Craft:

As you may know, my craft of choice is embroidery. It's easy, inexpensive and feels a lot like coloring when I was a kid (which I loved to do, and still enjoy doing with my daughter). I love Lazy Daisys, French Knots and Feather Stitches. Any way to decorate fabric with needle and thread makes me happy. However, I've always avoided cross-stitch. It may go back to silly kits I tried to do as a kid, or even one I tried a few years ago that just led me to absolute frustration. I think my brain had a hard time looking at a blank canvas and understanding how to make the cross-stitched image somehow appear. So when I was given the opportunity to try out Miss Woolly's Mini Cross-Stitch book and kit, I was hesitant, but hopeful that this could be the key to finally breaking me in to this sister needlework.

Not only did Miss Woolly's kit break me in to cross-stitch, but it's left me more than a little obsessed with tiny, pixelated images. Miss Woolly (a.k.a. Eliza Edwards) gives clear instruction, and better yet, offers up a sampling of simple, fun projects that deliver the kind of opportunities for success that make newbies want to keep stitching.

The kit includes six skeins of embroidery floss, two tapestry needles, Aida cloth and a book full of instructions and 12 adorable patterns. The book also includes a blank chart for photocopying and alphabet and accent patterns so you can start designing your own cross-stitch projects.

I started stitching the cheeseburger pattern first, and was surprised by how easily and quickly it came together. It takes a little focus to keep up with where you are in the pattern, but because these projects are mini sized (each piece of Aida cloth for the projects is about the size of an index card) following the pattern wasn't overwhelming. Once I finished that project, I literally grabbed another rectangle and picked another pattern to try - it was that addictive. Over the last week, I've completed three of the cross-stitch patterns in the book, and that's just doing little bits here and there while I'm watching television.

As I was stitching one evening, my daughter came by and asked what I was going to do with the piece after I finished stitching. Fortunately, each pattern comes with a little sidebar project suggestion. And any of the cross-stitch patterns would work with any of the sidebar projects in the book, so there is a lot of possibility for fun here. (Although, right now, I'm having fun just looking at the little pieces I've completed so far)

This is a perfect kit for anyone starting out in cross-stitch. It has almost everything you need. All you have to add is a pair of small scissors. Because the kit comes packaged in a nice, sturdy box, I found myself just tossing the scissors in there with everything else and toted it around, waiting for any chance to stitch. (On a side note, Dear Moms of my son's tee ball team: I'm not anti-social, I just like to stitch ...)

The kit would also work for someone who has already tried cross-stitch and is looking for some cute patterns that can be worked up in a jiffy. And, at under $15, it would make a perfect gift. I highly recommend it! Enjoy!