If you choose to wash your cross stitch there is a need to dry it. This drying gives you a chance to block out your cross stitch (or pinning as its sometimes called) and ensures no stretching, warping, or folds can be seen in your finished project. But it also sucks. You have to get our your rulers, find a suitable surface to do it on, stretch and pin always trying to keep it straight, not really being sure if you’re actually putting a warp in it or not.
 
But there is an alternative. And its from the world of quilting.

Why its great

Let’s start by saying what we’re talking about is a fancy foam cushion. At first, that seems a little… well, a little worthless. But its no ordinary foam cushion! Made from a tough fabric it allows you to pin, pin, and pin again without damaging it. For a sheer length of use this gives it, its already a serious contender, however, its build quality really isn’t the star feature.
 
The board has a blocking pattern printed on it showing you a series of straight lines, at right angles, meaning no more rulers, no more “is that straight?” moments. You can simply throw down your work and know that it’ll be pinned down in a nice orderly, warp free way. But that’s also not its star feature.
 
So what’s the star feature? You can iron it. Yes, directly on it. This has two massive advantages. Firstly, you can iron on your cross stitch, while its pinned, meaning no accidental ironing in of creases (we’ve all been there), but also, you don’t have to get the ironing board out.

Is it worth getting?

Well…maybe. I’m a great lover, and it’s a great product for sure, however, that doesn’t mean you should go out right now and buy one. There are two fairly large issues we also need to discuss.
 
Firstly, is the size. Whilst the 14” x 20” grid is plenty big enough for a lot of projects, it’s not for all projects. If you solely stitch smaller things, then it’s great, but with the alternative being something like foam floor mats, which you can connect together to make frankly massive areas, you might be better off investing in the mats.
Secondly is the cost, or should I say high cost? One of these will set you back about $45. As previously mentioned, the go-to alternative is foam floor mats, even if you get fancy here and add in a long ruler, a center finding ruler and a few right angles, you’re only going to hit half of that cost.
 
But, it does have its benefits. So if you have the money, I would think about getting one. But I’d still not consider it a wonder product you must go out and get. In fact, I still use floor mats. Whilst they aren’t as fancy and don’t have a nice pattern on them to ensure I’m always pinning them squarely, I’m used to them. I also stitch ever-increasing large cross stitches, so the adaptability of floor mats that can connect together means I’m always going to pull out the mats.
 
Happy stitching!
Lord Libidan

I tend not to review books. Most books are produced to a similar standard, and the themes are very personal; you’re either going to be interested or not interested. Of these books, the ones in particular that I always steer away from are sarky statements; most of these books are exactly the same, with riffs on the new home sweet home sampler “please don’t do coke in the bathroom”.
But today I’m going to break my rule; I’m going to review a book; and a sarky one at that! But stay with me, as there is a good reason to!

What Does It Include?

So Why Are You Reviewing It?

The vast majority of cross stitch sarky books contain a basic premise; a simple quote in a nice cross stitch font with a flowery border. Does it have them? Well, it has one. In a 30 pattern book. You see, the remaining 29 patterns are what really sell this book.
 
Taking smart quips and adding them to aid is pretty simple but the real power of this book is the way they’ve been added. Instead of a boring frame, they’ve been grafted on the side of a cactus, added to the front of a packet of pants, punched out of a magazine, lit up in neon and put on a poster.
These patterns go further than just the normal everyday sarky patterns. They’re truly designed perfectly in ways that simply aren’t seen anywhere else. When was the last time you saw a neon cross stitch pattern?
 
For me, the greatest thing this book has to offer is its blueprints. By that I mean it gives you everything you need to create a stunning pattern in the future using the styles in this book. It isn’t just a bunch of patterns, it’s a bunch of ideas.
 
But that would actually be a little unfair of a review for this book. It is filled with sarky patterns, all aching to be the new “please don’t do coke in the bathroom”, with clever touches that riff off expected clichés, and subvert your understanding of what they might be. This is what subversive cross stitch really is.
 

