It’s been a rather busy few months for me this year, with my upcoming Hello Kitty Kit coming out, and a feature in Mr X Stitch’s Guide to Cross Stitch Book. However, when I heard about the new cross stitch magazine, XStitch, on kick starter, I just HAD to get involved.
I’m keeping my pattern secret for now, however it is one of the patterns featured on the cover below.
The first issue comes out Summer 2017, with 80 pages, and all kinds of great things like thought provoking columns, interviews, product reviews and tips and techniques to help you improve your stitching. And to make it stand out from the competiton (just encase the contemporary side of things wasn’t enough) each issue will have a collaborative playlist to listen along to as you read.
It stands to be one of the best magazines around in my mind, and I’m just crazy happy about being able to get involved from the very first issue.
I’ve now been published quite a few times. I’ve been the author and contributor to the Hello Kitty Cross Stitch Kit, the Star Wars Cross Stitch Kit, the Star Trek Cross-Stitch: Explore Strange New Worlds of Crafting book, the Disney Classic Cross Stitch Kit, and the Mr X Stitch Guide to Cross Stitch book. I’ve also been involved a series of magazines such as the CrossStitcher twice, the CrossStitcher Designer Stitches magazine, CrossStitchCrazy, and the XStitch Mag.
You can check out a full unbiased review of the XStitch Magazine at our recap of the best cross stitch magazines.
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Cross Stitch Fabric Types
Moving on from my history of cross stitch, I’ve started looking into the various parts of cross stitch and breaking down some of the walls people see when starting out. One of these has got to be the fabrics used for cross stitch.
Simply put, there are four types of fabric used:
- Aida (the most widely used)
- Hardanger
- Linen
- Evenweave
There are then also specialist fabrics:
- Waste Canvas
- Plastic Canvas
A note on counts:
Before we get into what makes up a fabric, we should mention counts. In short, this is the amount of full cross stitches you can get in a line, for an inch. The most common type is a 14 count, which is an Aida. Some fabrics come only in set sizes.
Aida
Aida was invented in 1986 specifically for cross stitch and counted cross stitch. As a result its the most widely used fabric for cross stitch, and is very likely to be the type your using.
Its made up of regular holes on a semi rigid starch heavy cotton. It allows you to cross stitch in perfect squares by using the holes given.
They come in different size counts, from 10 to 32.
Hardanger
Hardanger is very similar to aida, however is 100% cotton without starch, meaning its very easy to stretch and warp. It comes in 22 count only,, however cross stitch can be done over 2 “sets” giving 11 count. Prior to 1986 this was the most common fabric for cross stitch, and most historic examples of cross stitch are on Hardanger. Since the invention of aida Hardanger has dropped massively in popularity and is very rare currently.
Linen
Linen is a very traditional fabric used for embroidery, made up of flax, an untreated cotton. It can come in a large varience of types, with smaller or larger holes, however its normally found as a 22 to 36 count.
Evenweave
Evenweave however is a combination of multiple fabric types. Officially aida is a type of linen, but with added starch and even spacing. Evenweave however is linen with even spacing, but no starch. The image here shows that whilst Evenweave is normally much higher count, it can vary from 18 to 32.
Waste Canvas
The first of out specialist fabrics, waste canvas is made to either dissolve in contact with water, or to be able to pull it apart when wet. Its effectively a type of aida, but with larger holes and special starch that washes out. It usually only comes in 14 count.
Despite its very specific purpose, you can still cross stitch objects without waste canvas.
Plastic Canvas
Going the other way for a specialist thread, plastic canvas is made to be stiff, so you can make 3D objects. It comes in a variety of types, as seen in the image, and some plastics are stiffer than others, meaning you can use them for different purposes. They come in 14 count normally, however I have seen 16, 18 and 22.
An example of what can be acheived with plastic canvas is my transforming cross stitch robot.
Cross Sti and the hilarious misspelled cross stitch
Sometimes things go wrong. Maybe it was auto correct, maybe it was miscounting, but regardless, its crazy funny when it doesn’t happen to you. This are some of the best cross stitch mistakes out there.
We start with someone who even made it to a book, specifically Craft Fail: When Homemade Goes Horribly Wrong By Heather Mann, where an entreped cross stitcher spent hours stitching the beginning of her hobby only to realise once she’d finished that it wasn’t all she cracked it up to be.
