Regular followers of my Instagram will know that over the last year I’ve picked up my old hobby of cross stitch and have also taught myself hand embroidery.
I find that the evenings are an easy time to sit and scroll through my phone or to sit and watch TV once my various jobs are done. Picking up my old needlework hobby has given me something to focus on and it also helps me to relax in the evening.
There are many benefits to stimulating the creative part of the brain, and for me, it really helps with feeling calmer and more relaxed and definitely aids with helping to clear my mind.
I’ve been asked a few times on my Instagram about kits I’d recommend or tips to get started so I thought there might be value in sharing how I have taught myself.
How I Began
I taught myself to cross-stitch from a free kit on the front of a cross stitch magazine many many years ago. I picked it up on a whim and had a go. I don’t think I ever finished that particular kit but it helped me to understand the basic principles of the craft and helped me to learn more about the types of things I enjoy stitching. I know from experience that I’m not a fan of full coverage projects – they take too long for me! And I much prefer projects without any backstitching, which I find really tedious.
With embroidery, I saw a kit I liked on a craft website and in the first lockdown of 202 decided to have a go at it. The guide was excellent that came with it and I managed to stitch it up. It isn’t perfect but again, it taught me a lot of different stitches and I can see the improvements I have made 18 months on.
The Best Cross Stitch Kits
It’s hard to say which are the best cross stitch kits to get started with, but for me I would say try something like the Geeky Stitching Company. They have a monthly subscription box (you pay as a one-off month if you want it) and the patterns are easy to get started with and stitch up quite quickly. I’ve bought four of these boxes so far and have been impressed. Each box has three patterns and includes the aida (sewing fabric) you need for all three, as well as the threads and hoop you need for the main kit. It also comes with an additional full skein of DMC thread for your stash as well as ribbon for the hoop. The image below shows the contents of a box from last autumn.
I like the Geeky Stitching kits as they are fun and look lovely and the boxes come with clear charts and a guide to stitching as well as three patterns for a reasonable sum. The picture below is one of the winter designs I completed earlier this month.
For smaller stitchers, I can recommend the Caterpillar Cross Stitch children’s kits. Both D and E have these at the moment and are working on them. The kits come with everything you need to get started and there are some lovely designs to choose from. Caterpillar also host regular stitch along (SALs) where by they release a small section of a pattern every week or two and you work on that part. It’s a great way to keep up with a big project and certainly feels less overwhelming than being confronted with the whole pattern in one go!
Cross Stitch Patterns
If you have a stash of fabrics and floss then it’s worth looking at Etsy for patterns to stitch up, I have bought a few from there and really enjoy stitching them. You can also try sites such as Patchwork Rabbit which have a range of lovely charts available. I am currently working on the year-long Year in the Woods project which features different woodland animals each month. These patterns are more complex but definitely achievable after a little practice.
You could also look at the magazines available which often have some great patterns inside. The patterns will tell you the colour floss required and the size of fabric and my experience is that sites such as Patchwork Rabbit above are more than willing to help you to make sure you have the right fabric for your project.
Hand Embroidery
Hand embroidery is a new skill for me and I really enjoy learning it. There are some stitches I definitely struggle with more than others but it’s been a lovely thing to learn over the last 18 months or so. I started out with a kit from Hawthorn Handmade and have since bought many more of their kits. They are of excellent quality and come with everything you need. They are very much aimed at beginners and come with a stitch guidebook to help you learn the stitches. The image below shows the contents of one of the kits. The cotton fabric is of excellent quality and lovely to stitch on as are the included floss.
I’ve stitched a few of these kits now and enjoy each one. I tend to pick these up in between the more complex projects I am working on. The kits come with everything you need including the hoop and needle so you can open the box and get to work!
Developing Your Skills
For developing your embroidery skills I really recommend Stitch Doodles. I have a few of Nicola’s projects and am currently working on her Winter Splendour stitch along. The designs are beautiful and the detailed instructions really help you to get to grips with the different motifs. You can buy full kits or fabric panels, which is what I tend to do as I have a good stash of floss to work through. The fabric is of excellent quality and printed well and the weekly instructions on how to complete the motif are excellent and well documented. There’s also a great supportive Facebook group where people share their progress as they work on various projects. I have learned so much from completing Nicola’s projects and am really pleased with the progress I am making.
And finally, another lovely shop I have found is Oh Sew Bootiful. I have recently purchased one of the fabric panels (you can buy as a kit if you prefer) and I’m impressed with the panel and instructions and hope to make a start on it in a few weeks’ time when I’m up to date on some other projects I am working on.
If you’re interested in keeping an eye on projects I have completed as well as those I am working on there is a highlight on my Instagram and I often share images to my stories too.
All very impresive and a much better bet than endless scrolling on the phone