Last week, I finally finished the colourful Christmas cross stitch sampler I've been busy working on for the last few months, and since I need to reshoot some of the photos for the post I was planning to post today, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to share the finished picture with you instead.
The sampler I made is the Merry Christmas patchwork style sampler from Riverdrift House, a small Cornish brand who sell the loveliest cross stitch kits, patterns, and cards. I really love their designs, and I think this is the 7th or 8th of their samplers that I've made over the last few years. It's the largest, boldest, and most colourful one I've made yet, and I'm really pleased with how well it turned out.
When I started the project in August, I wasn't sure I liked it and considered setting it aside to work on something else, but as I got past the time-consuming letters (which took 2-3 hours each!), and it started to come together I changed my mind; I realised I liked the design after all, and started to enjoy working on it. It was super easy to stitch as the vast majority of the pattern was colour-blocked in simple patterns, so it ended up being a really therapeutic project. I especially enjoyed stitching the reindeer in Christmas jumpers, the wreaths, and the borders, and it was fun getting to work with bold coloured threads for a few months. Well, you know me and colour!
It took me about three and a half months to complete, which was longer than I'd expected, but considering I had some technical difficulties with my joints this Autumn, which slowed me down and stopped me from sewing at all for a while, it's not a bad time frame at all. I mostly put in an hour or two a night, whenever I was up to it, and bibbidy bobbidy boo, three and a half months later, it's completed, right in time for Christmas! (Not that I'll actually manage to get it framed to hang on the wall this Christmas, but hey, it's still finished).
The design is ideal for cross-stitch beginners and pros alike. If you're thinking about giving it a go, just go for it! If I can make it, you certainly can! It's fun, it's festive, and oh so therapeutic.
You can find the kit on the Riverdrift House website here, and on Amazon here.
Have you done any cross stitching lately?
Have you done any cross stitching lately?
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I really love this cute design! Sometimes it can be a bit frustrating spending hours on one letter can't it - but those wee Santa's look like they would be a blast to stitch. I always enjoy seeing your projects :)
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