Is It Really That Good Though?

Yes. And just to prove it, I want to let you into a little secret; my neon cross stitch was heavily inspired by the one in this book (in fact, I stole their colors). I had already made a design that was…meh, but the style of the one in the book made me totally redesign it, and even steal the colors! That’s just how much I love it. It literally changed the pattern idea I had, and made me make something great.
 

“Tara and Roy definitely deserve a high-five for their brilliant execution of a stitched neon sign AND their understanding of where french fries fall on the priority list! A Bitch in Time lets you take a nice, constructive stabbing break anytime too much becomes WAY too much!”
Haley Pierson-Cox, author of Improper Cross-Stitch, Cross Stitch The Golden Girls, and Feminist Stitches

So Is It Worth Getting?

Yes. It’s been a long time since I got a cross stitch book that I truly admired, but this is one.
 
If you’re interested in sarky stitches, it’s great; it has them, and mostly of the ruder kind. But even if you’re not interested in that (like me), it’s still a great book for what it can teach you about design. Not only did it totally change a pattern idea I had, but there’s another pattern that I’m thinking about too. For me, it’s a great book!
 
Digital copies are $24/£18and hard copies are $30/£23.

In the past, I’ve looked into two of the biggest online platforms in the cross stitch world and asked the questions is Etsy good for the cross stitch world? and is AliExpress both saving and ruining cross stitch, but the biggest thing about both of those sites is they both charge for things.
 
However, for almost a decade there has been another player in the cross stitch world which is all about giving things away for free, but also one that struggles with its own issues.
Today we ask the question; is Pinterest bad for the cross stitch world?

What is Pinterest?

The fact of the matter is that Pinterest, for good or bad, is a collection of images. These images come from all over the internet and are collected by anyone who wants to. What makes this slightly more interesting than say, Google Images, is that Pinterest has ‘boards’ you can create. Smaller collections with specific pins YOU want to add.
 
These boards get very, very specific.
Cross stitch patterns? Yep.
Cross stitch patterns of video games? Yep.
Cross stitch patterns of video games from the 80s? Yep.
Cross stitch patterns of video games from the 80s, only tabletop arcades, only male characters and from only one Japan-specific brand? Yep. It has 500 patterns in it.
These boards, despite how specific they are, still have loads of patterns and inspiration.

Good – Inspiration

There sheer volume of content on Pinterest is its best quality in my mind. Not only are there cross stitch and pixel art-related things, but general art too, meaning its perfect for spiking your interest in something new. That’s why we named Pinterest as one of the best places to get cross stitch inspiration.
 

Good – Free Patterns

Let me start with a small caveat here; free patterns that are legally free. This will be important later, but for now, let’s just look at the positives.
 
There are free patterns all over the internet. These might be from well-known designers, up-and-coming designers, or just someone drawing a pattern on paper. The sad thing is that unless those images are hosted on sites with good SEO, Google will never show them to you. This is where Pinterest really shines. Cross stitch patterns are filling up boards at a matter of rates, and most are from the deepest corners of the internet that don’t get any exposure.
 
One of the biggest areas that benefit from this is cross stitch fonts. We’ve spoken in the past about how hard to get hold of they are, and we even offer free cross stitch fonts and alphabets to help, but you might want more options. These images aren’t normally well-tailored to appear on Google, so are often overlooked. But thanks to Pinterest, there are loads of them. In fact, we even suggest Pinterest as one of the best places to get cross stitch alphabets and fonts.

Bad – Copyright

This, sadly, is where the problems start creeping in though. Those free patterns? Aren’t all that they seem. Copyright in cross stitch is a fairly large issue, and sadly, is the biggest detractor from an otherwise great platform.
 
The reason we looked into Pinterest was actually a whole series of Facebook followers approaching us to inform us of how many patterns had copyright issues. And so we looked into it.
We took 500 boards, and took the first 100 pins from each (50,000 total images) and traced every single pattern back to its source.
 

