Cross Stitch Kits, Cross Stitch Patterns and lots more ...

We supply cross stitch kits, cross stitch patterns, embroidery charts, books, and needlecraft supplies and accessories at discount prices to stitchers all over the world.

Why choose Arts and Designs?

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    US: 360-382-2172
    UK: 0207-100-3509
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Little Girls

What are little girls made of?
What are little girls made of?

   Sugar and spice
   And everything nice,

That's what little girls are made of

(click image for details)
The Last Rose - cross-stitch kit by Bothy Threads

The Last Rose

Puddles of Love - cross-stitch kit by Bothy Threads

Puddles of Love

Country Girl - tapestry kit by Luca - S

Country Girl

GorJuss - Purrrrrfect Love - tapestry kit by Bothy Threads

GorJuss - Purrrrrfect Love

The Pretend Friend - cross-stitch kit by Bothy Threads

The Pretend Friend

Silhouette Girl with Cat - cross-stitch kit by Luca - S

Silhouette Girl with Cat

Girl with the Flowered Hat - cross-stitch kit by Lanarte

Girl with the Flowered Hat

Gorjuss - Little Annie - tapestry kit by Bothy Threads

Gorjuss - Little Annie

More Little Girls ...

Thread a Little Happiness!

best cross stitch sites on the web

"Just a quick note to say thanks very much indeed for the very prompt delivery of the cross stitch pattern I ordered from you - it looks great, and all I need to do now is find time to stitch it up! Thanks again for a great service." - LC, Scotland

"I just had to write and thank you ever so much for your quick and prompt service. The kit arrived on 31st March. If we cannot find what we are looking for here in Canada, we will definitely be looking at your website. I would highly recommend your company to anyone who is asking me where they can purchase kits from the UK." - MP, BC, Canada

"The item arrived at 11:30 this morning (Thurs), thank you for a very efficient service!" - RW, Lincs., United Kingdom

"Amazingly quick shipment, I received today items I ordered a couple of days ago. Thank you for thread conversion." - AN, Vääksy, Finland

"What brilliant service. Order arrived safely, across the other side of the world, this morning. Very many thanks." - JW, Auckland, New Zealand

See more testimonials here ...

News

The Meadows' Queen

«The empress of the year, the meadows' queen,
Back from the East, with all her goodly train,
Is come, to glorify the world again»
(John Payne, 1842 1916)

We have four lovely new designs by Eva Rosenstand, two of country garden landscapes and two of profuse flowers, garden and wild. The kits are all available in two fabrics 26 count 100% linen evenweave and 14 count Aida.

Little Jem - Cherry on Top, cross-stitch kit by Bothy Threads

As promised last month we have all the latest Bothy Threads kits a new 'dictionary', this time technology, another Little Jem (see picture), cartoon cats, dogs and teddies ... and a pretty love heart.

Classic Embroidery have two different colour versions of favourite blackwork designs Tallulah in Black is on white fabric and the Blackwork Oriental Dragon has green scales.

Classic's blackwork designs are many and various and a good place to start if you enjoy this delicate art.

Classic have also announced that they will stop producing their Map Collection this summer. We believe the popular Shipping Forecast Map will stay!

Talking of delicate arts, some more of Permin of Copenhagen's hardanger kits have just arrived with lots of new Christmas designs.

And don't forget Rico Design also produce some interesting and less challenging kits in hardanger.

Janlynn have discontinued many of their older kits but of course there are plenty of new ones to take their place. Some of our stock of Janlynn kits have made it to the Bargain Basement to make space for the new ones.

Our most recent designer Mary Gaines has been busy adding more of her downloadable charts and we now offer a large and varied group of these 'instant' patterns.

A customer recently asked us to find larger long stitch kits. We have added a few circular designs by Anchor which although only a little larger are very attractive pictures of the English countryside.

And finally ... we have added galleries of our customers' own work for you to browse, enjoy and comment on (if the gallery owner is willing). If you're an Arts and Designs customer we encourage you to create your own gallery and share pictures of your work.

You can find the galleries here or by clicking the Needlecraft Info -> Customer Galleries tab in the Informtion Menu.

Please visit the galleries, create your own gallery and let us have your comments and suggestions!

