Donna Kooler's 555 Cross-Stitch Patterns for the Young at Heart

I was looking for a cross stitch book that had a cornucopia of various smaller patterns that could be combined together to create designs, could be added into other patterns, and would be easy to edit in order to meet personal preferences. I also wanted a range of sizes from tiny to medium patterns, but nothing too large. This book sort met that expectation... but where it EXCEEDED my expectations was in the area of BORDERS. Hands down this is my favorite book for delicate or intricate floral/nature borders. Those borders were well worth the low price I paid for the book!All patterns are shown completed and in color. All patterns are in color. The back of the book contains information on the basics of cross stitch, specialty stitches, and how to get started. There is a table of contents and an index to help find the patterns you are looking for, but these are not very detailed which is why the book gets 4 stars. My only other issue with the book is that most of the patterns are on the more boxy side... and not enough of them would be easy to edit to being less boxy. However, ALL the border patterns I really love in the book are not boxy at all = )Here is a complete list of the types of patterns in this book:- Old MacDonald's Farm sampler (a large farm/country pattern)- Farm motifs (8 pages)- Mary Mary Quite Contrary Sampler (a large garden pattern)- Garden motifs (18 pages with lots of beautiful border patterns)- Rich Man, Poor Man Sampler (a large pattern displaying careers)- Careers and Work Motifs (9 pages)- The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe (a large pattern)- Home and Building motifs (15 pages includes three patterns of children)- Noah's Ark (a large pattern)- Noah's Ark and Animal motifs (15 pages)- Alphabets (2 pages)I may not stitch the full-size samplers, but I definitely will take elements from each to use, along with the borders. I am very glad I bought this book before it was no longer available.

This is an absolutely delightful and almost infinitely useful little book of counted cross-stitch designs. The six "full-size" samplers are as charming as any little boy or girl could want in their nursery (great for teaching language skills, rhymes, lifestyles, etc.), and the individual design elements cover the gamut: Farm, home, and garden; jobs, hobbies, and professisons; birds, bugs, and beasts (some two-by-two), and those who tend them; seasons' flowering and fruiting; teatime, and transportation; and buildings, large and small. The possibilities for ornaments, accent pillows and wall hangings, shower gifts, small token remembrances for home or office, are almost endless. In the back there are ten alphabet charts of various sizes, useful for customizing, and several with both upper and lower case letters and accompanying numbers, as well as a thread conversion chart (DMC to Anchor) and a metric conversion chart from inches to centimeters. The front covers some basic decorative stitches and stitching hints for the beginning to intermediate stitcher. If you're beyond the nursery stage there are still dozens of borders and design elements that could easily transfer from use as borders to such as woven-ribbon themed pillows, fancied-up handkerchief accents, quilt squares, or on Christmas stockings. All things considered, the book has only one failing: None of the full-size samplers are stitch-counted, which means you have to count the ten-stitch blocks in order to determine the size of the piece and the fabric required. Thusly tempted, all I need are the other Donna Kooler books...

If you don't feel "Young at Heart," after looking at the starter Samplers in this book, oh well!? The title says it all. This is a book for the young and the not so young who want to feel like a kid again. Here is a collection of Samplers and Motifs centering around Nursery Rhymes, but what amazing motifs and designs in this book. It must have been very hard deciding which of the many motifs to include in the Samplers and which to add to the library. The Samplers are "Old McDonald's farm,""Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary,(which would work in almost any home)"Rich Man, Poor Man," "The Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe" and"Noah's Ark." Top this off with enough motifs to keep you in stitches for the rest of your life. Kooler Motiffs are beautiful, always, and if for no other reason than you want to feel happy, buy this book. If you are anything like me, you'll smile at the possibilities, jump right into the work and come up with something to hang on the wall, give as a gift or put on a tree for a child. Watch their eyes light up as you give them what may be the first Christmas Ornament of their very own. That's what I plan on doing.

It's hard to know what to expect when you can't view the patterns, but this book has a lot of variety: There's Old MacDonald Farm (with farm animals, veggies, and flowers); Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary (flowers, birds, veggies); Rich Man, Poor Man (doctor, spaceman, baker, fireman, etc.); Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe (houses, teapots); Noah's Ark. Each pattern is darling!

I bought this as a gift to my cross stitching fool-of-a-sister and she was delighted that she could do entire projects, or break the projects down into individual patterns. Well worth the purchase! The title came in excellent condition, well packaged, and promptly. I would definitely purchase from this vendor again.

I wish there had been more information on the types of charts that were included. I don't like them with color keys, and I really don't like it when the patterns call for a lot of half and quarter stitches. If I had known that is what these patterns were, I would have passed on the book. If you like that kind of stitching, then the book is great...pretty samplers!

I like cross stitching and this will add to my finest collection of books. Right on time delivery, neat and clear copy just good as new books. I will recommend the seller to my friends for sure..

Good book

I love the Donna Kooler studio works, they seem to get me and I have several of their books which I dip into frequently.They have many ideas which can be used individually or combined for a larger work. Personally I find their colour choice appeals to me too. The 'Young at Heart' is a different spectrum for me in a new phase of my life, so plenty of scope.

Donna Kooler is another one of my favourite designers, you can fine a pattern for all occasions.

Great Thanks

A book with beautiful motifs I shall thoroughly enjoy stitching.

Good designs