My family loves Halloween. My preschooler son is especially excited, loving pumpkins and dressing up and all things spooky. He loves pretending to be a zombie and even has a zombie teddy bear that his aunt and uncle gave him for his first birthday. I also love decorating my home for Halloween, especially with handmade craft items. When recently offered the chance to review Zombie Cross-stitch written by Erika Kern and illustrated by Kristy Kizzee in exchange for my honest opinion, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to add a new title to my craft room.
Author/Artist
Currently residing in Bakersfield, California with her beautiful rescue dog Grace, author Erika Kern loves crafts, life, pop culture, and sci-fi. She has been crafting since she was old enough to hold a needle. Her work has appeared in several magazines and on the website CraftSylish.
Artist Kristy Kizzee is a native Hoosier who learned embroidery from her babysitter as a young girl. The performing and visual arts have had a great influence on her life from an early age with the encouragement and support of her parents.
Synopsis
Just in time for Halloween, Zombie Cross-stitch includes a 64-page book with an overview of basic techniques and instructions for creating a dozen gruesome but hilarious zombie-inspired cross-stitch patterns from Miss Zombie USA to a ghoulish cubicle-dweller. The kit also includes all the materials needed to complete two projects including specialty fabric, needles, and ten colors of embroidery floss. Those interested in this art may want to check out some of the embroidery designs online that they can try out for themselves. Both beginners and experienced cross-stitchers will enjoying crafting the zombies with the introduction to essential techniques and step-by-step instructions for each project. The kit currently costs $17.99 on Amazon with a list price of $19.99.
Evaluation
As my readers know, I love crafts. As a child, I learned a number of different needle arts such as sewing, needlepoint, and embroidery. I even learned a little cross-stitch. I am also a huge fan of all things Halloween — especially Halloween crafts. I was thus super excited to receive Zombie Cross-stitch. I have not cross-stitched for years, so I really appreciated the introduction in the booklet that includes a beginner’s guide to cross-stitch. The information was enough to jog my memory so that I could easily jump into the projects in the rest of the book.
Each of the twelve projects includes detailed instructions including the floss colors needed. Of all the projects in the book, I am partial to the Thriller zombie, the zombie hand holding a martini glass that reads “I ♥ stiff drinks,” and the zombie couple that readers “Til death do its part.” The kit comes with enough floss and fabric to complete the first two projects in the book, and buying additional floss for the remaining patterns is as simple as a visit to a craft store. I am totally digging this super fun Halloween craft kit!
Final Verdict
If you love crafts and Halloween, definitely check out the hilariously macabre Zombie Cross-stitch written by Erika Kern and illustrated by Kristy Kizzee. The kit comes with a 64-page book that includes an overview of basic techniques and instructions for creating a dozen zombie-based projects as well as the materials necessary to complete two projects such as fabric, needles, and floss. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. The projects are macabre and adorable for the zombie enthusiast. Zombie Cross-stitch is a must-have for the Halloween fan!
Purchase Zombie Cross-stitch on Amazon via my affiliate link.
Image Credits
Combining the Delicate and Macabre for Halloween with Zombie Cross-stitch 2018 Heather Johnson
Zombie Cross-stitch Box 2018 Heather Johnson
Opening the Zombie Cross-stitch 2018 Heather Johnson
Zombie Cross-stitch Book and Kit 2018 Heather Johnson
Zombie Cross-stitch Kit 2018 Heather Johnson
