Now we know that it’s August still and the last thing we want to be thinking about is Christmas. But as many of us crafters know, this is prime time for getting those projects started for the festive season. So, what better way to get us in the jolly crafting mood, than to highlight some of our festive favourites for a special edition of The Stitchuation!
Now, we like to keep things a little uniform for our regular posts, but instead of one post per brand, we’ll be selecting three of our favourites from EACH needlecraft brand that we stock, where applicable. You’ll need a cuppa and at least three to eight biscuits – GO!
Anchor
Right off the bat, Anchor know how to bring the winter cosiness. Whether you’re looking for a tapestry, cross stitch or long stitch kit to keep you working away, these snowy scenes will have you longing for crisp mornings and early evenings.
Perhaps we just love getting lost in our crafting, but these three feel as though they’re giving us a somewhat time-lapse! The Winter Cottage boasts the quiet of an evening, with Winter Through The Window delivering that fresh snowfall feeling come the morn. And who knows, perhaps it’s the Winter Robins that’s keeping our feline friend occupied over the cat treats!
Bothy Threads
We’re huge fans of how Bothy Threads perfectly marry the love of stitching and artwork into their kits, featuring many artists and designers throughout each collection. The home of Wrendale Design’s cross stitch kits, Hannah Dale’s artwork never fails to put a smile on any stitcher’s face. Featuring the classic speckled Aida background, Oh Christmas Tree gathers a flurry of animals as they watch two little Robins adorn its branches with tinsel.
Speaking of all of the cuteness, this Decorating Double Act are helping one another out in dressing their tree, too! With printed Aida and based on original artwork by Sarah Summers, these mice are sure to get you thinking about how to decorate yours.
With intricate brick back-stitching and superb use of tones to illustrate shading, it’s easy to be bowled over with just how much detail has been put into this Snowy Street, based on the artwork by Sally Swannell – It’s certainly a firm favourite for Woolly Worker Vic! There’s plenty more merriment to be found in the rest of their Christmas collection HERE!
Caterpillar Cross Stitch
There’s many a reason to love a Caterpillar Cross Stitch kit, but one of our favourite elements has to be that they’re renowned for using full stitches only. But keeping things beginner-friendly doesn’t mean they’ve scrimped on the details – ho ho ho, no! (Sorry, we had to get a pun in here somewhere!)
Christmas Wonderland invites you into its magic with skaters on the pond, snowboarders on the slopes and villagers grabbing a winter warmer – with a cheeky cameo from the big man himself, this one is sure to keep you stitching away.
If you’re looking for something a bit smaller, the Jingle Bell Toy Shop brings us that childhood whimsy from way back when, whilst the Stitch Into Christmas advent still offers challenge, but in bite-size chunks. Setting a little time aside to complete a window a day makes things a little more manageable, and with us being a good few months away from the big season, it’s the perfect time to start!
Dimensions
As much as we do love a kit on the simpler side, it’s hard not to fall in love with the details within a Dimensions kit! Leaning more towards traditional scenes and art styles, it’s hard not to get lost in the beauty of these pieces.
A Treasured Time shows villagers embracing the winter’s delights at twilight, while Christmas Traditions stocking kits are easy to picture hanging on the mantlepiece, ready for treats. These were some tough choices, but luckily for us all there’s stockings and kits a’plenty in the full Dimensions Christmas collection HERE!
Hawthorn Handmade
If you’re after a quick make or a stocking filler, Hawthorn Handmade will have you covered! There’s plenty of different crafts to get involved with Hawthorn from needle felting, cross stitch, embroidery and applique kits for any time of the year.
The Merry Christmas brooch is a perfect addition to your lapel, bag or even a beanie hat – it’s a fun way to ring in the festivities. Alternatively, you can felt Rudolph to wear or gift, instead! Yet if you’re after something to hang up on the wall in winter, the Log Cabin kit is a cute and fun little stitch to start working on this side of the year.
Heritage Crafts
Traditional moments are what Heritage certainly excel in and even with a few more fun and modern twists, there’s truly something for every stitcher. Both John Clayton’s Christmas Cottage and William and Robin kits take you back in time with these classic, idyllic scenes. Whereas The Intruder from Peter Underhill brings the whimsy and fun, as Father Christmas begins his descent down yet another chimney.
Be sure to check out other designers such as Karen Carter and Kirsten Roche by clicking HERE to view the full Heritage Christmas range!
Historical Sampler Company
Crafting the perfect parallel of both traditional and modern design, the Historical Sampler Company have certainly got it covered. Many patterns can be intimidating, even for the most seasoned cross-stitcher, but the beauty of their samplers are that they naturally split themselves up.
