All About Cross Stitch Hoops

One of the tools that I consider essential for most cross stitchers is an embroidery hoop, but I know it’s not really essential.

A lot of the stitching I have been doing lately has been on really small projects where I feel like having a hoop involved would just get in the way and make the project take longer. (Of course having a small hoop to work in would eliminate that problem, but I just saved myself a trip to the store.)

Hoops are great for holding the fabric flat and at a good tension that makes stitching easier, especially when you’re working on a big project. They can be good for beginners especially because they give you a little more stability that can be comforting.

But I feel like it’s also becoming more popular for people to do what’s called stitching in hand, which is just what it sounds like. Instead of using a hoop you hold the project in your hand to stitch. This gives the stitcher more flexibility and control and is good if you like to move around the fabric rather than stitching one section of the project at a time.

If you want to know more about stitching in hand or what kinds of hoops you should consider if you don’t want to work that way, check out this post from the Fat Quarter Shop blog. It’s got links to videos that talk about these issues maybe in more depth than you’ve ever considered them before.

At the beginning of the year it’s great to think about the way you do things and whether there might be a different and possibly better way to try. If you’ve never stitched without a hoop before (or if you’ve never stitched with a hoop!) maybe it’s time to try the other way and see if you like it.

If you have a strong preference for hoops or for stitching in hand, I’d love to hear why you work the way you do!

[Photo: Fat Quarter Shop]

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How to Railroad Your Cross Stitch

Natalka Studio is an Etsy shop based in Ukraine with a wide variety of cross stitch designs, including realistic, detailed designs with women doing various things, holiday patterns, geometrics and more.

One of the biggest categories in the shop is called girl cross stitch, which features detailed designs of women with flowing hair doing things like drinking coffee, dancing and carrying flowers. There are seasonal projects in this category as well as a couple having to do with hobbies.

I like the knitting one, of course, and almost shared the sewing one as the featured pattern above until I realized the thread is coming off a cone on the floor and there’s no pedal for running the machine.

The one I am sharing here isn’t actually in that category but it is really cute. Little Girl with Watermelon uses 21 colors and measures 73 by 73 stitches. That’s 5.21 inches or 13.3 cm square if you work it on 14 count fabric. I love her messy hair and the little dress and matching bows. You could also change the colors if you have a little girl who isn’t as into pink (or doesn’t have brown hair).

The largest category on the page is animals, and there you will find wild animals like monkeys, pandas and sloths; ocean creatures such as rays, an octopus and a blue tang fish; frogs, dogs and geese, among others.

There are also a lot of Christmas cross stitch patterns, which include a lot of traditional motifs and some more whimsical themes. I like this one of Santa resting by the fire with his boots off.

In addition to all these you’ll find pretty flowers, a bunch of mostly floral bookmarks, a whole big set of patterns with lemons, and a lot more. The fruits and berries section (if you like fruits other than lemons) would be perfect for decorating your kitchen or breakfast area.

Check out all the great patterns they have to offer at Natalka Studio on Etsy.

[Photo: Natalka Studio]

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