern in an easy way to reproduce them. Because let's talk about the patterns! They are amazing and really beautiful, looking forward to introducing more to my embroideries.

Beautifully presented book with clear instructions and interesting backstory and explanations. Perfect for the current trend of all things witchy and the renewed interest in handcrafts.

This book is beautiful and inspiring. The pages are filled with step-by-step guides and projects, handy hints and lots of inspiration for creating your own designs.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I think of Mystical Stitches, three words come to mind: competent, ambitious, and charming. The initial instructions for how to perform the stitches in the book are very concise for a beginner embroiderer. The diagrams are very clear. There are a few bits where the author suggests stretches that are slightly random, but they don’t detract from the book as a whole.
One of my favorite things in witchy books is when I can relate new ideas or classic with a different spin back to my own practice. Every baby witch has or has looked at copious correspondence charts and then gone on the hunt to look for the perfect ingredient. When you live in your practice longer, you stop looking for special ingredients, and make the ingredients you have special. With Mystical Stitches, the author shows you how you can make what you need. It’s a lovely concept! Why would I need to acquire a moth wing or an acorn out of season, when I can just stitch it?
The illustrations are charming and many. I really enjoy the author’s use of color and texture, it’s bold and cute without being cutesy. The projects are fun and easily personalized. Mystical Stitches makes me want to fish out my needles and floss and get to work.

Wow! I absolutely love this book and can’t wait to get started on trying out some ‘mystic’ embroidery. Not only does this book give very clear instructions to a novice embroiderer like myself but also provides an insight into the symbolism and history of the different stitches and techniques. A beautifully illustrated book and a very refreshing approach by the author to this fascinating craft. A book to be treasured and passed down to the next generation of sewers. Highly recommended.

Wow, I love this book! Not only is there easy to follow technical information on stitch techniques, materials, and colour harmony, it also covers intentions, symbols, meditation, yoga poses, and so much more.

So many beautiful ideas; I especially love the botanical section.

This would be a lovely gift for someone interested in slow living or mindfulness.

Like many creative books that focus on finding peace, joy and mindfulness while creating, this is a book about embroidery with intent. Author Christi Johnson explores the union of creation and manifestation with needle and thread.

I found this book to include many wonderful designs, nice photography and information on mindful stitching. While I don’t agree with all the magical content in this book, I can say that as a self-taught sewist and embroiderer I can appreciate the details the author included.

Beautiful book. There are tons of embroidery books out there, but this is such a unique approach. I love the concept and really hope to add some of these projects to my sewing queue. This book includes a lot of really great ideas and techniques as well as her own symbolism and designs. I'm inspired to use her designs and maybe create some of my own as well.

I would recommend this to friends.

Not what i was exactly looking for but thats my own fault for not reading the description. Sure its a great book for those into this specific realm of things

4 stars

This is a unique pattern book, not just offering designs, but the artist’s reflections on building intent & meaning behind them. I recommend this as an aid for exploring designing your own patterns, & as a reference for embroidering basic shapes, animals, symbols, etc.

The writer discusses how embroidery as an art form is an artistic outlet for meditation & spiritual transformation for her. She discusses symbology, talismans, creative inspiration, & some meditational practices she enjoys.

[What I liked:]

•The reflections on the creative process & creating designs that evoke deep personal meaning are great. I’ll be considering those ideas & playing with them as I design my own future patterns.

•There is a basic materials & stitch guide, but it does include some insightful tips such as the best ways to split floss, anchoring methods, etc., that aren’t in most basic guides.

•The art/designs are gorgeous! Bold, colorful, intricate, & lively. The designer’s work reminds me of Tessa Perlow’s style of embroidery (an embroidery artist I adore).

•The patterns include a great variety of components that can be built into a larger design: animals, plants, celestial bodies, geometrical designs, mythical creatures, human body parts, nature, as well as mystical/esoteric symbols & items like wands & pyramids.

•There is info on building your own color schemes (basic color theory), and working basic shapes or components into bigger compositions. This is great stuff! Helpful to me since I’ve been designing my own patterns for years now, but know I can grow in that. There are also a handful of the author’s own compositions, shown as finished works on upcycled clothing.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•This is because of my personal values & not any intrinsic flaw in the book, but this book was not exactly what I expected. There is more emphasis on spiritual practices & beliefs I don’t adhere to than I thought. That’s okay though! I’m sure others will find the book meaningful & resonant in ways I did not.

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the style of this book, and it was cutely done. I loved the bright colors and all of the cute ideas in this book. I think that this book is definitely a must buy if you like or want to learn more about embroidery and if you like mystical creatures.

Mystical Stitches by Christi Johnson is an incredible journey into spiritualism and how it can be manifested in your embroidery projects. Ms. Johnson goes in depth into the topic and combines it with clear stitching diagrams, beautiful motifs for stitching as well as how to choose your own motifs to express your inner self.

This beautiful compendium will expand your mind as well as your skills...an excellent addition to your embroidery library! THank you to the author, Storey Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this publication in exchange for my honest review.

An absolutely gorgeous book! Meaningful, intentional, and also informative. Not very difficult and covers the basics, too. Will recommend to purchase and for others when published.

Mystical Stitches by Christi Johnson

9781635863345

198 Pages
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Release Date: June 22, 2021

Nonfiction, Crafts & Hobbies, Symbolism, Needlecrafts, Embroidery

This book brought back a lot of memories for me. In the 1970s, I embroidered on the back pockets of all my jeans. Looking at the stitches in this book, I can see I used a lot of different types but did not know their names.

The book is divided into the following categories.

Intention
Materials
Stitch Methods
Treasury of Symbols
Creating Your Talisman
The Art of Ritual
Stitch Key

The images in the book are gorgeous. I absolutely love the reconnect with Your Magic Hands exercise. What a nice way to recognize the energy in our hands. It has been years since I have done any type of needle work, but this book has inspired me to get out my embroidery floss and hoops. If you love embroidery, you will love this book. It has a little something for everyone.

I really liked the style of this book. I loved the focus on creating art for art's sake and not worrying about it being perfect. The colours used were really vibrant and engaging and I liked how every design was actually stitched so you could see what the final product would look like. I would say I don't think this book is for beginners as the instructions for the various types of stitches were somewhat difficult to follow if you don't already have a knowledge of embroidery. I really liked the emphasis on creativity and exploring ideas and meanings and think the layout of the book is really unique.