Cross-Stitch

Charts, patterns and everything needlepoint

Heaven and Earth Designs

by

I’m not sure how to describe the charts here, other than to say, you REALLY have to see them to believe them. I will say that once you stitch a HAED pattern you will probably never stitch anything else again!! They truely spoil you with their concise directions and clear charts. And my Goodness those charts!!!!!! The subject matter is so diverse and stimulating, you can quite literally spend days just browsing.  I frequently do!!!!!!!!!Be sure to look at the Premier Artists section as that features beautiful graphs by well known artists such as Amy Brown,Molly Harrison and Sue Miller to name a few. Also there are FREE patterns here and they are stunning.

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Comments

  1. i totally agree with every thing said
    i have been stitching HEAD for about a year (yet to finish 1 mind)and i LOVE them

  2. I’m glad you mentioned this! I love HAED patterns. But, I also wanted to mention the beautiful Josephine Wall patterns are simply gorgeous. I’m working on two of hers and they are simply stunning.

    God Bless

Have you read?

Everything You Need to Know About Embroidery Hoops

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]