And enjoy these meadowy days because it's a whole year before they'll return.

Art and Craft Events

So much choice ... You have hundreds of cross stitch designers and suppliers to choose from, so here is a little more detailed information on some of them, their products and our opinions ...

Rose Swalwell

Rose Swalwell is the founder of Derwentwater Designs, named after the lake in the beautiful English Lake District where she lives and where her business is situated.

The company has been designing and manufacturing embroidery kits since the mid 1980s and Rose still designs most of the kits although there is also a team of designers each specialising in a different range.

Green Apple

Green Apple Inc. has been a leader in the cross stitch industry for many years and has become known for having designs of sophistication and artistic quality - designs truly worthy of becoming heirlooms.

Among their most popular are the adorable Beatrix Potter and Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies, as well as Southern Roots and French Country Designs. These come mainly in booklet form with a large number of pictures in each, clearly illustrated on black and white charts. Some booklets have colour illustrations of the finished works.

Many of the individual designs are small and would therefore be suitable for all abilities. Larger pieces would be for those with more experience.

Ever popular is their Beatrix Potter collection with converted illustrations of birds and animals from her books which are suitable for children and the nursery. With many different formats and uses these are excellent value.

Beatrix Potter was born in 1866 into an upper class Victorian family in London. While her brother was sent away to school she was educated at home in art and music. She became interested in nature and the environment in family holidays spent in Scotland and the Lake District and became a skilled artist at an early age. As well as the famous illustrations for her books, she painted landscapes, flowers and fossils.

Her first book The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published in 1902 and a large number of small books followed up until around 1920, featuring her much loved characters Jemima Puddle-duck, Mrs Tiggy Winkle, Tom Kitten and many more.

She retired to the Lake District where she bought a sheep farm and with the steady stream of income from her books she bought more land in the area which on her death was left to the National Trust to ensure that the beauty of the area would remain unspoiled. Her legacy is now part of the Lake District National Park.

Her most famous books have been published by Frederick Warne & Company since 1902.

maia

maia is an exclusive range of beautiful and artistic embroidery kits designed to inspire you down to the very last stitch.

Maia is the goddess of spring, growth, life, rebirth and love – all fitting qualities for you and your stitching.

Produced by Coats Crafts, maia kits include carefully sorted Anchor thread, quality fabric and easy to follow charts and instructions. The designs are all inspired by the artwork of various artists - Karl Bang, Thomas Kinkade, Keith Mallett, Erte, Nel and Kawase Hasui.

Quality cross stitch kits, inspirational design.

Lanarte

Lanarte
The Dutch company Lanarte have produced many and varied designs. They produce quality large scale charts in black and white with detailed instructions in several languages.

In 1934, Augustinus (Guus) Vergnes opened a shop in Leeuwarden selling yarn and knitting wool. The range was gradually extended to include other needlecrafts, such as simple cross-stitch kits. Over the years, Guus managed to open numerous shops throughout the country under the name Naaldkunst (Needlecraft). As the range of needlecraft kits was not very broad at that time, Guus felt the need to design his own.

Lanarte, now grown into a family business was set up in 1973 and new business premises were built on the newly developed Schenkenschans industrial area in Leeuwarden, Holland.

Lanarte's collections consist of :-

  • Art Nouveau - Stylish images from the golden age of art
  • Home and Garden - beautiful flower pictures, individually, in bouquets and vases or in garden setting;
  • Romance - delicate colours and subtle shades in pictures of beautiful women, children and flowers;
  • Marjolein Bastin - designs of flowers, birds and samplers from the well known Dutch illustrator;
  • Classic - from paintings, posters and Dutch tiles;
  • Animals - styled, realistic and cartoons;
  • Culture - Egyptian collages, oriental ladies, dark African beauties are all in this group;
  • Holiday - lighthouses and seaside views and the country with fields of flowers;
  • Just for Kids - cute teddies, toys and contemporary birth samplers;
  • Maria van Scharrenburg - beautiful fantasy figures, romantic baby pictures and a cute nursery range.
Arts and Designs is an Upfront Merchant on TheFind. Click for info.
Cross Stitch kits, charts, designs and leaflets; original paintings for sale.
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