:: March 2003 
Review
Charted Designs for Holidays and Special Occasions: Over 225 Motifs for Counted Cross-Stitch & Other Needlecrafts
If you are already familiar with Dover Publications, you know that their craft books are both reasonably priced and thoroughly compiled. Charted Designs for Holidays and Special Occasions, by Georgia L. Gorham and Jeanne M. Warth is no exception to this rule. It covers year-round holiday cross stitch patterns, including Easter egg charts. There are nineteen separate egg charts, as well as a chart of Easter eggs in a basket.
By varying the color of the background evenweave fabric and the threads used, you can achieve a variety of effects from a single design. Even simple white embroidery thread worked over pretty pastel shades of evenweave fabric will produce very pleasing fibre Easter eggs.
Charts are in black-and-white, not color. The authors suggest placing tracing paper over the design you choose and experimenting with colors (e.g. using colored pencils) you may prefer. They also mention the possibility of using Fair Isle knitting to achieve some of their designs.
Fortunately, many charts for counted cross stitched Easter eggs are available in needlework shops and craft stores. Look for books and patterns that mention special occasions and/or holidays, as does the collection by Ms. Gorham and Ms. Warth. A magazine published in the 1990?s, Cross Stitch & Country Crafts, held annual contests for readers to submit original Easter egg designs and published patterns of the winning charts