Riverdrift House Christmas Cross Stitch Makes 2015

In my spare time, I love to cross stitch. I've sewn a little since I was a kid, but I only really picked it up as a regular hobby a couple of years ago, when I was looking for new ways to keep myself occupied while I was bed ridden. I picked up the prettiest Christmas sampler on Amazon that Autumn, and working on it was so fun, relaxing, and therapeutic that I've just kept on sewing ever since. 

It might sound like a boring hobby for frumpy old ladies- and maybe it used to be- but I don't think it's true anymore. There are loads of fun, stylish and pretty kits to choose from now, and over the last few years it's become popular with people of all ages again.

I personally love Riverdrift House's designs, particularly their Christmas themed samplers and cards; they're beautiful and the patterns are so easy to follow- even for beginners. Since discovering them two and a half years ago, I've completed three Christmas samplers, 4/5ths of a fourth, an Easter sampler, and a couple of Christmas cross stitch cards, and today I'm going to show you the festive ones I've made so far.

The Noel Peace On Earth sampler is the very first Riverdrift House cross stitch I made, and the project that got me in to cross stitching again. I found it on Amazon, and was lured in by the pretty Scandi-style design and the idea of playing with colourful threads for a couple of months. Well, you guys know me; I'm a magpie for anything colourful! It took me about three months to make, and for my first cross stitch of this size, I think it turned out really well. I only had a few minor hiccups, and I quickly learned how to fix them.

This is a great sampler to begin with if you're thinking of giving cross stitching a go. It's small and super easy  to make, and it can be made in as little as six weeks if you put in a couple of hours every day.

Last Christmas, I made the Home Sweet Christmas Home sampler. It's just a little larger than the Noel Peace On Earth sampler, and it was more of a challenge because of the elaborate borders. They weren't too complicated, but I did have to concentrate more, and push myself to keep sewing because I found the borders so tedious. I hate sewing the same pattern over and over again, and those borders took me days! I'm glad I persevered, though, because the finished picture doesn't look half bad.

The most recent picture I completed was the Christmas Peace Sampler, which I began just after Easter and finished in late August. It took so long because I just worked on it sporadically for months, and then in August I binge-stitched most of it in a few weeks. It could have been done a lot sooner, but working on a festive project when it's hot and sunny outside just feels a bit wrong! Thankfully I got through it, and I'm really pleased with how well it came out... even if it's proving really difficult to photograph properly!

 

I'm currently working on this Christmas band sampler, which I started in September. It's the largest cross stitch I've ever attempted, but it's been really easy to make so far. The only real challenge I've found is stitching the same pattern over and over without losing the will to live. I love samplers, but not the hours of repetition needed to create each band from left to right. Sometimes I find repetition therapeutic, sometimes it makes me want to scream and throw my sewing at someone's head. There's no in between. I haven't put as much time and effort in to this project as I should have, so I've still got about a fifth left to do, and won't get it finished in time for Christmas, but hey, there's always next year, right?

Aside from samplers, I've also made a couple of cross stitch cards, which is kind of pitiful because I bought the kit of six like a year and a half ago. Ah, well, I'll make the other four eventually. The Christmas cross-stitch card kit comes with everything you need to make six cards, including fabric, threads, a needle, cards, envelopes, and six different Scandi cross stitch patterns, and the designs are lovely. I haven't decided whether I'll actually make mine in to Christmas cards, or if I'll keep all six and frame them altogether in one of those collage-style photo frames, but I'll work that one out when I've finished all six. So basically, I won't have to worry about that until the year 2087.

You can find all of these Riverdrift House cross stitch kits (and many more) on Amazon and eBay, and also via their website. 

Do you sew? Have you got any fun creative projects on the go?