Celebrating 10 years since the original publication of “Subversive Cross Stitch,” sassy sewing queen Julie Jackson is back with an anniversary edition, available Feb. 17, that includes 17 new patterns, along with the originals, that are perfect for the Etsy age. The designs may look like those yellowing “Home Sweet Home” ones that hang in your grandmother’s house, but most of the phrases are ones you would never dream of using in front of Grandma—”Cheer up, loser,” “I hope you choke” and “Life sucks, then you die” are just a few that we can print without censorship.
The glossy pages feature photos of the finished products on the left-hand side with patterns on the right, if you’re so inclined to put needle to canvas yourself. Otherwise, the 50 different sayings do quite well as a mini coffeetable book, or a nice gift for the friend who’s not afraid to combine the whimsical with a straight shot of sass.
‘Subversive Cross Stitch: 50 [Bleeping] Clever Designs for Your Sassy Side’
by Julie Jackson
PowerHouse Books, $15.95