Stitch Samplers and Other Historic Inspired Designs

I’m back with another look at a cross stitch designer I’ve learned about from wandering around online. This one is The Elegant Thread, which features a fun collection of samplers and other historic inspired cross stitch designs.

And a couple of wicked New England patterns, too.

The Elegant Thread offers cross stitch pattern downloads and printed patterns (not all are available as downloads) and needlework sets that include handmade fabric pouches using vintage fabrics, needle minders and embroidery scissors with custom coordinated beads scissor fobs.

All of which is great, but let’s talk about the patterns.

As with Fox and Rabbit Designs, which I featured recently, The Elegant Thread has some vintage reproduction sampler patterns, such as the one pictured that was originally stitched by Wilhelmine Scsmidt in 1884. It features several alphabets as well as Arabic and Roman numerals and the original stitcher’s name.

Among the digital downloads they also have several Victorian-inspired cross stitch patterns, a butterfly biscornu design and a couple of funny ones: hedge hugs, which is a Valentine’s Day hedgehog design, and Liberty Lobstah, a lobster decked out like the Statue of Liberty.

Looking at patterns that are sold as paper charts, you’ll find all of these as well as a few more samplers, based on historic samplers or inspired designs with a vintage look. There’s also a fun Paris inspired cross stitch pattern with the Eiffel Tower as the I in Paris, so you’ll want to check that out of you’re a fan of all things French!

In addition to all of the products mentions, The Elegant Thread also has a blog that includes five free cross stitch patterns. It hasn’t been updated in a while but it’s worth scrolling through if you’re looking for some alphabets or other projects with a vintage look.

[Photo: The Elegant Thread]

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How to Make Scissor Fobs

One of the most common problems that cross stitchers at all skill levels have is that the cross stitch fabric can start fraying while you stitch.

Beginner cross stitchers might wonder why this happens and if there is something they are doing wrong to cause it.

The reason cross stitch fabric frays is because it is a woven fabric, and the nature of any kind of woven fabric (whether that’s cross stitch fabric, a torn up towel or a piece of fabric you’re going to sew) is that it wants to fray.

It’s not necessarily a huge deal if you cross stitch fabric starts fraying mid-project if you have left a lot of extra fabric around your stitching. But if there’s not much fabric to spare in order to be able to finish the project the way you want, you’ll want to do something to stop the fraying.

When I was growing up I remember my mom using masking tape for this purpose, but it turns out there are lots of different things that you can do to stop your cross stitch fabric from fraying.

Craft with Cartwright came up with 15 different things that you can try, which seems like a lot, but that just means you have lots of different things you can try.

If you don’t want to buy something, you can stitch along the edges. If you already have supplies like tape or glue, or access to pinking shears or a serger, there are lots of options you can try.

Some of these are more permanent than others, so it will depend a little bit on how you want to finish your cross stitch project as to which is the best choice for you. It’s a great idea to read through the whole list just so you can have them in the back of yoru mind the next time you start a project and think about how you would like to protect it.

You can find the whole list at Craft with Cartwright.

How do you like to stop fraying on your cross stitch projects? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

[Photo: Craft with Cartwright]

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