• 5% We just couldn’t find the source of. These were mostly out print patterns from pre-copyright days.
• 45% We’re completely copyright free.
• 5% We’re from recognised designers or sold on Etsy.
• 45% Had permission issues but weren’t necessarily a copyright issue.

 
Copyright is an odd beast, and we should state that whilst it looks like 50% is fine and 50% have issues, this isn’t actually as cut and dry as it looks.
 
The 5% that were from recognized designers are an issue, for sure. However, Pinterest has a solution for this. As a designer, you can report them. I’ve even had issues of this in the past on my transforming robot cross stitch pattern, and to be fair to Pinterest, they took down the pins within seconds. But my patterns had the included copyright information on them, most don’t.
This also doesn’t look into the issue of how you, a user are meant to know if they’re copyrighted or not.
 
But it’s the 45% that have ‘some’ issues that are the real issue. Copyright only really applies if someone is trying to profit from it. Etsy sells patterns, getting them in hot water, but Pinterest is free. This is where the grey area of copyright exists. In our opinion, you should care about copyright in cross stitch, and you should know to spot the issues. But we also know this is a rose-tinted glasses way of looking at the world.
These patterns have copyright issues, such as using Disney characters, but they aren’t able to be taken down as no one is profiting (Pinterest technically makes money off adverts, but this doesn’t count). But does that mean you should stitch them?

The Verdict

As with all of these posts, finding a verdict isn’t as easy as we’d like. Pinterest is a fantastic resource for inspiration, and it has loads of genuinely free patterns, including many lost to time, meaning it’s a great place to go. However, it does have a dark underbelly.
 
It is annoying for designers, but with Pinterest’s copyright claim function, the 5% are OK as far as we’re concerned. You should be checking things like Pinterest as a designer (it’s tough, but part of the business). But that 45% of patterns that aren’t easy to take down do have issues. But overall, if you follow the rules of finding a quality cross stitch pattern, Pinterest is good for the cross stitch world.
 
Happy stitching!
Lord Libidan

When it comes to reviewing cross stitch tools, normally it’s something made specifically for the industry. Sometimes we might happen to cross into the realms of needlecraft in general, but its rare for a tool to cross into the medical sphere. That was until I happened upon curved tipped scissors, which are my goto tool for frogging. However, I expected that to be the only one. Turns out, there is another medical tool that is perfect for cross stitching.

Finger gloves sure look funny. They’re somewhat like a thimble but go over your finger a little better. I’ve been asked about them a few times, but it wasn’t until I received an email from a reader who was stitching with silks for the first time that I recommended finger gloves myself!
The fact is, these weird-looking (and weird feeling) gloves are actually a really great addition to your stitching.

Get A Grip

The first thing that grabs me when talking about finger gloves is how handy they are at gripping. We all know that stitching with threads like metallics can be hard and whilst there are many ways to make things easier like thread conditioners you still need a lot of grip on your needle.
 
Finger gloves come with little bobbles on the tips, and thanks to their latex material, grab onto things well. I’m personally always looking to make annoying threads easier to use!

Keep It Clean

The second advantage of finger gloves is cleanliness. Sure, we can wash our cross stitch, but if you’re using something like silks or DMC satin threads, washing both isn’t as effective, and isn’t as easy. Using finger gloves on these heirloom projects gives another layer of protection to your work, whilst not restricting your hands in any way.

No More Pricked Fingers

Another great advantage of finger gloves is that, much like their heftier thimble brothers, they protect you from pricking your finger. And as much as I think needle injuries are part of the sport of cross stitch, a little protection goes a long way!
Whereas a thimble is hard and doesn’t sit on your fingertip easily, these finger gloves do!

So When Should You Use Them?

So when should you bother with these things? Well, that’s up to you, and honestly, I don’t wear them all the time either, so you really do need to make your own choice.
 
