Includes index.

This is a multi-title review. Titles include Cross Stitch Plus, Julie Hasler's Fantasy Cross Stitch, Victorian Floral Alphabet, and Exquisite Miniatures - A tighter network of professional stitchers, coupled with a lengthy history of teaching embroidery, may well account for the steady stream of needlecraft books emanating from the U.K. Four in the David & Charles stable are notable for inventive design ideas. Of the four, the first-time efforts of two former New Stitches magazine employees are the most innovative. Fox and Sproat essentially have combined elementary cross-stitch with six other needle arts: beadwork, ribbon craft, counted satin stitch, blackwork, hardanger, and withdrawn and pulled work. Although uneven, the results--and the 30 projects--are deserving of study. The authors take on color threads in hanging pictures . . . sometimes successfully, sometimes not. Within each technique, projects are arranged from simple to complex, accompanied by graphs and lists of specific threads. Appended are finishing techniques and suppliers. Hasler, the rebel needleworker (who, according to the publisher's promotional material, rides a Harley and models for a tattoo magazine), is by far the most experienced, with more than 15 books to her credit. Yet prolificness doesn't always lead to quality; here, though, her more than 60 designs are sure to entrance. Her subject is pure and unadulterated fantasy, from zodiac signs and unicorns to a symbol flexible enough to decorate a blanket as well as a wall. Best are the astrological depictions and her sun and moon celestial mirror. Suppliers appended. Twenty-five flowers, each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet, might be difficult to identify, especially with Latin monikers or U.K. origins. In a crowded space, Hawkins, coauthor of 55 Flower Designs (1996), does her best to show how motifs and patterns can be applied to a variety of items and surfaces. Charts are included for one or two of the projects but not for all. So beginning stitchers might find it difficult to copy the urtica (stinging nettle) or kingcup (marsh marigold) in 'profile' or smaller dimensions; on the other hand, pros will welcome the latitude. Suppliers appended. The most global of all four (because she borrows ideas from many countries, many artists), Keyes has transcended her Alphabets & Samplers (1993) fame to provide a real array of choices for stitchers. The more than 35 designs are set as miniatures. Each is presented with options, including other ways to execute and other items to embellish. Most include an invaluable sidebar, 'In the Frame,' exploring mounting possibilities and examining different finishes. Suppliers appended. - Barbara Jacobs; 128p-