Rather than looking at just how much you’ve got to do before the festive season over the full pattern, looking at things a section or box at a time makes things far more manageable. One afternoon you could sit down and focus on the mistletoe in the Holly Christmas Patchwork, or how about a Christmas pudding from the White Snowman Sampler? If you’ve got a free day, why not work towards the first few windows on the Jingle Bells Advent Calendar? The ways to craft these are endless, but always a joy whatever the season.
LanArte
In our first ever Stitchuation, we covered all-things LanArte! So with us covering all bases, we couldn’t leave LanArte out when it came to Christmas. Leaning a little more towards winter than the couple of weeks run-up to the big day, these scenes will have you easing yourself into the festive spirit all while you stitch.
Who doesn’t love seeing a little friend in the garden, especially on those crisp winter mornings. The quaint little Robin in winterberries or the Robin in Winterland will certainly have you longing for a walk through fresh snow and the sight of the sun on a clear day. Whereas the Holly Jolly Amaryllis will have you looking forward to some floristry later on in the year!
Mouseloft
Whether you’re new to cross stitch or a seasoned pro, it’s almost a rite of passage to have ticked at least one Mouseloft kit off the list! With a wide variety to choose from all year round, their festive mini kits offer a lot of options – which made whittling them down as tough as cracking those Brazil nuts on Christmas Day!
The Happy Snowman, Dangling Baubles and Collecting The Tree are some of our ultimate faves – who can resist grabbing the camper and making that for a loved one who’s rarely out of the van?! Mouseloft kits are perfect for stitching up in one sitting and, if you want to take your crafting one step further, they can be transformed into a thoughtful card to pass on during wintertime. Grab another cuppa and have a scroll through their full festive range HERE.
Oh Sew Bootiful
We always love a bit of something Oh Sew Bootiful in the warehouse and if you are a keen reader of the blog, we recently zoomed in a little closer to some of the stunning kits they offer. Don’t worry if you missed it, you can always catch up here!
It’s clear to see from the full collection that Oh Sew Bootiful have certainly ticked all the boxes when it comes to cute designs, so it’s no surprise that their more festive offerings follow suit! We’re absolutely LOVING the fairisle pattern in the Christmas Jumper Bargello, as well as the striking stitches on the Navy in Merry Christmas. Yet the 24 Days Of Advent has to be our ultimate fave – we can’t get over the details!
Rico
When we started to curate this list of all lists, pulling these three from Rico really was a no-brainer. Who could resist the 24 cute little bags in the Advent Calendar?! Not us, that’s who! What a treat to sew and fill – a perfect gift to make for a loved one to fill with their favourite chocolates or a trinket to unwrap each day.
We’re also loving the Reindeer and Gifts table runner; a perfect centrepiece for those picky teas or a more formal dinner. Whatever’s on the plate, the runner is sure to be the talk of the table! One of Vic’s favourites, however, has to be the medium Christmas House. The frame is included in the kit, so finding a new place for your complete home will be a doddle. Luckily for us all, Rico also have two more in the Christmas Houses collection in small and large – why not create all three?! There’s plenty more Christmas joy from Rico just HERE.
Riverdrift House
It’s time for another sampler-based brand in Riverdrift House! Designed in Cornwall, Riverdrift Studios excel with their stylised patterns. Merry Christmas brings the whimsy with cheery Elves and Reindeer in Christmas jumpers, bordered by trees and paper chains that many of us used to make!
Cachou Bella’s sampler brings the fun at the Christmas market, with our favourite animals having a great snow day in their festive knits! However, if you’re looking for something a little more along the lines of tradition, Riverdrift’s Christmas Nativity ticks that box, as well as keeping their signature style.
Vervaco
Vervaco always have a wide range of gorgeous things to make, from homewares to decorations and the excellent standard kits we all love. So when Vervaco does Christmas, they do Christmas! There’s plenty of merriment to be had, but here are a few of our faves, starting of with this cute and cuddly Rabbit and Robin Winter Scene Latch Hook Kit is a must have for any cosy corner. We can already envisage grabbing a mug of hot chocolate and sitting down with a great book in even-greater comfort!
As for something to adorn the walls with, the Winter cottage as part of the Four Seasons collection is sure to stop anyone in their tracks. With the whole collection sized at 22 x 22cms each, you could swap these out through each season! The poinsettia and snow covered trees look striking underneath a twilight sky, making us all long to stumble across such a scene in reality. For our last pick, we’re absolutely loving these Christmas gift bags! Trees and Poinsettia are always winners around that time of year, but we love the cheeky gnome who’s ready to deliver a gift in the chilly weather!
And that rounds out the end of our festive Stitchuation! Make sure to keep your eyes peeled over the following months as we’ll be showcasing some more kits for Christmas, including cards, decorations and more.
Already started your makes? Don’t forget to tag us in your WIPs by joining in on #WIPWednesday or by using #WoolWarehouseCrafters and we’ll share some of our favourites. See you next time!