Christmas cross stitch

[ChippyTea16]

Hello all! I’m thinking of taking up cross stitch this year, I used to love doing it as a child but I have no idea where to start. Does anyone have any recommendations for good cross stitch kits? I have looked on amazon but the designs look really complicated! I want to do some Xmas designs and maybe make them into coasters (or at least decorations I can use).

Has anyone else done this?

Great thread! (no pun intended )
I'd caution against the hobbycraft own brand mini kits, I've had many over a few years and the thread colours are always wrong! Just ask my blue-breasted robin...

The snow scene was a Dimensions Gold Kit and yes all of the snow is French knots!! You could use pearlescent beads instead.

The other one is a Lavender and Lace kit. There are 5 in total, one for each season and the Xmas one. They are lovely but there is a lot of beading, not for a beginner!

@OldGreyBoots your post made me lol, I’d love to see the blue-breasted robin!

zoflora Do you mind saying where you bought the christmas scene one from? it is beautiful and I love french knots. Thinking I could maybe have it sent to a friend until I can get back to the UK to pick it up, it can be next years project.

Ooh shamelessly posting for a placemark. I want to make some Christmas decorations for friends this year. I just made this for a girl I know who’s off to university to study English Lit.

That's lovely, @AllTheWhoresOfMalta!

Love Crafts emailed to say their Christmas shop is open today! I'm sitting in my hands; I don't need more projects!

Neither Christmassy nor cross stitch but I was so excited to finish this that I thought that I would share.

@ChippyTea16 I'm afraid I must have binned the poor bird when I realised how atrocious it was becoming! Since then I've stuck to magazine kits, the patterns in magazines themselves, and the odd thing from Etsy

@NoWordForFluffy I've spent the evening adding kits to my Lovecrafts basket then talking myself out of it again! This is the best and worst time of year for my inspiration and my bank account respectively

That is beautiful @Lonelykettleshed well done!

Ah, just add them all, @OldGreyBoots!

Sorry chippy I missed that message, sadly where i am we don't actually have a proper functioning postal system so unless brought in by a courier packages like to either disappear or when going to collect you're expected to pay extortionate "customs" fees (read bribes). It makes ordering anything that can't be collected by fedex or DHL not worth it. Usually a few times a year we do a mass order and have it all couriered in by a cargo company but we did that last month.

That's lovely lonelykettleshed!

I've found some Christmas coaster kits that I must have bought ages ago. I'll post a pic when they're finished, if this thread is still going.

@Foresttheout - if its specifically the Wrendale ones you’re after, i got a 6-pic calendar free with a cross stitch magazine a couple of years ago (with the attached pics) and can pm you a photo of the patterns if that’s any help?

@RubaiyatOfAnyone that is so kind, I would love the pattern for the cows and the robins

I've done a few Christmas Cross Stitches.

Here's a Few

This one

2nd one

3rd one

4th One

@Foresttheout Bugger, turns out you can’t pm pictures. Who knew?

I’ll attach them here instead and if that isn’t in the spirit of the site i’ll happily ask for them to be removed (although as i say, they were given away free in the first place).

First “The Cattle Are Lowing”

And the robins “Both of You”

I've probably done a few more.

I've turned them all into cushions to use over Christmas.

I'm half way through [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/YEESAM-ART%C2%AE-Cross-Stitch-Advanced/dp/B01GJOX1QA/ref=sr_1_52?dchild=1&keywords=christmas+cross+stitch&pf_rd_p=5f50c5c7-54ba-45ff-a0c8-f07a51775ead&pd_rd_wg=NqqAu&pf_rd_r=2C61ZRH27FY3GQ1X87XY&pd_rd_w=0lfvu&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1601450825&pd_rd_r=25e4e48f-c971-4068-955b-8c285db517e2&sr=8-52 Peonies and delphiniums.

And I have Lakeside Village

And This one The Library. It may take a year or two.

I like the idea of Christmas cushions @Clutterbugsmum I want to make things that I can use as well as feeding my Xmas obsession.

The stuff I’ve ordered has arrived now so going to get started this weekend

I've ordered some from Hobbycraft. It's been ages since I've done cross stitch and the kits I've ordered are small enough to get me started again.

@ChippyTea16

I run out of wall space, so I made cushion covers .

I've made several Brucilla Felt Applique Kits as well.

@Clutterbugsmum those felt applique kits look beautiful I'm eyeing up the stockings! What do you actually have to do? Is it just pieces of felt and you cut it all out and sew together?

Yes, you get sheets of number printed out pieces. And the main 'backing' piece and the you just sew on the numbered piece and add stuffing if required to make it 3d and then add the sequins.

I made these little 3D cross stitch houses from free patterns on a french site, but similar can be found on Pinterest.