Sometimes people realise a lot earlier though, like this cross stitcher who only drew the letters on, and then realised the missing H. Most shocking of all though, he’s trying to sell it on ebay for $15…
Sometimes though, spellings are on purpose. This sarky stitch sadly fools more people than it should, but is a great way to make a mistake a feature.
Finally though, by far the most common cross stitch mistake I could find; gob. Sadly, some of these are massive pieces.
Find The Perfect Skin Tone – DMC Threads
Finding the right skin tone threads can be VERY hard, normally resulting in a super pink face, or a washed out face. However, with the sheer volume of threads out there, its not actually that hard to create really realistic skin tones.
We’ve created the above table so you can look up the skin tone you want to stitch and see both highlight and shadow thread colors for DMC to go with it. Equally, you can go down the table to see darker skin tones progressively.
With this you can edit existing patterns to match skin tones you want, or you can make your own patterns with quality skin colors.
The Best Game Of Thrones Cross Stitch
Who holds the iron cross stitch throne? We’ll it will take less than 8 seasons to find out, beleive me. However when you see how awesome these Game of Thrones cross stitches are you’ll be itching for the new season in July!
What round up would be complete without a map of Westeros? This is a map that’s been recreated a lot on the internet, but I tracked down the first version.
However, that isn’t to say other versions are bad. This Mario Game of Thrones mash up is just brilliant!
Another mash up in the form of this Pokemon stitch, back when we thought Jon and Khaleesi would fight it out… *fingers crossed for them getting married*
Speaking of alliances, hows this banner based cross stitch, done on linen to make it look older and more in fitting with the lore of Game of Thrones.
Hodor hodor hodor hodor. Hodor.
And finally, some way off from Christmas, I know… but its so darn clever.
What is the best cross stitch magazine?
There are loads of cross stitch magazines out there, and with magazines like Cross Stitch and Needlework and Cross Stitch Collection coming to and end, I felt it was a good time to go through some of the most popular cross stitch magazines out there and give a bit more detail so you can pick the best one for you.
CrossStitcher
$2 – $6 per month; digital and print
Currently the second most popular cross stitch magazine out there, but on the rise, CrossStitcher focuses on modern cross stitch. The contemporary, bright, bold designs are better suited to a 16-50 age bracket, with great finishing ideas, and loads of freebies every issue. Its also the only magazine to offer a digital only option, which at $2 is a steal in itself, although with a physical copy for only $6 it might be worth getting that, as you get the digital copy for free.
Many prominent artists have been featured, including myself back in 2012, 2013 and 2015
Score 9.4/10
Full CrossStitcher review
The World Of Cross Stitching
$6 – $12 per month; digital and print
The World of Cross Stitching (or TWOCS as its sometimes known) is the longest running cross stitching magazine in world wide production, and you can see why quite quickly; its very mainstream. If this is what you’re looking for then its a great magazine, full of patterns, and the largest in size on the list. It plays up on being British for the American market, and so as a Brit you might find it a little unrealistic, but it has lots of other animal, teddy, flower, heart, etc based patterns. They theme on seasons heavily, to the point where every issue is a holiday of some kind. They include free items, but these tend to be knickknacks and not pattern stitching items, however they do include waste canvas often, which can be hard to get your hands on. In recent years its started to struggle as people have moved to other magazines on the list, however still commands a massive following.
Score 9.2/10
Full The World Of Cross Stitching review
Cross Stitch Crazy
$12 – $14 per month; print only
Cross Stitch Crazy is a very similar magazine to The World Of Cross Stitching, however tends to appeal to the English market better, with less American holidays, less playing up to being British and more kit giveaways. However, its main draw back, which people are very vocal about is its Christmas period. For the three months leading, all the magazines are devoted to Christmas. This tends to get on people’s nerves a bit. Other than that, its a good magazine, but it might be worth a flick through before buying each month as its a bit hit and miss.
Score 8.3/10
Cross Stitch Gold
$7 – $9 per month; print only
Cross Stitch Gold appeals to the established stitcher, with sometimes VERY complex and large patterns, focuses towards traditional. All the patterns are from established designers, such as Joan Elliott, and most of the projects will take you more than a month to finish. There are no freebies, and most patterns are focused on landscapes, portraits, houses, fairies, samurai, etc much like traditional cross stitch patterns.
