Blue Door Cottage Embroidery Kit
15-25 hours, a little practice
$29.95
Whitewashed walls and lemons
Lemon Tree House Embroidery Kit, 8 in Hoop
$29.95
Whitewashed walls, a blue arched door and two fruiting lemon trees to stitch edge to edge in raised knots and glossy satin fills. Includes rinse-out printed cotton, floss on a thread card and a hoop.
Expected delivery Wed, Nov 4 to Mon, Nov 9
- Free shipping over $49
- 30-day returns
In the box
Cotton fabric printed with the design, embroidery floss in every color on a thread card and an 8 in (20 cm) hoop.
Materials and care
Cotton fabric and embroidery floss. Once it is stitched, keep the piece out of strong sun so the colors stay bright, and dust it with a soft brush. If it needs a clean, rinse it by hand in cool water and let it dry flat.
Before you start
Don't wash or iron the fabric before you start. Center the design in the hoop and tighten it until the fabric is drum tight, then sort the floss on its card so every color is easy to find.
Shipping and returns
Free shipping over $49. Arrives in 7-12 days. Shipping times and costs per country
Not what you were looking for? Return it within 30 days of delivery. How returns work
Specifications
- Craft
- Embroidery
- Time
- About 15-25 hours
- Skill
- A little practice
- Finished size
- 8 in (20 cm) hoop
- Fabric
- Cotton, printed with rinse-out lines
- In the box
- Printed fabric, floss on a thread card and hoop
About the design
Picture a hillside house on a Greek island: white walls, a blue arched door beside a flight of white steps and a small balcony with a blue railing. Two lemon trees frame the house, their silvery blue-green leaves stitched in tight knots and their lemons in glossy yellow satin stitch. Small terracotta pots and a cactus sit at its foot. The colors are limited to white, blue, green and yellow, which keeps it fresh and makes the floss easy to manage.
Stitches you will use
The fabric is covered edge to edge, so this is a project about filling rather than outlining. Long and short stitch builds the shaded areas, satin stitch makes the smooth, glossy shapes, and French knots and short straight stitches add texture where the design calls for it. Because every area is filled, small wobbles disappear into the surrounding stitches, which makes the finished piece forgiving.
Work the background areas first and the details that sit on top last. Two or three strands of floss cover the fabric quickly; switch to a single strand for eyes, edges and highlights.
Most of the house is long, smooth satin stitch in whites and creams, and it goes quickly. The lemon trees are where you spend your time, building up the foliage knot by knot and adding the fruit last so it sits on top.
What is in the kit
- Cotton fabric printed with the design, about 11 x 11 in (28 x 28 cm)
- Embroidery floss in every color, wound on a thread card
- An 8 in (20 cm) embroidery hoop
You will also need small sharp scissors and an embroidery needle.
How long it takes
About 15 to 25 hours. The white walls are restful, almost meditative stitching; the trees ask for more patience. Spread over a few weeks of evenings, it is a lovely long project to sink into.
Finishing and display
The printed lines are made to rinse out: once you finish, rinse the piece in clean water and let it dry flat, and any line that still peeks between stitches is gone. Then put it back in the hoop, trim the fabric to about an inch (2.5 cm) beyond the frame and gather it at the back, or frame it behind glass.
It pairs naturally with the Blue Door Cottage and the Harbor Village, for a little wall of places you would like to be.
Delivery and returns
Delivery is $6.95, and free on orders from $49. The delivery estimate for your address shows on this page and at checkout. You can return the kit within 30 days of delivery; return shipping is yours unless it arrives faulty or wrong. See delivery and returns for the details, or compare the other embroidery kits.
Questions
Is it suitable for a first project?
It is better as a second or third. The stitches themselves are simple, but the design is fully stitched and takes 15 to 25 hours, so a smaller kit first will make it more enjoyable.
How do I get rid of the printed lines?
Rinse the finished piece in clean water and let it dry flat; the printed design lines wash out. Don't wash or iron the fabric before you begin.
What size is the finished piece?
It fills an 8 in (20 cm) hoop, which comes in the kit. The fabric is about 11 x 11 in (28 x 28 cm), so there is plenty of margin for framing.
