Joy Sunday Counted Cross Stitch Kits Cross-Stitch Pattern Villa in the Forest 14CT 23''x19''

Wow! I was looking at pattern books and this little kit came up in my search list. . Well not exactly little, it's 20.87 inches wide x 14.17 inches high. I thought it was so darn cute, and really reasonably priced, not a book but I got it anyway. Wnen it arrived, the thing that struck me was the quality of the kit. First the package itself. Thicker plastic with a snap closure. This kit will travel really well. Next the fabric. Yes, it's just Aida, but it's a bit softer than usual, AND the edges are actually finished. This is the first time I have ever bought a kit where the edge of fabric is so thoughtfully finished, saves me about 6 hours of hand binding. Then the pattern, nice quality paper, printed big enough even these old eyes can see it. the floss, not sure what brand it is, but it's got a lovely sheen. Thread listing is DMC, so I don't have to go the internet and 'hopefully' find a conversion chart. Not sure when I'll find time to stitch it, but it's lovely!

Beautiful design. I like that it's not printed on the fabric. Not for beginners though. The kit is neatly packaged and the chart is printed large enough to see without eyestrain. The edges of the aida come stitched to avoid fraying and the threads are already divided onto a palette. There are two needles where most kits only provide one. I'm very impressed!

I really enjoyed stitching this. Actual stitching days added up to about 2 and a half months. After I was finished, I had plenty of floss left over (shown in photo). Only one color came close to running out (07, for me) but just in case you do run out of floss, the kit provides info for the matching DMCs (the kit threads themselves are not DMC, which is expected for most kits). I did have some trouble identifying what floss was what for some of the back stitching since two were so similar in color on the chart. However, the flosses were also very similar and equal in amount so it wasn’t that much of a problem. If you’re having difficulty finding the center, it’s in her knee closest to the viewer. It’s where the two red lines meet on page 2. I’ve started several other kits since this one, and they will almost always tell you where the center is, frequently with arrows. If you use the loop method, when picking a color, take out one strand, fold it in half, and then cut at the fold. This will give you a more manageable length of thread to work with and will better prevent knots from happening. And another tip: I’d recommend back stitching in sections and not waiting until the end. For me, it wasn’t my favorite thing ever but I really like the detail it gives the image. It just wouldn’t have been the same without it. I’m very happy with how this turned out and I’m going to be starting another Joy Sunday kit next year!

I love the image and I’m so glad I made the purchase. I think the image does not do the actual project justice. It’s more vibrant, which is why I gave it 4 stars. I love the Joy Sunday kits. I did not, however, love the pattern itself. I am an experienced cross stitcher, but it was difficult to identify some the colors on the pattern because the back stitch line covered squares on the pattern. Most of the back stitch was easy, but I am having difficulty identifying NO. 25 & 34 and to a lesser degree 06 & 19. I wish the colors on the backstitch key were more contrasting. I also did not like the glossy paper. I wish I had help with confirming the back stitch colors. I’m not quite finished. I’m trying to make the best guess as to the correct or best choice of color. With all the work we put we put into these projects, I want it to be the best it can be.

Sunday Joy always meets my expectations! Instructions are easy to follow and the finished product is always beautiful!! Easy to do for all ages and it’s just an easy cross stitch!

This is a great cross stitch kit! Only complaint i have is the colors are so similar it's hard to see the subtle differences.

The colors and printed pattern make it so easy to do. It is going to be gorgeous when I am finished. I love it!!

This is really well done. I haven't finished it all, but so far appears to have enough thread. I wouldn't recommend this for beginners or anyone with failing eyesight. There are so many colors, I'm not sure how they could differentiate the colors enough to make it easier. It is a large project, so the symbols are tiny. If you have good lighting and eyesight, it's ok though. I'm enjoying the product and activity very much.

The charts that come with this picture are beautifully colored and easy to read, the Aida cloth is stitched all around the edges so there’s no fraying. It comes from Singapore, I was surprised it arrived within a couple of weeks.

The item was exactly what I wanted, once complete it will make an excellent gift.

The item was delivered over a week early and seems to have all the necessary parts. There is a nice colour chart.

Everything was there, too advanced for me

I ordered and was described as counted cross stitch on white Aida cloth. Christmas morning it was opened and it is pretty printed kit counted. So garish and so very disappointing!!! Don’t know if the recipient will do it do awful. Very sad .