However, when using hard to manage threads like metallics they’re a great hand. When stitching with fancy threads like silks or DMC satins they keep everything clean. However, you can pick up 100 of these things up for a few dollars and have enough to wear day in day out. So why not give them a try?
 
Happy stitching!
Lord Libidan

I was recently contacted by a reader and she asked a simple question that I honestly wasn’t sure how to answer. “Is it worth using silk threads for a heritage project?”
 
I’ve known of both silk and stain threads (DMCs answer to silk threads, that are actually cotton) for a long time, but I only recently got my hands on them when I was completing my journey to owning all of the DMC embroidery threads. I started asking around, and my story was somewhat the common theme; everyone knew about them but didn’t use them.
 
So I picked up my needles, tested them out, and today, we’ll deep dive into these rate threads, and ask if you should use them too.

Luster

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of silks is their luster or shininess. And the thought is 100% founded. These things are really shiny, and they ooze quality. However, as much as I tried to photograph them, I just couldn’t get the shine to show. I then tried framing the work and realized that once again, it lost its shine. Annoyingly, the shine only really works if the fabric is moving (or the light source).
 
Whilst I loved the look when it was in my hands, the shine disappears unless it’s handled. For me, this is a big thing. Why would you go through the effort, and cost of using silks or satin threads to lose the main selling feature by putting it up on the wall? If you’re going to sew on something like a throw, yes, 100% worth it, but for something framed? It’s just not worth it.

Price

So that said, let’s also talk about the biggest negative about these threads; price. The price of DMC threads varies massively anyway, but their satin range is twice the price for most. Then the actual silk threads are up to 4 times as much (although the price for different brands varies). So is it worth it?
 
I honestly think so. Yes, the price is high, and there are further issues which we’ll get to in a minute, but you don’t use silks all the time. It’s for those specific projects, those projects you want to use the best of the best for. The things that you want to last for decades. As an everyday thread, they aren’t going to win prizes for their cost, and the benefits are massively outweighed by their flaws, but for those special times; it’s worth it.

Availability

The next thing you need to think about is the availability, and in turn, range. In the DMC satins range, there are only 36 colors, a significant difference from the 500 standard cottons, so you’ll have to pick your pattern and colors carefully. For brands other than DMC, ranges vary, but many only stock less than 30 colors, and just like mixing normal thread brands; we advise mixing and matching.
Then, is getting your hands on them. Yes, most of the best online cross stitch stores have them, but finding them in stores can be a tough ask.

Care & Sew Quality

Finally, what about care? Turns out most silks and satin threads can put up with a lot of washing, but they tend to be weaker than cotton threads. This leads to both broken threads whilst stitching, but also damage to well-worn stitches. You do need to take a little more care than your normal stitches.

So, When Should You Use Them?

Now we have our analysis out of the way, when should you use them?
This, as ever, is a personal choice, but for us, it’s only those special projects that get silks and satins. Even then, picking specific projects that don’t have too many colors, gets handled, and aren’t subject to too much dirt. That seems like a pretty small list, but any heritage project, like throws and pillows, is perfect. You touch them, so the luster shows, you don’t put them through too much wear, and you keep them for decades.
 
But, we sent a few samples out to our stitchy readers and asked them for their feedback. It turns out, that silks and satins are a bit hit and miss. I personally fall in that middle group of “OK-ers”. So we suggest next time you see some, pick up a single skein. Just throw some cross stitches down and see how it feels. Maybe you’re a lover, maybe you’re a hater, or maybe you’re a bit like me.
 
Happy stitching!
Lord Libidan

There aren’t many items that I would say that you need to have. At a push, I would say you probably you need to have a good pair of scissors, but there is one other item I would suggest for every cross stitcher. A tracing pad.