Score 8.0/10
Cross Stitch Favourites
$5 – $8 per quarter; print only
A new comer to the cross stitch magazine scene, its demographic is hard to pin down. Almost every cover has “cute” written on it in large, and patterns tend to side with teddy bears and baby congratulations. Its only been going a year, and doesn’t theme for seasons, but barely comes with any free gifts, and never includes enough to make a pattern from the mag.
Score 6.1/10
Enjoy Cross Stitch
$11 – $14 per month; print only
Enjoy Cross Stitch Magazine is a new magazine, out less than a year, and clearly aimed at getting young girls into cross stitch. The patterns are all very easy, oriented towards pink, and the magazine comes with enough included to get at least 3 patterns made. Each magazine is themed, but never seasonal. However, of all the magazines on the list, its the only one that has a lot of “other” magazine content. You’re likely to find interviews with popular artists, snippets from books, and quizzes not related to cross stitch.
Score 4.9/10
XStitch
$7 per quarter
Made by MrXStitch this kickstarter based magazine was created as a direct opposite to the girly magazines the scene is full of. Its simple message, is bringing cross stitch up to date, with very modern patterns, and features that a lot of magazines don’t have; such as everyone gets print and online versions, with larger patterns to see better, a podcast of songs to go with all the patterns, a online community for further support and showing off, etc. Unlike the rest of the entries on the list XStitch is not full of patterns by one main designer, but instead each issue has 12 different designers from around the world (including people like Jane Greenoff and myself), specifically chosen for the themes, which are must more radical than the usual.
Score 9.9/10
Just Cross Stitch
$7 per month; print only; USA only
The only US only magazine on the list, Just Cross Stitch has been going just over 30 years, and has had a bit of a rocky start since it was sold last year. The patterns are sometimes inspired, but can occasionally look tired. It has a modern design, and most patterns follow this ideal, and it features lesser known internet cross stitch celebrities. Its big pull is the Christmas ornament issue (not to be confused with the Christmas issue coming out the month after), which includes a large supply of free things, and features nothing but unique ways to make cross stitch ornaments. Its worth looking into if you’re US based, but they currently don’t have any plans to supply the rest of the world.
Score 7.6/10
The World Of Cross Stitching Magazine Review
On our series covering the best cross stitch magazines we review the biggest world wide cross stitch magazine, The World Of Cross Stitching.
To do this review we’ve compiled a series of reviews from industry leaders, as well as feefo reviews and at least a year of continuous subscription to the mag.
When people think of cross stitch magazines, the first one they think of is The World Of Cross Stitching. Its one of the longest running magazines and has over 44,000 monthly readers, making it the largest international cross stitching magazine. As a result when flicking through, you see mainstream patterns; tailored to make sure they’re are as accessable as possible. Whilst this can appeal to an average cross stitcher, the younger or male cross stitchers tend to feel very underwhelmed by the teddy, flower and heart patterns that adorn most issues.
The teddy was just so cute, it even got my daughter into cross stitching!
In regards to the content itself, almost all of the patterns are by the four editors/designers who aren’t known for being big players in the field. At least 20% of the magazine is devoted to full page adverts for various companies. The patterns themselves are mostly small (under 5 hours stitching time), with one 24+ hour piece in each issue.
Its market share shows that cross stitch clearly isn’t on they way out, however with its slightly over played British vibe and traditional patterns, its lost market share recently to alternatives like the CrossStitcher which appeals to a younger crowd.
$6 – $12 per month; digital and print
| ✓ Loads of patterns ✓ Lots of mainstream patterns ✓ Large readership | ╳ Not many modern patterns ╳ Expensive outside of the UK ╳ Not many freebies |
Score: 9.2/10
17213 reviews on feefo
If you liked this review, or are looking for something similar you might like our review of the CrossStitcher, or a quick review of the biggest cross stitch magazines.
CrossStitcher Magazine Review
On our series covering the best cross stitch magazines we review the more modern cross stitch magazine, CrossStitcher.
To do this review we’ve compiled a series of reviews from industry leaders, as well as feefo reviews and at least a year of continuous subscription to the mag.
