A Feather In The Wind

Do you prefer small or large cross stitch patterns?  If you haven’t quite decided, we’ll talk about the ups and downs of each. Whether you are a beginner or  have been cross stitching for many years, you may have already realized that styles of cross stitch vary tremendously.  Some patterns may be very small and easy to complete in a matter of hours. Then, on the other end of the spectrum, you may invest months or even years in one of the larger cross stitch patterns out there. What you have to remember though when picking out a pattern, the most important concept to keep in mind is that you enjoy stitching it.

There are several things that determine the difficulty of a design, but the most obvious is size.   The advantages of stitching a small design are numerous.  If you are the type of stitcher that likes to move on to a new project quickly, you might enjoy small projects that finish up quickly.  Because these small projects are finsihed quickly, stitchers that like to see accomplishment find it rewarding to complete a project so quickly. The fact that they are easier to manage is another distinct advantage to smaller cross stitch patterns.  Many stitchers enjoy not having lots of extra fabric hanging around, so small projects are perfect for this type of stitcher.  The disadvantage of stitching small projects can be continued cost. How can this be? If you are stitching small projects and finish a project every few days, when you start on a new one, there’s additional cost for more fabric, floss and another pattern. Of course, to cut costs, you can find free cross stitch patterns on the web.  Here’s a great place for finding free patterns - Free Cross Stitch Patterns.  Another great source for free and very low-cost cross stitch patterns on the web is a site called Xstitchpatterns.com (click for xstitch patterns), which always has at least one free pattern available.  You can also use the coupon code *promoLV* (without the astericks) to get another free one of your choice.

So, that’s the scoop about small designs, what about large patterns?  The advantage of a large pattern is that once you have your initial outlay of cost, (which can be substantial at times depending how much floss and fabric is required) this project can last you several weeks or months, thus not requiring any further cost for quite some time. Some stitchers don’t like the constant floss color changing of the smaller designs, so large designs can be perfect for them.  Because the design is larger, usually each color will need to be used more, therefor less color changing..  Of course, large projects mean large pieces of fabric and lots of floss.  This extra fabric can be quite difficult to manage for some stitchers, as it can get in the way of your hands when stitching.    Another common disadvantage to large projects, regarding the time it takes to complete it, some stitchers get bored with a project, or just tired of looking at it!  Then they will put it  away, and often not come back to it.  Despite these minor disadvantages, the end result with a large project can be quite stunning.

So, as you can see, there are many things to think about when choosing your cross stitch pattern in addition to things such as types of stitches, specialty stitches, etc. you should have a basic knowledge about what to expect for both large and small cross stitch patterns, so our hope is that this will make your design choosier easier.  But, just remember, this hobby can be very rewarding and relaxing.  Be sure to pick out a pattern that you will enjoy stitching and you’ll be much more likely to finish it and will enjoy the finished design so much more!

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