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1. 

   FifiT
   Member

   My name is Fiona Townsend and I am a third year student on the BA Hand Embroidery degree course at the Royal School of Needlework. I am currently researching and writing my dissertation on the significant increase in popularity of kits over the last 50 years. I am carrying out a survey amongst embroiderers to find out their opinions on the relevance of cross-stitch kits today. I would be really grateful if you could spend a few minutes answering the following questions to help me with my research. I will keep all of your answers anonymous and confidential.

   1) For what reason would you complete a cross stitch kit?
   2) How many kits do you do per year?
   3) Do you enjoy doing kits and why?
   4) Do you prefer cross stitch kits or free hand embroidery?
   5) Do you think there are any disadvantages to embroidery kits? If yes, what are they and why?

   Thank you very much for your time.

   Posted 11 years ago #
2. 

   Janet Nicholl
   Member

   I complete a kit because it's one I have chosen and like (usually).
   Probably around 10 - depending on the size and/or complexity.
   I enjoy kits because I am not very good at design and there are soooo many wonderful designers out there I don't need to do my own.
   I prefer cross stitch - or to be correct "counted stitch" projects on even weave linen. Just cross stitch is boring ( but occasionally light relief if it's a small project). In the main I prefer kits with a good variety of stitch types. Also black work, hardanger, etc but still kits.
   The only disadvantage (not very often) in a kit is when they are short of thread and it is hard to find if it is a speciality one such as a space dyed.

   I am retired and broadening my stitching choice so have tried simple gold work ( enjoyed it but may not progress it) plan to try crewel work having seen a friends first projects and maybe some free hand embroidery but I also quilt so am running out of supply of time!! :-)
   Good luck with your studies. I am sure you will get plenty of responses from the ladies here.

   Posted 11 years ago #
3. 

   Ann S
   Member

   I've been cross stitching now for about 15 years and have nearly always, although not exclusively, used kits. When I began, I wanted to stitch but needed a kit with full instuctions in order to get started. I have since done some small projects to my own 'design' although I don't see myself as a designer. The advantages for me are that I can get straight on with stitching and some of the designs available are amazing.

   The number of kits done in a year varies according to the size of the project and the time available (I also knit a lot and make quilts for family members -strangely,I've never used a pattern for a quilt, preferring to make it up according to the dictates of the child for whom it is intended and also of the fabrics chosen). For example, some 10 years ago I cross stitched an Eva Rosendstand sea and ships scape, using a kit; it took 18 months to complete and was the only stitching project done in that period - it is now framed and is often mistaken by visitors for a painting, so superb is the design which I could never have done. Last year I did a lot of cards, but fewer bigger projects and the total was probably around 20 kits but many of them small.

   I now have quite a collection of threads and of fabrics and would probably, in future, restrict my buying to charts rather than complete kits.

   I've recently taken up crewel work and have begun with two kits - again for ease of getting into a new embroidery style but can see myself designing to some extent - using historical sources - in future. I've also done some small canvas work pieces without kits.

   Disadvantages of kits; there are not always sufficient threads supplied and I often choose to stitch on a different fabric to that supplied.

   Which is preferred? Depends on my mood and time of day. I am fascinated by free embroidery but, if I'm looking to stitch in the evening in front of the TV I'll cross stitch because I know how to do it and can do do without too much intellectual effort.

   Hope this is helpful.

   Posted 11 years ago #
4. 

   Marie Stein
   Member

   Hi Fiona
   I've only been doing cross-stitch for about 12 months but hope my contribution is helpful.

   1) For what reason would you complete a cross stitch kit? Because I love the design and want to sew it. I've only finished 2 complete projects but one was very big and took about six months. It will go on the wall once I've found a frame.

   2) How many kits do you do per year? See above reply - I'd rather do a small number of large/complex designs that I really enjoy than lots of small ones.

   3) Do you enjoy doing kits and why? Kits are a good way of buying materials, especially if the design includes lots of different colours/types of threads, otherwise it would be very expensive to purchase a lot of different threads. Having built up a small stash of threads over the past year, I'm working on a "chart only" project and using the threads I own. But kits are a very comprehensive way of working especially if you're new to the craft.

   4) Do you prefer cross stitch kits or free hand embroidery? Cross stitch at the moment, but I did a lot of embroidery when I was younger so that could change.

   5) Do you think there are any disadvantages to embroidery kits? If yes, what are they and why? Overall I can't think of any specific disadvantages. I think kits are a good idea, especially for those of us who can sew but can't design! Some kits can seem a bit pricey though you can save a bit of money by just buying the chart and using less expensive threads.

   Hope this helps and good luck with your research
   Marie

   Posted 11 years ago #
5. 

   Valerie
   Member

   I very rarely buy a kit .... much prefer just to be able to buy a chart and choose my own fabrics etc from the huge amount of stash I seem to have accumulated over the past many many years ....

   Posted 11 years ago #
6. 