As the main competitor to The World Of Cross Stitching magazine, the CrossStitcher takes a different angle to the world of cross stitch, with a much more modern take. The patterns are modern, and feature unique ways of finishing stitches, framing, and witty new takes, which allows it to be the main cross stitch magazine for the younger and more modern crowd. They tend to vary patterns inside from 60-90 equally spaced between small, medium, and large patterns. Unlike many other magazines they tend to advertise using actual content, suggesting a site to get a frame, etc instead of full page adverts.
If you like very modern and contemporary designs then that’s probably your best bet. They use lots of bright, bold colours, fun finishing ideas etc
They are also well known for the free stuff you get, allowing you to at least complete 2 patterns each issue with the freebies provided, although it should be noted the freebies aren’t the highest quality. Its by far the cheapest magazine on offer at the moment, and there are no high fees to pay for postage, especially so with the digital versions.
The ability to be modern and constantly on the cutting edge is how the patterns are sourced; they ask big players in the cross stitch field such as MrXStitch, Maria Diaz, flossandmischief, Jacqui P, Emily Peacock, and Jane Greenoff (founder of the Cross Stitch Guild) to supply patterns.
$2 – $6 per month; digital and print
| ✓ Loads of patterns ✓ Lots of mainstream patterns ✓ Large readership | ╳ Not many modern patterns ╳ Expensive outside of the UK ╳ Not many freebies |
Score: 9.4/10
16421 reviews on feefo
If you liked this review, or are looking for something similar you might like our review of The World Of Cross Stitching, or a quick review of the biggest cross stitch magazines.
3 Ways Cross Stitch Helps Me Destress and Keep My Sanity
Today we have an awesome post by KathleenCG who’s giving us an insight on keeping stress free with cross stitch 😀
In times where I am stressed, I’m glad that I took up cross stitching as a hobby. Everyone has their own ways of dealing with stress – exercise, writing, spa day, etc. For me, it’s cross stitch. I’ve been doing cross stitch for just over a year now. It has become a bit of a escape for me, as I’m able to submerge myself in it and forget my troubles. Read on for the ways cross stitch helps me keep my stress levels low.
Cross stitch keeps me focused
With cross stitch, there are many variables that come into play. From figuring out the pattern to counting how many squares you need to stitch, you need to make sure you’re paying attention at every step. It can be very easy to make a mistake. I like to take my time when I stitch. By keeping focused, my attention to detail has grown pretty greatly. I’d rather get it right the first time than have to restart everything all over again. See my tips for cross stitch do’s and don’ts here.
It keeps me distracted
Similar to keeping focused, cross stitch helps distract me from whatever I have going on in my life. I look forward to being able to sit and cross stitch at the end of my day. Cross stitch is a top ‘downtime’ activity for me. Usually I like to catch up on some TV shows while I stitch. Between those two activities, I don’t have much space to think about anything else because I’m focused on finishing the project at hand. I also find that watching TV while I stitch helps me work faster.
It makes me feel accomplished
There’s nothing cooler than sitting back and looking at what you’ve made. You spend hours, days, sometimes weeks on projects that seem never ending. But when you’re done, you can’t help but get the sense of accomplishment. The stress seems to disappear when you look at what you’ve finished and think, “Wow, I made this all by myself.” I love this feeling because it makes me feel proud of myself. It’s a great self-esteem booster and I find it pulls me out of a rut whenever I’m feeling down or stressed.
Above all, cross stitch helps me out the most because I love doing it. There’s no better way to de-stress than to do something that you thoroughly enjoy doing.
Which Cross Stitch Frame Is Best?
One of the first things any cross stitcher gets is a frame, and as they develop their craft, they start looking at other options. We show the best frames out there, with detailed pros and cons so you can pick the right frame for your project, if you’re looking for a way to cross stitch faster or finish your project in a frame.
Embroidery Hoops
Embroidery hoops are probably the first types of frame any stitcher gets. They come in multiple sizes, they’re cheap, and they can be left in the hoop for as long as you like (even for framing). However, the very fact that you’re reading this post probably suggest you don’t want to stick with one. They’re a bit clunky, hard to hold, and can’t accommodate large stitches.
However, before we move on, there are loads of types of hoops that might help. Whilst most start with wooden hoops, that can be quite heavy, plastic ones are far lighter, and whilst not as strong, are much easier on the wrist.
