WATERING CAN CATS Counted Cross Stitch Kit from Design Works

LIST PRICE: $19.99

KIT # 3247

FINISHED SIZE: 8x10

IMAGES: link

MY RATING: 4 stars

This kit came with two shades of light gray that may or may not have been DMC brand (according to them), Light Grey #415 and Grey #414, with #414 being the darker of the two. It's barely darker than the lighter one and they're both used on the cat on the bottom. The darker gray is used for backstitching everything except the grass. I did some backstitching with it and it was so light you could barely see it so I stopped and ordered DMC #645 "very dark beaver grey." I had to take out all the stitched I'd done in the darker gray they gave me and replace it with the darker gray I'd bought. Talk about a pain in the you know what.

I added French knots to the butterfly. I made the center of the flowers gold instead of yellow because I accidentally used gold on some (I got the symbols mixed up), liked it so used gold for all that were to be yellow. I didn't like the cat's bow being mostly dark pink since she was holding a flower that looked exactly the same color-wise, so I used lighter pink. I regretted it at first but now I like it. I also added more French knots around the flowers.

My #1 complaint is the issue with the gray floss. I also wish there'd been more color mixing on the yellow butterfly. It's just two shades of a similar yellow, and white. I'm not happy with it.

This was simple to complete because it used the basics- cross stitches, French knots, and backstitching. I'm pretty angry that the kit didn't have the same dark gray floss as shown in the image and I'm positive it was a mistake. Had I used it anyway the cat would have been two pale shades of gray with hardly any difference between them and it would have looked just awful. Having to wait on floss that was ordered online caused quite a delay in completing this.

Total cost of kit, gray floss, and frame was $24.50.

RED HAT SNOWMAN Counted Cross Stitch Kit from Design Works

LIST PRICE: $15.99
KIT #: 5913
FINISHED SIZE: 8"x10"
MY RATING: 4 stars

I gave this four stars and not five because the pink in this is showing up much darker on their color photo than in person. It's a nauseating shade of pink and I'm very unhappy with it. It's an awful bubble gum pink, or Pepto Bismol shade. The green trees are darker in person than on their image, and I like that.

CHANGES I MADE: His nose was supposed to be lavender and blue with aqua underneath. I changed it using leftover orange and yellow-orange (color #'s 12314 and 12303) floss from a Dimensions kit called Let It Snow. I went with those colors because snowmen typically have an orange carrot nose. This one's nose blended in too much with all the other colors so I gave it a pop of color by using two shades of orange. I'd originally kept it aqua underneath but changed it to light aqua since it didn't stand out as much against the yellow-orange as the aqua did.

There are many rows of blue and aqua in front of each of the three trees that just didn't look right to me. I used less rows and changed the length of them on two of the trees but kept the smaller tree on the right the same. I'm not really happy with my changes but the changes look better than theirs do. Near the bottom of the left side of the tree on the far right didn't look right because it needed more stitches. It looks like some were forgotten though it's supposed to be that way. I added several more green ones to make it look more like the bottom of the opposite side. As is it just looked wrong so I fixed it and I'm happy with what I did.

Design Works state in every kit that they may or may not be using DMC brand embroidery floss it each kit. Colors used in this kit are: white, light peach, peach, dark peach, light pink, pink, red, yellow green, light green, green, dark green, light aqua, aqua, blue, blue grey, lavender, light grey, grey, dark grey, darkest grey, brown. We were given one six-strand piece of darkest grey. I almost didn't have enough for the backstitching at the end. I was down to a 7" strand but didn't think what was enough to use for the backstitching for the three buttons so I used a very similar shade of gray from a finished Dimensions kit. I almost ran out of red too. I was down to an 11.5" two-strand piece and one strand that was about 8" long. They tell you too that if you run out of floss, let them know and they'll send you some.

DISCREPANCIES: I noticed some things on the chart what weren't on the finished photo. Her hat has one lone red cross stitch on the pink part of her hat but it's not on the color photo. I used the red stitch, thought it looked odd there all by itself but decided to leave it because the more I looked at it the more I liked it. And I still like it.

There are two red vertical stitches on the photo of the scarf that aren't on the chart. They do look better there on the green but I was too far past it to change the green stitches to red.

The chart shows one lone blue stitch right near her eye but it wasn't on the color photo. I didn't make that stitch blue either since that was clearly a mistake. The stitching is wrong on one spot on her hood on the color photo.

The aqua cross stitch 'stars' were a pain to do, as you had to do each one individually or you'd see the floss stretched from one cross stitch to the next since the fabric is white.

I used a black 9"x12" frame. Would have preferred 9"x11" but couldn't find one.

Total cost for the kit and frame was $26.63.

