Ah, cross stitch...my favourite hobby that even my great, great, great grandmother probably took part in! Before all the modern-day technology and video-game distractions, cross stitch was a popular pastime for many people throughout the ages. Today, it still remains popular as a hobby for people all over the world. Whether you're just delving into cross-stitch or are a needlework aficionado, have you ever been curious about the history of cross-stitching!? I have, and I went down a rabbit hole online to find out. There is a ton of information out there but here is a quick "Coles Notes" versio ..read more

We've all been there. You see a cross stitch pattern and you fall in love with it right away. You buy the pattern and get all excited while you plan out the project. You pick your favourite fabric count and gather all the called for floss. You finally sit down and put thread to fabric. Maybe it happens right away, maybe it happens half way through the project but...you fall out of love. Whether you are a monogamous stitcher - only stitch one project at a time until it's complete, or if you have many projects on the go, not enjoying stitching a project can happen to all of us cross stitchers. I ..read more

I should start this blog post by saying this is all just my opinion and not a tutorial in any way. Every once in a while I will be on Facebook in one of the many cross stitching groups and I will see a comment from one stitcher to another stating something along the lines of "the back should be as neat as the front." This. Makes. Me. Cringe. First of all, WHY? Once mounted, nobody ever sees the back of a finished cross stitch piece. Secondly (and most important) it can be so discouraging for a new cross stitcher to hear. I love this hobby so any discouragement to someone trying it, is so sad ..read more

If you've ever taken a cross stitch piece that you've finished stitching to a professional framer, you know how $ costly $ it can be. The beautiful, large, full coverage patterns, or those that are sentimental to you, definitely deserve the investment of getting them professionally framed. However, as a cross stitch pattern designer, I have designed (and therefore stitched) many pieces that only took a few hours/days to complete. For these pieces, I don't really want to spend big bucks to have them framed so I am always looking for other ways to finish and display them.  Today I am g ..read more

If you're anything like me, you tend to bring your cross stitching outside to stitch, snack while your stitching or sip on your favourite drink. You finish the pattern you have been working on, look at the finished piece and instantly notice the fabric needs to be washed.  Even if you have an indoor dedicated stitching spot and don't snack or drink while you stitch, it is still a good idea to wash your finished cross stitch pieces. The natural oils from your fingers transfer onto the fabric while you stitch and these oils can stain the fabric yellow over time. Sometimes these yellow stain ..read more

With the struggles 2020 has brought all of us, sadly, it has also been a struggle for some magazines out there. We lost some great cross stitching magazines like Cross Stitch Crazy, but luckily, there are still many great ones still available to choose from.  Cross stitch magazines are amazing! They are usually packed with patterns, tutorials, you get to learn about designers, and many feature different ideas on how you can finish projects for display. What cross stitcher doesn't love all that?! Today I am going to go through a list of some of the most popular cross stitch magazines. Pun ..read more

The difference a quality fabric can make to a cross stitching project is huge. There are many reputable fabric manufacturers out there, but DMC and Zweigart are two very well known companies in the world of cross stitching (it is also the two brands that Stitch Wit carries!) I don't necessarily think one brand is better than the other, every stitcher has their preference, but there are some differences between DMC and Zweigart. Today I am going to go over each brand for you. If you want to know more about cross stitching fabrics in general, you should check out my blogs Cross Stitch Fabrics E ..read more

You love to cross stitch, you have a few projects on the go, many patterns you plan to get to, and a bunch of small completed pieces you aren't quite sure what to do with or how to finish them for display. If this sounds like you, I have a solution to these "problems"...a cross stitch journal! Cross stitch journals, or as I like to call them stitchy journals, have many different purposes, and come in many different sizes and formats. Some have a stitchy journal to keep track of their WIPs and completed projects, others keep small pieces they have stitched in their journals, and some do both ..read more

If you are new to cross stitching, you might have just picked up a kit and used the fabric that came with it, chances are it was a 14ct fabric. Maybe you have stuck to 14ct because that is what you are used to. Today, I am going to explain the different fabric counts to get you more comfortable with the idea of using different stitch count sizes. If you are unfamiliar with the different types of fabrics, I suggest you check out my blog "Cross Stitch Fabrics Explained" before you read on here. Stitch count refers to fibre count, and fibre count is the number of holes per inch in the fabric. Th ..read more

Even if you have been cross stitching for awhile, you may not really get it when people say they stitch over one, or stitching over two. Today, I'm going to try to help make it all make sense. I created this image, in the hopes that it is pretty self explanatory:     When you look at cross stitch fabrics, they have little holes that make up a grid. As you can see from the above image, stitching over one is when your floss goes over grid square on your fabric, and stitching over two is when the floss goes over two grid squares on your fabric. Now, you might be asking when should you ..read more