Cross-Stitch

Charts, patterns and everything needlepoint

Stitch a Koala, Help a Koala

by

We’ve all been saddened by the bushfires in Australia and the terrible toll they are taking on the land and animals. While some people are crafting for the animals, a more efficient course is to raise funds if you can or support causes that are supporting relief efforts.

For instance, Fiddlesticks AU has a pattern for a cross-stitched koala, which she sells for $2.15, with all proceeds on sales in January going to NSW Fire Service, Country Fire Authority VC and other relief agencies. (As of this writing more than $2000 had been raised!)

The pattern uses six colors and comes out to about 2.5 by 3.5 inches on 14-count fabric. Also, it’s just adorable and for a great cause.

[Photo: Fiddlesticks AU.]

Next Pattern:

Comments

  2. Hiya I’ve payed for your cute koala pattern but can’t find a link to down load. My names Barbara obrey I payed through PayPal. Would you be able to send me a link through email?
    [email protected]
    Hope you can help xx
    Barbara

  5. To answer the questions above: the link to buy on etsy is in the post. It si for a chart not a kit so you use plain cross stitch fabric. It’s not my design or my website so I cannot troubleshoot but you can contact the seller directly through etsy.

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]