   Su Maddocks
   Member

   Hi Fiona
   1 - I would complete a cross stitch kit because I had chosen to buy it because I wanted to work it.
   2 - I do an average of 8 projects a year - these can be kits or patterns I have worked using materials from my own stash.
   3 - I only work projects I like and have chosen to do - these can as equally be kits as my own designs from my own stash
   4 - I prefer "counted stitch" kits to free hand embroidery - I rarely work pure cross stitch but prefer projects that include other counted stitches, drawn thread, pulled work and hardanger. I also do crewel work and do not buy kits for this.
   5 - All kits vary and depend on the quality of the design, materials and instructions. They can be an advantage when the design requires a large number of small amounts of expensive threads - to have to buy a full skein of a large number of threads can make a design extremely costly where a kit can provide a more economical option. Disadvantages can include insufficient thread to allow for any adaptations or errors. Some kits don't offer material exchange such as aida to evenweave. Some have extremely poor or complicated instructions and some can demonstrate a lack of proof reading. One soon learns which designers produce good kits.
   Hope this helps and good luck with your dissertation - Su

   Posted 11 years ago #
7. 

   Jean Strange
   Member

   Hi Fiona
   1. I would buy and complete a kit because I really liked it, if it was a kit from certain USA or Canadian designers as they often have unusual expensive threads that are difficult or impossible to source in the UK.
   2. Up to about 10 projects dependeing on size and complexity.
   3. I enjoy the kits I choose, like others I prefer kits with other stitches, pulled thread, drawn thread, hardanger etc. I recentley did workshops on bead work and crewel work not sure if I will do much of either of these. I have also done some canvas work which I enjoyed, but again this included a number of different stitches not just tent stitch. I do also buy just charts and stitch from my stash if DMC colours are listed as I have a complete set of these.
   4.As others have said it depends on the quality of design, materials and instruction. My pet hate is kits which do not state the type of thread i.e. DMC, Anchor etc. and do not give colour numbers just give them names e.g. olive green, leaf green etc. You can not then make up any short fall from your own stash or buy any extra thread needed or check with a shade card that you are using the right thread in the right place! I tend to buy from tried and tested designers from the UK, USA and Canada.
   Hope this will be useful good luck
   Jean.

   Posted 11 years ago #
8. 

   Pam D
   Member

   Hi Fiona, when my embroidery was purely Cross Stitch., I would buy a large complex kit that could take me a year to work. Then I moved onto Counted work, drawn thread, hardanger, I initially still bought kits as rhe guidance in the kits was useful. These tend to be quicker to do, so perhaps 10 /12 per year. I have now moved on to mainly Goldwork and Stumpwork. But now I work only from books and not so keen on the kits for these. As long as the fabric in the kit is good quality I think there are no disadvantages to using kits. Kind regards, Pam

   Posted 11 years ago #
9. 

   parddu
   Member

   Hello Fiona
   1. I stitch kits because I like the pattern and colours. If I like the pattern but not the colours I'll buy the chart if available separately and make my own kit with my own colours. I do tend to make alterations to kits, e.g. I have translated English writing into Welsh and added some writing to a design which I felt needed it as a finishing touch.
   2. It depends on the projects I've got on hand - this includes quilting and knitting projects as well as stitching.
   3/4. If I'm stitching a kit I really have to like it. I've moved on from pure cross stitch to all sorts of counted embroidery - blackwork, hardanger, pattern darning etc. Each technique has its own attraction.
   5. Some kits are exceptional in their standard of fabric, quality of fabric and threads and attractiveness of design. These are very often the more expensive ones. The cheaper ones can have poor quality fabric, threads not by a recognised manufacturer and poor quality design and instructions.
   Good luck with your research.
   Rosemary

   Posted 11 years ago #
10. 

    Rita Barron
    Member

    HI Fiona!
    To answer your questions:
    1. I would complete a cross stitch kit because I like the design
    2. I probably complete around two large kits per year and around six cards plus probably around three or four small projects.
    3. I really enjoy doing kits as I don't particularly like designing although I sometimes change bits in kits to personalise or custom depending what or who they are for. Unfortunately, most kits have Aida fabric and I much prefer stitching on linen so I always change that for a start! I also enjoy kits with other counted stitches and really enjoy hardanger. Kits containing a variety of counted stitches are more interesting to do as just cross stitch can get boring particularly if it is a large kit.
    4. I like free style embroidery too but find cross stitch quicker and less stressful as I am surer of a more professional finish. Probably comes from my lack of confidence with free style embroidery!
    5.With embroidery kits you have to be careful to cover the lines as they often don't wash out!
    Hope that answers all your questions! Good luck with your dissertation!!

    Posted 11 years ago #
11. 

    FifiT
    Member

    Hi ladies,
    Thank you very much to all of you who have posted answers to my questions. Your comments are great and are giving me lots to talk about in my dissertation. Just to confirm, I am not using any of your names so your views will be confidential.
    Thanks again for your help and if anyone else wishes to post their answers they are very welcome to do so. I will not use any future posts in my dissertation but it would still be nice to your thoughts on this issue.
    Fiona

    Posted 11 years ago #

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