✓ Cheap
✓ Can finish the piece in one
✓ Come in varying sizes
╳ Hard to hold
╳ Need to keep buying different sizes
╳ Cannot use for medium/large pieces
Spring Tension Hoops
Basically a standard embroidery hoop, but instead of an internal wooden ring, they have a wire you slot in. They have a nice and easy install, however they don’t have as strong of a pull than the wooden kind. They also tend to come in a little more expensive too.
✓ Mostly cheap
✓ Super easy to set up
✓ Come in varying sizes
╳ Hard to hold
╳ Need to keep buying different sizes
╳ Cannot use for medium/large pieces
Scroll Frames
And so scroll frames were invented! Solving all the problems an embroidery hoop has (even if they cause some others) scroll frames are the go to frame type for anyone moving on from a hoop. They allow you to sew/tape/staple in your aida and you can stitch to your hearts content. There are a few draw backs though; they’re heavy, really heavy, however you can attach them onto holders so you don’t have to hold them. In addition they’re quite expensive, and due to having to sew in your projects, wear quite quick. You also need to loosen the frame when you’re not stitching to stop it pulling unevenly. And finally, you have to attach them to the frame, either by stitching them on, tape or stapling, which pulls at the edges of the aida and takes forever to set up.
✓ Come in hundreds of sizes
✓ Perfect for large/extra large pieces
╳ Heavy
╳ Quite expensive
╳ Cannot “hold” stitch
Easy Clip Frames
So if you read the above review, the main issue with scroll frames comes from the fact that you have to stitch them in. However with an easy clip frame you instead clip the aida in, solving all these problems. Sure, scroll frames, even easy clip are heavy, but they hold the aida tight when not stitching, they don’t wear, and they’re just as versatile. Most serious cross stitchers move onto an easy clip frame sooner or later, they’re the best long term investment.
As an update to my original post, you can now get plastic easy clip frames that are much lighter.
✓ Come in hundreds of sizes
✓ Perfect for large/extra large pieces
✓ Best long term price investment
╳ Heavy
Bar Frames
Speaking of long term investments, bar frames are sold as exactly that. They’re sold in 4 to 6 inch bars which clip together to allow you to extend the size of your stitching area. It means that instead of having to buy progressively larger and larger frames, you can just add a few cheap bars. However, this does come with a few draw backs. Firstly, they’re not light, although still lighter than scroll frames (although the plastic ones are lighter). Secondly they’re really bad at holding large pieces, the plastic variety is even worse at this. Thirdly, you can’t hold your aida in one when not stitching, they warp the shape due to being square frames; which is a real problem baring in mind you have to staple your aida in.
✓ Much cheaper long term than other frames
╳ Quite heavy
╳ Cannot “hold” stitch
╳ Cannot use for very large pieces
Grip-n-Stitch
This is a new type of frame, made to try and combine all the above frames into one super frame. I’ve tried them a few times, and whilst they do live up to a bit of the hype, I still find myself going back to a easy clip frame. They’re made up in a similar way to a bar frame, but made of a special interlocking rigid plastic so it holds large pieces better. In addition you then clip in spikes to the edges to hold the aida. You’re meant to wet the aida pull it across and it holds the aida perfectly, which does work VERY well, especially the tension it holds, however it requires at least 30 minutes of building, then getting your aida all wet before you can put it together, and then a further 4-8 hours to let your aida dry completely before you can use it. They also have a “Grip-n-Frame” product too, which allows for fantastic framing of finished pieces.
✓ Cheap
✓ Light
✓ Perfect for small/medium pieces
╳ Cannot “hold” stitch
╳ Can be uncomfortable to hold
╳ Takes hours to set up each time
Universal Craft Frame
Unlike the rest of the reviewed frames, this one you can create at home. Simply put, its a series of PVC pipes. You can buy kits to make your job slightly easier, however its adaptability is the real seller here. You can swap out lengths for shorter or longer pieces depending on what you’re stitching, and you can very easily put your project into the frame. They tend to loose their hold so you need to put them back in each time you stitch, however it takes seconds. They don’t pucker or flatten the area stitched areas, and they’re lightweight. The only one downside is as the projects get larger, it can get a little unwieldy.
✓ Cheap
✓ Light
✓ Perfect for small/medium pieces
╳ Cannot “hold” stitch
╳ Not suitable for larger projects