The Bottom Line
With one hundred and sixteen miniature ornament patterns in Mini Cross-Stitch Ornaments there is a lot of scope for a wide range of projects and decorations. The small but detailed designs are all 50 stitches or less in either direction, with many of them being in the 25 to 30 stitch square range. The designs range from whimsical to traditional and are all designed to be fused to a felt backing and trimmed to an outline for shaping as hanging ornaments or gift tags. These manageable projects are quick to stitch and easy to work on at home or on the go.
Pros
- Wide Range of Color Related Designs and Shapes for All Kinds of Christmas Themes
- Easy To Read Symbol Charts With Colored Lines for Straight Stitches
- Most Designs Use Ten to Twenty Colors Giving Great Depth
- Finishing Instructions are Clearly Laid Out
- Colored Samples of the Finished Designs are Included
Cons
- Charts Aren't Grouped by Pattern Theme or Shape, Makes it Harder to Plan a Collection
- Quarter Stitches Used to Create Detail
Description
- All designs are for felt backed hanging ornaments or gift tags.
- These are very coordinated designs, allowing you to work across themes or shapes to create an individualized collection.
- Good range of small to medium and larger ornaments with many small (25 x25 stitches) and simple designs for quick projects.
- Within design themes, patterns don't just differ in color, but also in shape and detail.
Guide Review - Mini Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments from Kooler Design Studio and Leisure Arts
This collection of more than one hundred miniature ornaments includes santas (21), snowmen (8+), candies(5) and baking (6), toys (8+), angels (2), cats(6), trees(5+), bears(6), mice(4) and stockings(9). There are numbered designs for a set of the Twelve Days of Christmas ornaments which could be used for a twelve day advent countdown, and several designs for toys, birdhouses and food (cupcakes and cookies) which could be used for celebrations other than Christmas.
Seven designs feature seasonal greetings which could be adapted to make a personalized gift tag. My favorite three, a Christmas hippo, fox, and cow in red hats, show the whimsical side of this very complete collection. This leaflet will be a great resource for tags, ornaments and decorations. I fancy a set of hippos for napkin rings!
Easy to read charts are composed of black and white symbols with colored lines for back stitch. The fabric suggested for the designs is 14 count Aida with three strands of floss for cross stitches. Most designs feature quarter stitches, back stitches and French knots for details, but with projects this small, the amount of detail stitches isn't overwhelming for less experienced stitchers. The front of the booklet contains clear instructions for every stitch needed as well as a list of finishing instructions.
