Is “The New Cross Stitcher’s Bible” Actually Any Good?”

It doesn’t matter who is rounding up cross stitch books; there is one book that always appears: Jane Greenoff’s New Cross Stitcher’s Bible. Even our own list of best cross stitch books does. But in every review you see for the book, there is always a negative, always something holding it back from that big 5/5 score.

So I have to wonder, is this actually the essential manual it claims to be? Or does its reputation simply keep on dragging it back to those best of lists?

I own a copy, in fact two (long story), and I have used it, and will continue to use it. But at the same time, I also have my reservations about it. And I find myself agreeing with some of those non-perfect reviews.

 

What the book gets right

Let’s start with the good stuff; what the new cross stitcher’s bible does right.
Much like the “cross stitcher’s bible” before it, Jane takes a technique-first approach instead of a book of pattern collections. There are patterns, of course, most of which are outdated now (originating from the original 2000s book), but it is all about the way to stitch.
It genuinely tries to give you step-by-step advice on how to stitch, on tips Jane has picked up along the way, and it does it VERY well.

Being honest with you, there aren’t many books that go into the depths that Jane does here; featuring non-standard stitches, edging, framing and everything in between. It honestly puts our cross stitch guides to shame.
And it’s for this reason that it earns its place in my stitching library.
I have, and no doubt will again, come across a new stitch I don’t know or can’t remember, or need advice on how to do that little thing no one really ever speaks about.
And for that, this is a perfect book.

The complexity problem

But here also lies the problem.

The biggest gripe about the book is those tutorials, those tips and suggestions.
For many, mostly beginners, those stitches are just plain confusing. Why does someone need to know all of these fancy stitches when all they want to do is learn how to thread a needle and do the basic stitch?

And I have to agree here; this book is not for beginners. If you want that kind of book, something like The Mr X Stitch Guide to Cross Stitch is better; clearly targeted at beginner stitchers, with only those guides that beginners need to know.
Yet, almost without a doubt, the new cross stitcher’s bible is lauded as a cross stitch book for everyone. And this just isn’t the case…

For me, this is an intermediate to advanced stitcher’s book. And a great one at that. If you want to branch out to new stitches, or make your own patterns, or do edging, or stitch on things other than aida, this is the book for you. But if you don’t know what a petit stitch is, or why you would pick a specific needle size, then you’re just not going to have a good time with this book.
In fact, I suspect people give up before even trying based on the amount of tutorials alone!

And then you have the other side of the very same coin. People often complain about it being too light, and note that it’s not as useful as other resources out there. And honestly, I do get this. But I also think it might be a timing thing.

Back in 2000 when the original bible came out, there were no flosstubers or online communities or tiktoks where you could learn, question, and see others do it.
Back then there were only books like this.
Now, you can get 100 YouTube videos up within 30 seconds showing you in detail how to do every stitch you could ever want, in HD, in any language, and from a dozen angles.

Back when this book came out, it was better than we had before; it was a genuine resource.
But now, it has next to no images, no alternative ways to explain things, no animations or videos.

For the new generation of stitchers, it just doesn’t scratch that itch it did for the “old guard” of cross stitch.

Where’s Jane?

Finally, we look at Jane herself. For those who don’t know her (she isn’t that active anymore), she was a prolific cross stitch designer, writer, blogger, and founder of the Cross Stitch Guild. For many, she is the biggest celebrity cross stitch has. There’s a reason I started this post with her name; she draws people in, even to this day.

So where is she in this book?
There is next to no designs of her own, no previews of her work on display, and no mention of how she would do it, or those personal touches a lot of cross stitch books have.

Now, this isn’t a major concern in most cases; it is a tutorial book after all. But it’s also a tutorial book built on her name, built on her authority and reputation as a designer.
So to see no designs and barely any patterns, it feels like this could have been written by anyone…

Verdict: who should actually buy this

So what is my honest take?
I love this book. Can’t get enough of it, to the point where I own multiple editions.

But it isn’t going to be that one catch-all book I can recommend to every cross stitcher. For beginners, it’s either too sparse or there are too many guides. For intermediate stitchers, you might prefer online tutorials. And for advanced stitchers, you might know it all already.

I’m not the first to bring this up. In fact, the reason I’m writing about it today was that I saw yet another Reddit or Facebook post questioning it as the “bible” it seeks to be. People are offering other books instead, or singing its praises, or simply stating it’s not worth the money. And all of those thoughts are kind of my own. I’m torn between it being great, and it being simply not enough.
For me, it really depends on who is getting this book.

You see, this was a book of its time. The single best resource that existed in 2000.
But now, it has that nuanced factor.

I would still recommend it, let’s be clear. But I would always state that it ‘might’ be a good book for a cross stitcher.
All I know is it’s good for me.

 

Is there a good alternative?

The thing is, Jane know this. In fact, back when the New Cross Stitcher’s Bible was out of print for a while, she created a new book; The Stitch Book.
And this solved so many of the issues the bible had.

It includes much better images, it has great guides, its simple to use, clear and every page is a new stitch.
Yes, it does include things far beyond cross stitch, but I think that this book, is a perfect example of a cross stitch bible.

 
Happy stitching,
Lord Libidan