Sashiko is a traditional Japanese embroidery technique that uses running stitches to make lines (straight or otherwise) that reinforce and insulate fabric. It can be used as a mending technique or for decorative purposes, and it has become popular in … Read More...
Cross Stitch Project Bags: Storage Ideas to Keep Your WIPs Organized
Cross stitch project bags aren’t a necessity, but if you’re traveling with a work-in-progress, or just want to keep your fabric, floss and notions clean and corralled away from kids or pets, the right project bag makes a real difference.… Read More...
Tropical Bird Crafts and Learning Activities
I don’t know why tropical animals feel like something you should learn about in the summer, because these tropical bird crafts and activities are great to do any time of year. Let’s take a look.
Homeschool Giveaways has a printable … Read More...
Pretty Tank Top Knitting Patterns to Keep You Cool
I’ve been writing about knitting online for a long time, and a lot of things have changed. But one good thing I think has changed over the years is that fewer people see knitting as a seasonal activity. Most people … Read More...
Seagull Cross Stitch Patterns
Summertime is beach time, and that means it’s the perfect season to stitch up some seagull cross stitch patterns — those favorite scavengers of the shore, in chart form
This little seagull stamp from Easy Patterns Only is super cute … Read More...
Silverberry Designs: Cross Stitch Patterns for Game Nights, Pride & More
I was directed to a cross stitch pattern from Silverberry Designs for a recent post I was working on, and I knew that I needed to share them with you for one reason: cross stitch Clue.
Silverberry Designs is an … Read More...
Try This Fun Bake Off Drawing Challenge with a Group of Kids
My daughter is 16 and one of her favorite things to do on school breaks is watch The Great British Bake Off. It’s such a soothing show, as well as being creative and fun, and it’s low stakes enough … Read More...
Knit a Swirly Square in Any Size You Like
This swirly square stitch knitting pattern from Studio Knit is a lot of fun, and it looks kind of complicated without being difficult at all.
The swirly nature of the block comes from regularly placed increases, as the pattern is … Read More...
How to Travel with Cross Stitch: Airport Rules, Packing Tips & What to Bring
Cross stitch isn’t a craft I usually travel with myself, but plenty of stitchers want to bring a project on a plane or road trip — here’s what you need to know about packing needles, scissors and thread so security … Read More...
Book Review: Wild Your World
Most kids go through a phase where they want to learn more about animals, and it’s fun for them to learn about the diversity of the natural world and what humans can do to protect other creatures we share the … Read More...
Knit a Stunning Bestiary Scarf
I don’t even know what to say about this amazing knitting pattern. The Bestiary Scarf from Monstra & Mirabilia is so full of details it’s a little intimidating to talk about.
It features, as the designer describes it, an “artistic … Read More...
Fourth of July Cross Stitch Sampler Patterns
Looking for Fourth of July cross stitch sampler patterns? These patriotic, sampler-style charts are a great place to start if you want something more general than my America 250 picks.
Stitch up some classic July 4th symbols, from the Statue … Read More...
America 250 Fourth of July Activities for Kids
A lot of kids aren’t in school for the Fourth of July, but whether you’re in a classroom or at home, you’ll probably want to mark July 4, 2026, in a special way because it is America’s 250th birthday. And … Read More...
Patriotic Knitting Patterns to Celebrate America’s Birthday
As I’m writing this the United States is about to celebrate a pretty big birthday, and while some of us have complicated feelings about that country right now, I think most of us would agree both that it’s a place … Read More...
Plan This Fun Lego Challenge for a Group of Kids or Just One
With summer coming on in the Northern Hemisphere, I feel like we all need some fun activities we can do with one kid at home or a bunch in a classroom when it’s too hot to go outside (I guess … Read More...
Unique Stitch Crafts: Travel & Christmas Stocking Cross Stitch Patterns
Unique Stitch Crafts is a Turkish Etsy shop with two clear specialties in their cross stitch patterns: travel-poster designs for cities and national parks, and an enormous collection of Christmas stockings — more than 100 of them.
By far the … Read More...
Choose Your Own Brioche Knitting Adventure with this Shawl Knitting Pattern
If you’re looking for a fun project to play with brioche knitting, check out the My Buddy knitting pattern/recipe from Casuarinagirl on Ravelry.
This project doesn’t include a brioche tutorial, so it’s good to know the basics, including how … Read More...
Learning about Finland for Kids
Finland is a country in Northern Europe bordered by Sweden, Norway and Russia, as well as the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia. Let’s learn more about this Nordic country.
Finland Basics
Finland is 130,678 square miles, or … Read More...
Stitch Your Favorite Fruit on a Sweater
The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.”
Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at … Read More...
Cross Stitch Embroidery Hoops: Types, Sizes & How to Choose the Right One
An embroidery hoop is one of the most common cross stitch supplies, right up there with fabric, needles and floss — but with wooden, plastic, spring tension and Q-Snap options out there, it’s worth knowing which kind actually suits your … Read More...