Cross Stitch Patterns with Homespun Elegance

I’ve been choosing cross stitch pattern designers kind of at random to feature here from a list I found online, but it seems like a lot of the ones I’ve been choosing feature a lot of designs with a historic bent.

Homespun Elegance on Etsy has a collection of samplers, historic-inspired designs and projects with an old-fashioned look. Many of the patterns have the option of downloading PDFs of the charts or getting a paper pattern shipped to you, so if you’re shopping make sure you choose the format you prefer (they are separate listings).

One of my favorites is The Stitcher, which is pictured here. It’s a cross stitch sampler with a woman stitching as part of the design. This one is worked on amber cross stitch fabric to give it that aged look, and its shown in a 6 by 9 inch frame with some added embellishments like buttons and a little pair of scissors. You can embellish your project with whatever buttons you have in your stash, or you can leave it plain.

The site includes projects that are framed, pillows and other small designs. There are reproduction samplers, Christmas and Halloween patterns, patriotic and summer designs, Valentine’s Day and love projects and more.

In addition to the cross stitch patterns, the designer also sells punch needle and sewing patterns, frames and other notions such as buttons, charms, trim and other findings you can use to embellish your projects. Items are shipped from Virginia. These little bits and bobs are sure to inspire you to think about how you can add some embellishments to your projects to make them a little more interesting and give another layer of detail to your projects.

So if you’re looking for some old time, homespun inspiration for your projects, or some classic sampler projects to make, be sure to check out Homespun Elegance.

[Photo: Homespun Elegance]

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Cross Stitch Samplers with a Historic Twist

One of the most common supplies for cross stitch, aside from fabric, needles and floss, is an embroidery hoop. A hoop isn’t needed for every project, and indeed there are some stitchers who prefer not to use them at all. I generally don’t use a hoop when I’m working on a small cross stitch project, especially something that’s shape isn’t conducive to using a hoop (like a bookmark).

But embroidery hoops can be really helpful for cross stitch because they hold your fabric at an even tension, which allows you to stitch more evenly without any more work on your part. It’s great for beginners to use hoops because the tension on the fabric can both help make your stitches more even and make the holes in the fabric a little easier to see.

I’ll admit to always just buying whatever hoop is available in the right size when I’m ready to start a project without giving it much more thought than that. But there are things you should consider when choosing among the different kinds of hoops, which Caterpillar Cross Stitch covers in their great guide to embroidery hoops.

The post walks you through wooden, plastic, spring tension and flexi hoops (which I’ll admit to having never heard of; they’re made of vinyl and plastic apparently), as well as Q-Snap frames, which aren’t really hoops because they’re made of plastic tubes that you snap together in the size and shape you need.

It also covers what size hoop you should use for the project you’re working on and how to actually use a hoop in the right way.

Whether you’re new to cross stitch or more seasoned, you’re sure to pick up a tip or a product to try in this post, so go check it out over at Caterpillar Cross Stitch.

Do you have a favorite kind of embroidery hoop to use for cross stitch, or do you go without? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[Photo: Caterpillar Cross Stitch]

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