Come share the richness of a centuries-old handicraft tradition with EXPRESSIONS OF LOVE, a special collection of 33 cross-stitched samplers selected as winners in Woman's Day(R) sampler contest. Like their historical counterparts, these samplers pay homage to the feelings, special events, and important people in the lives of the women who creat... more »ed them.

As you turn the pages of this book, you'll come to know the designers individually; you'll learn something about their lives and what inspired them to create their particular samplers. There is Marylynn Cormier's celebration of marriage, with a frame of cross-stitched quilt patterns; and a tribute to friendship undiminished by distance in Amy Ambabo-Miller's Over the Miles That Keep Us Apart. Plant a Memory Garden is a loving memorial to the designers' grandfather, while A Cat Makes a House a Home speaks to Wendy Rarick's love of animals. The joy -- and frustration -- of rearing children is captured by Kathy Cercone in A Baby's Hands Touch So Much. Those Who Love Teaching is Carol LaMar's affectionate testimonial to devoted professionals.

Family and religion are important forces in the lives of many of the prizewinners, and a number of the samplers carry favorite passages from the Bible and other inspirational writings. Some beautiful examples are the Christmas sampler designed by Rose Salidis and Elaine Conetta's wedding anniversary sampler. The many expressions of love in this treasury capture the warmth of a bygone time with their familiar stitches, motifs, and inspiring messages, yet many are contemporary in their choices of colors, designs, fabrics, and mountings. While you may want to copy any of these samplers in their entirety, EXPRESSIONS OF LOVE was also conceived as a resource book, brimming with ideas you can use to stitch your own loving remembrances.

Choose from among eleven alphabets and seven number series, plain or fancy; add a border or two of florals, scallops, geometrics, couching, or any of a number of other techniques. Incorporate one of the many heart motifs or other decorative designs, such as animals, houses, trees, flowers, or figures. Create three-dimensional samplers with beads, ribbons, gold rings, French knots, or padding. If you're a newcomer to cross-stitch, you may want to begin with the elegant simplicity of Come, My Dear, inspired by Robert Browning's tribute to his beloved. For experienced stitches, the grand-prize winner, I Love to Knit, presents a challenging project indeed; it is a sophisticated montage of stitches, designs, beads, ribbons, and words. If you want the immediate satisfaction that comes from finishing a project in a day, you'll find Families Forever a good choice. But if you prefer the pleasure of savoring your stitching time and seeing your sampler slowly evolve, you'll appreciate the work of Nancy Hillman Rodgers, whose If of Thy Mortal Goods Thou Art Bereft... is a first-prize winner.

In between there are designs offering a great variety in their complexity, something to suit the skills and needs of every cross-stitcher. Select whichever design or elements you favor to create your own sampler or use any of the decorative touches to accent linens, clothes, pillows, or handmade gifts. Every sampler is shown in a full-page color photo, so you can see the many handsome details; each is accompanied by clear, readable diagrams, color keys for both DMC and Bates flosses, and simple step-by-step instructions. In addition, there is a General Directions section that reviews the techniques for finishing the piece, and the various embroidery stitches that can be used to create your own Expressions of Love.