Light

First up is the obvious advantage of a light pad; it gives you more light. Most cross stitchers do try to light their areas up as much as possible, and with more and more people looking at getting a daylight bulb for their cross stitch (which can cost a lot more than you realize) people overlook the more practical options. A tracing pad can either sit on your table, or lap, without getting hot, and provide targeted light right at your work.
In addition, any extra light you can muster will always help you keep your eyesight while cross stitching.

Working with Black fabric

Another advantage of the pad is actually the type of light that it brings, specifically from below. We suggested tracing pads back when we wrote about how to cross stitch with black fabric and it’s still our go-to option. Due to the backlighting, it lights up all the holes in your fabric showing you exactly where to place the needle.

Pattern Making

But what about less obvious advantages? Pattern making. Now, exactly how it will help you here depends on how you make patterns, so I’ve broken this one out.
 
Paper pattern makers – If you choose to make patterns on paper rather than a digital way, a tracing pad allows you to make patterns MUCH easier. Thanks to its original tracing pad purpose you open your world up to being able to make a pattern out of anything!
 
Everyone – This one is my personal bugbear; picking colors is hard. Whilst cross stitch pattern software does a good job at picking colors, there is nothing quite like your own eye. That’s one reason why we’re a fan of using a DMC color card but picking accurate colors depends on a good light source.

Health

We’ve already lightly touched on keeping your eyes healthy, however, a tracing pad also helps with back issues too. It’s actually really easy to get back issues when cross stitching, mostly thanks to the posture we take to get light. However uplighting means you tend not to slouch in your chair causing some of the most problematic issues.

The Little things

And finally, we come to the little things. The things that whilst the tracing pad doesn’t help with directly, having it there greatly improves.
 
Threading your needle – Threading needles can be a pain for some people, and even with the best needle threaders or self-threading needles it can still be hard for some. But the addition of a light source that you can use to help you see the thread, but not blind you in the process, it a great thing.
 
Frogging – Let’s face it, frogging sucks, even with scissors that make frogging easier anything helps. The light pad allows you to light your area up much more, and see those pesky threads to rip.
 
Happy stitching!
Lord Libidan

I love a random tool I didn’t know I needed but ends up being the best thing since sliced bread. Odds are, you probably do to, which is why I’ve reviewed everything from cross stitch travel scissors to cross stitch identification cards and scissors that make frogging easy. However, all of those have something in common; they’re all tools for cross stitch. Today, I want to review a tool that is a fantastic addition to a cross stitchers arsenal, but one that wasn’t make for cross stitch; one that was made for woodwork.

The Center Finding Ruler

It’s not often that the worlds of cross stitch combine with the worlds of any heavy production and tooling, but quality woodwork is all about finesse, something every cross stitcher can relate to. Sadly, due to the nature of both, tools can rarely be shared, but this one can. Enter the world of a center finding ruler.
This little baby can be metal (and usually is for woodwork) but also comes in a handy floppy clear plastic. It works like a ruler, but the zero is right in the center, meaning you can measure out, and find the center of anything your measuring.

So why would I want one?

In a word; to find the center. Cleverly named product, right? But seriously, finding the center of your fabric is something everyone does when starting a new project, and the ruler is a great alternative to the typical folding technique (or the less clever, guesstimate technique). However, it’s not just an alternative. I would argue, it’s superior.
 
I like the folding technique, it’s simple and it gets the job done, but there’s one thing that really annoys me about it. The folds stay there, especially if you’re using a stiff aida. Now I know I could just iron it once finshed but sometimes this just doesn’t get them out, especially if they’ve been folded a long time (which is why you should store your fabric in tubes). You can push down harder, but no one wants to damage their work, and there are people that don’t wash or iron their cross stitch at all.
 
And so, a simple ruler comes to the rescue. Instead of folding your fabric, just place the ruler on, measure and you have the perfect center, without any folds or marks.

Where to get one

As its a non-cross stitch product, the best place to pick one of these up is Amazon, where they go for about $4. As I said earlier, I would get the floppy clear kind as it hugs the fabric better and means you can work with weird geometries if you have any.