BEWITCHED Counted Cross Stitch Kit by Orcagraphics

When I first saw this I knew I had to have it. I got it from A****n for $20.20. I will say that in person it's not as bright, the finished image and the Aida cloth, as the images supplied by Orcraphics that are on Amazon's site and their own. The veins in the larger, darker leaf on the bottom right (mahogany) aren't as dark as in their finished photo, which is a bit disappointing. I do wonder if they had us use the wrong color. Espresso is darker so I think that color should have been used instead so it would be more defined like in their image. As usual with me, several minor mistakes were made that were too late to correct, like going to do a stitch and realizing it was done previously accidentally with a similar color.

This is my first time using the German brand Zweigart Aida cloth and I don't care for it. It's too soft and more delicate but in the end it worked just fine. It seemed to fray just as much as the stiffer type of Aida. The piece they include is 12.25" x 10" but should have been a couple inches bigger. If you don't want to use a mat with your frame you'll need an 8"x10" frame for this (like I did. See included photo) because the actual window in the front will be just 7.5"x9.5". I folded my finished piece around a standard size piece of cereal box, trimmed the end of the box because it was too long, taped the fabric to it with standard clear wide packaging tape (I know people use masking tape but I kept forgetting to buy some) put it in the frame. You can't use thick cardboard because it'll be too thick and you likely won't be able to put the back of the frame on.

I didn't run out or almost run out of any floss. For at least ten colors I had an unused six-strand piece left. Please take my advice and keep like colors completely separate like I DIDN'T do. Keep each of them in their own baggies. Because of that all three leaves were a nightmare for me. Depending on certain light, two of the purples looked alike as did several of the browns and I got confused and upset several times. You'll need to number and write the color names on the flimsy piece of cardstock(?) that they're on. Some floss colors get combined, using one strand each of two colors, to make a new color: prune rose (the darkest purple in the kit) with dark antique violet, burnt ochre orange with tangerine, and medium lilac with lilac.

The only way to get most of the creases out of Aida cloth is to dampen your finished piece, NOT the floss, by pressing a wadded up damp paper towel all around the finished design, keeping at least 1/4" from it all around, then iron over it on both sides until all, or most, of the creases are out and it's only a little damp. This will take 8-10  minutes. Make sure you lay it somewhere to dry completely for hours or overnight (like I did) before framing or storing away! You can iron directly on the floss on the BACKSIDE of the fabric, NOT the front.

EDIT- Experience has taught me that you can spritz the back of the finished Aida pretty good with a water bottle and iron over the whole back until the wrinkles are all gone. It will take about three minutes. You can spritz the border on the front too and iron it.

The paper that the instructions and chart are printed on is typical thin paper. I do recommend you make a copy of the black and white chart (it will be on two sheets of paper) on thicker paper and tape them together like I did, that way you don't have to worry about something happening to your original copy such as spilling liquid on it and ruining it.

I'm listing the DMC brand colors that were used. They didn't give color numbers for the floss, just names, so I'll list them as they're listed on my paper: Black, espresso brown, dark antique violet, dark red copper, squirrel brown, ochre copper, chilli red, nutmeg brown, lilac, caramel brown, spicey gold, mimosa yellow (the brightest yellow), prune rose, mahogany, red fruit, Japanese red, medium lilac, golden brown, burnt ochre orange, copper, tangerine orange (that shade didn't match my own new DMC #740 tangerine), light tangerine, medium yellow.

Total cost for kit and frame was $28.50.

JOYFUL SNOWMAN from Dimensions

I love this snowman. The background design was a major pain and took forever. It was a nightmare, actually. The snow on the ground in front of the snowman is not easy to see. I wish it had been a touch darker. I wish too the shadowing(?) around the snowman was a little more gray than blue. I didn't run out of any floss and had plenty left over. 

For this you'll need to buy a 6"x8" picture frame. 

Total cost for kit and frame is $ 20.25.

LET IT SNOW COUNTED CROSS STITCH KIT by Dimensions

I love how this design looks but I didn't enjoy doing most of it. I found using three strands of floss for one of the colors to be difficult to work with and very hard to see against the natural color Aida. That's why this gets 4 stars and not five. Some of the snowflakes in the background were very difficult too. The chart is on glossy paper but it's not great quality but it's easy to read. It will wear thin and possibly rip where it's creased, like mine did. I do love how Dimensions have their floss attached permanently to a card. I didn't run out of any floss or even come close to it. I will say that both light red and red were hard to differentiate between when using overhead lighting after the sun went in and I was forced to use indoor lighting. Please keep those two separated!

For this you'll need to buy a 6"x8" picture frame, which are hard to find. 

Total cost for kit and frame is $17.