Hoop-di-do Cross Stitch Gift Ideas

This week I have been posting about stocking stuffer ideas for stitchers. Of course, if you aren’t shopping for many stitchers this year, you can always add them to your wish list and leave it about for those who shop for YOU to find!

This item is one of my favorites. The Clover hoop, which comes in size small, which is 4 3/4 inches and size large, which is 7 inches. I personally started out with the smaller size and added the larger size to my collection recently. These hoops were designed for embroidery, so they hold the fabric snugly with a lip. There’s also this lovely feature – the hoop tightener is designed so that it doesn’t catch the floss.

These hoops are very sturdy, they are plastic so they are easily cleaned and don’t leave hoop marks like wooden hoops. I highly recommend the hoops and they are what I personally use. In case you wonder – I have no personal connection with Clover and I purchased both hoops and did not receive them for review.

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Clover Cross Stitch Patterns

If you like seasonal samplers and cross stitch patterns with a primitive twist, you’ll enjoy the collection from Curious Carrie Designs.

You’ll find alphabet designs, biscornu, patriotic projects and more. The summer category is the largest on the storefront, with Americana and floral designs. There are also categories for the other seasons and more general designs.

One of my favorites is this pretty sunflower cross stitch pattern, which is shown styled as a biscornu but it wouldn’t have to be. The pattern features sunflowers and bees and a little beehive. It uses 12 colors of floss and each side of the pattern is 51 by 51 stitches, which comes out to 3.64 inches or 9.2 cm square.

I love the fabric she used for the sample, which she actually dyed purple herself, but it would also be pretty on a purchased light blue or other color if you don’t want to dye your own.

There’s also a whole set of themed biscornu with a four letter word on one side (crow, home, love and snow, to name a few) along with a seasonal pattern on the other side.

The shop has a rather small selection at around 90 patterns as of this writing, but it’s a nice collection of traditional looking designs heavy on samplers and biscornu designs, so if those are things you like you’ll want to be sure to check it out. Visit Curious Carrie Designs on Etsy to see all her pretty designs.

Are you a designer or do you have a favorite cross stitch designer who hasn’t made it into the spotlight yet? (You can see all the featured designers in the craft businesses category on the page.) Let me know in the comments, or you can submit more detailed information by clicking on “suggest a craft” at the center top of the page.

[Photo: Curious Carrie Designs]

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