Cross-Stitch

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Everything You Need to Know about Cross Stitch Fabrics

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I have been writing about cross stitch here for a long time, and I’m done cross stitch now and then throughout my life, but I’m by no means an expert. So it’s great for me to have this gig where I get to learn new to me things about the craft and share them with you so we can all be a little smarter about the basics and beyond.

One big thing in cross stitch that I never learned much about is the fabric. I’ve pretty much used 14 count Aida for everything, and it works well for lots of different projects, but of course there are other options.

The Crewel Ghoul has a great post on their website all about what you need to know about different kinds of cross stitch fabrics. It talks about the major differences among kinds of fabric: weave, fiber and thread count. It looks at the differences between Aida, evenweave and linen, how to count threads and why you might want to choose different kinds of fabric for your project.

I’m sure I’ll still stick to Aida for most projects because it’s easy to work with, widely available, comes in a lot of different colors and is generally not too expensive. But it’s nice to know about the other options that are out there, and I’d love to feel skilled enough to work with linen some day because I love the classic look.

You can read all about the different kinds of cross stitch fabric, their qualities and where to buy them at the Crewel Ghoul website.

What about you? Do you use Aida all the time like I do, or do you change it up for different projects? If you have a favorite place to buy cross stitch fabric, I’d love to hear about that, too!

[Photo: Crewel Ghoul]

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Labubu Cross Stitch Patterns

For some reason I missed out on the beginning of the Labubu trend (my teen isn’t into it) but now that I’m seeing it everywhere it seems like a good time to look into Labubu cross stitch patterns. 

These creepy cute little monsters show up in all sorts of cute outfits, which makes them fun to stitch for a Labubu lover of any age. 

In cross stitch the pink Labubu seems to show up the most often. You can stitch up this one with a slightly sinister face from MK Cross Stitch Shop. This one is 23 by 43 stitches and uses eight colors. On 14 count fabric it comes out to 1.64 by 3.07 inches, or 4.17 by 7.8 cm. 

There’s also this fuzzy little monster from Alya Cross Stitch, which uses six colors on a project that’s 100 by 169 stitches. 

Or try this lovely little Labubu with a flower in its hair. This one is by Stitch Heart UA, and would be perfect for a little kid’s room or as a decoration for spring. It measures 93 by 128 stitches, which comes out to 6.6 by 92. inches/16.9 by 23.3 cm on 14 count fabric. It uses 17 colors and 5 blends.

If you want to just stitch the faces, I like this collection of Labubu heads to cross stitch in different pastel colors. This design from Stitched by Sophie AUS has 23 colors and measures 120 stitches square. That comes out to about 8.6 inches or 22 cm square on 14 count fabric. 

Or you can make a little collection of different characters with this set from Sampler Cross Stitch. Stitch one or stitch them all. Each one is 30 by 60 stitches, or 2.57 by 4.57 inches/6.5 by 11.6 cm. 

How about a Halloween themed Labubu? I love this one from Handiwork of Natalie, who also has some other themed Labubu cross stitch patterns. This one is 66 by 99 stitches and uses 12 colors. It suggests cross stitch fabric that’s 4.75 by 7 inches or 12 by 18 cm.