Spring House Sampler Cross Stitch Kit
185-280 hours, a little practice
$35.95
Counted cross stitch on sky blue Aida
Winter House Sampler Cross Stitch Kit on Sky Blue Aida
$35.95
A snowy country house with owls, snowmen, foxes, squirrels, deer and a moose, set out as a sampler with a full alphabet on sky blue Aida. The pale blue ground stands in for a winter sky.
Expected delivery Fri, Nov 6 to Wed, Nov 11
- Free shipping over $49
- 30-day returns
In the box
Unprinted cotton Aida, cotton floss sorted on a numbered card, a printed symbol chart, instructions and a needle.
Materials and care
Sky blue Aida, 100% cotton, with cotton floss. Hand wash the finished piece in cool water, roll it in a towel and press it face down on a soft cloth.
Before you start
Press the folded fabric from the back with a warm iron, find the center of the fabric and the chart, and start stitching from the middle out. A hoop or scroll frame, small scissors and good light help.
Shipping and returns
Free shipping over $49. Arrives in 9-14 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
- Cross stitch
- Time
- 185-280 hours
- Skill
- A little practice
- Finished size
- 18.1 x 26 in (46 x 66 cm)
- Fabric
- 14-count sky blue Aida, 100% cotton, unprinted
- Stitches
- About 28,000 full crosses
- In the box
- Aida, sorted cotton floss, printed chart, instructions and a needle
About the design
The word Winter tops the sampler between two owls and a pair of snowmen. Below sits a cream house with a snowy roof, red birds in the trees and a fence hung with snow. Then come the alphabet rows and a wreath with a year, two foxes, squirrels sharing berries, pine trees, a deer, a moose and a bowl of red fruit, all inside a border of leaves and snowflakes. The sky blue fabric stays unstitched, so the whole piece looks lit by a cold, clear day. Most of the palette is soft green, brown and cream, and the red birds, berries and fruit bowl are the only warm notes, which is what makes them glow against the blue.
Fabric, count and finished size
The sampler is worked in full cross stitch on 14-count sky blue Aida and finishes at 18.1 x 26 in (46 x 66 cm), a big portrait piece for a hallway or above a mantel. The pale fabric keeps the grid easy to see, which helps on a chart this large. The wreath holds a charted year, which you can swap for your own using the alphabet.
How long it takes
The chart is about 254 by 364 stitches, and roughly three tenths of it is stitched: about 28,000 crosses. At a typical 100 to 150 stitches an hour, that is about 185 to 280 hours. Begin in autumn and it will keep you company through several winters of evenings, one fox or snowflake at a time.
Stitching tips
Stitch the white snowmen, snowflakes and the snowy roof with clean hands and a fresh length of floss each time, since white thread picks up marks quickly. Basting a grid of contrasting thread every ten squares across the fabric keeps the big chart easy to follow.
What is in the kit
- Unprinted Aida fabric, 100% cotton
- Cotton floss, sorted on a numbered card
- A printed symbol chart and instructions
- A needle
A scroll frame or hoop, scissors and a frame are not included. Press the folded fabric from the back before you start. A scroll frame is the comfortable choice for a sampler of this size.
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 cross stitch kits.
Questions
Is this a Christmas design?
It is wintry rather than festive: snow, owls, snowmen and woodland animals, with no holiday wording. It can hang from December right through to March.
Is there a spring version?
Yes. The Spring House Sampler uses the same layout on flax Aida, with a red house, blossom, hares and sheep, so the two make a seasonal pair.
How long does it take?
About 185 to 280 hours for roughly 28,000 stitches at 100 to 150 stitches an hour. You can stop and start between motifs whenever you like.
