Marta

Pattern/Kit: Marta

Designer: Kasia Jacquot

Thread: The kit came with a set of DMC embroidery floss. Lovely colors, but . . . I needed to supplement with floss from my own collection as the kit didn’t include one of the colors (the darker brown), and I ran just slightly short of another (pink).

Stitches: The instructions call for satin stitch, leaf stitch, back stitch, French knots, stem stitch, fly stitch, and single stitches.

Kit: The kit is wonderful and very well put together. Instructions are clear and easy to follow, and all materials are of high quality. The instructions include comprehensive stitch guides and color charts (with YouTube videos for additional help, if needed). The packaging itself is really lovely — probably the most beautifully packaged kit I’ve ever seen — and it comes with fun “extras” like a printed pattern (should you want to stitch another with your own materials) and a little gift card (should you want to give the finished sampler as a gift). I didn’t have quite enough floss to finish the sampler, and I was missing one color thread entirely. (It happens.) I’m pretty confident that they would have been quick to send me the missing floss if I’d let them know (this company just seems very exacting — and clearly they care about delighting their customers), but I didn’t contact them. (I have plenty of floss laying around, so just found a suitable replacement.)

I ordered my kit from Snuggly Monkey (I highly recommend this shop, by the way!), and it was significantly cheaper than the kit on the designer’s website. (Just sayin.)

Completed: August 2024 (This was my watch-the-Summer-Olympics project.)

What am I going to do with it? This one will definitely turn into a throw pillow someday.

Finishing notes:

  • I always use a backing fabric when I embroider. This time, I used a plain white muslin backing fabric, and used my sewing machine zigzag stitch to attach it to the linen pattern cloth. It was so nice to not have to deal with unraveling linen threads while I stitched.
  • I never use an embroidery hoop when I stitch. (I hates ’em.)
  • I was intrigued by the printed patterning on this piece. It’s so funny to . . . have blocks of color instead of lines to follow (see photos below).
  • Mostly, I followed the pattern instructions exactly. I did add a few things here and there, but not as much as I usually do.
  • I used 6 strands of embroidery floss throughout the project. I really wanted the texture to stand out and be noticed! The French knots with 6 strands were a bit of a challenge (but totally worth it!), so I kept a small pliers nearby for the really stubborn bits.
  • I loved stitching this kit, and I’m contemplating ordering another. . . The colors are vibrant, the designs are fun and whimsical, and the texture is wonderful. A bit WIN in my book.