Why You Need the Lucky Nutcracker Stitch-a-Long in Your Life!

August 11, 2021

It's the most wonderful time of the year and the moment you've all been waiting for... the launch of the Christmas 2021 Stitch-a-Long project, the Lucky Nutcracker!

WHAT IS THE NUTCRACKER ABOUT?

We'll follow the magical story of a young German girl who dreams of a prince and a fierce battle against a mouse king! The theme this year is quintessentially festive with all of the cute and colourful elements you would expect. Clara is given a beautiful wooden nutcracker toy and as the clock strikes midnight, strange things start to happen!

Join us for this stitching adventure as we discover an army of mice, toy soldiers into battle with the mice, an enchanted forest wonderland of dancing snowflakes and of course, the Sugar Plum Fairy.

CROSS STITCHING FOR BEGINNERS

Over the last few months, we've welcomed so many new stitchers into our community so this is the perfect time to get involved in this exciting collaborative needlecraft project. Looking ahead to a cosy autumn and winter in front of the fire, what better way to wind-down after a long day than with a brand new Christmas cross stitch project.

This is our 16th stitch-a-long project (the first was Happiness is Homemade back in 2017) and we've received some wonderful feedback from the stitchers that take part. This design includes plenty of fun details for the more experienced stitcher, while the sectional nature of the project lends itself to beginners too. We use full cross stitches only (so nothing complicated including back stitch!)

HOW DOES A STITCH-A-LONG WORK?

If you've never done a stitch-a-long before, you might be wondering, what's this all about, how does it work and how can I join in? Look no further as in this blog post, I'll explain it all and show off some sneak peeks as we go!

The brand new mystery Lucky Nutcracker stitch-a-long starts on 17th September 2021 (the colour and black and white digital PDF patterns are emailed to you once every fortnight). The stitch-a-long is a larger cross stitch design that's broken down into 6 easy, manageable sections. One pattern section is released every 2 weeks for 12 weeks in total, so think of it as a lovely festive surprise directly to your inbox!

PRE-ORDER OPENS ON 11TH AUGUST 2021

 

 

We offer full cross stitch kits packed with all of the great quality supplies you'll need to complete the project together with full support by the team and community in our Facebook group. Think DMC pre-sorted threads, beautiful Zweigart fabrics, DMC needles, illustrated instructions and thread colour key. You'll come away at the end of this wholesome project with a hand-stitched work of art to be proud of that you can cherish and show off for years to come!

 

 

We ship kits, needle minders and all of our other stitchy items worldwide with reasonable Royal Mail shipping costs so you can be sure, whether based in Hawaii, Texas or Sydney, we can get some Christmas magic to you! Our hard-working team have been busy elves getting everything ready and we will be shipping kits out immediately from 12th August onwards. You can choose from standard shipping or the tracked option. 

The full kit materials are shipped to you at the beginning but the patterns are slowly revealed over the duration of the project. All members stitch the same pieces at the same time (although there's absolutely no pressure to stick to any strict deadlines, simply enjoy and stitch at your own pace!)

WHICH CROSS STITCH FABRIC TO USE?

You can choose from PDF patterns only (and source your own supplies) or our full kit options with everything you need including your choice of gorgeous snow white Zweigart fabric options (available in 14 count aida, 16 count aida or 28 count evenweave). I recommend 14 count aida for beginners as its the easiest to stitch on with 14 stitches in a one inch row. 

This year you can also add on our special hard enamel nutcracker needle minder and/or acrylic Christmas tree thread holder. The glossy enamel colours in the magnetic needle minder match the thread shades in the design perfectly! Find out more about our range of needle minders here.  

 

 

Why not join thousands of other stitchers worldwide for this exciting project. It really does feel pretty cool being a part of something so special. If you'd like to share your images on Instagram please tag us @caterpillarcrossstitch and use the hashtag #luckynutcrackerSAL so we can share your work with others!

The pattern is portrait so you can finish it off by framing, turning it into a cushion, mounted or even a simple wall hanging to display in your home over Christmas each year or give as a special gift! If you'd like to treat someone special this year, you can easily gift a kit or needle minder by entering the recipient's details at checkout and even leave a personalised note we can handwrite and include!

Its different to your job, looking after the kids or doing work around the house. This is time out for you. Peace at the end of a stressful day and a chance to really zone-out! When you start off small but after a while see you've actually stitched a beautiful section that's appeared out of nowhere, it gives such a sense of achievement that money can't buy! Cross stitch is wonderful for the soul and mind. Calming and meditative, this delightful hobby will keep you zen all winter!

 

 

If you want to keep your needles super safe during stitching sessions but also love to accessorise, why not take advantage of our needle minder bundle offer? You can choose any 3 from our colourful range of 22 designs for £23.90

There's nothing more frustrating than dropping a needle in the middle of a stitching marathon and hunting around on the sofa or carpet searching desperately. Grab a needle minder and never go through this again! To find out more about needle minders, watch this quick guide HERE.

 

 

HOW CAN I JOIN THE STITCH-A-LONG?

A stitch-a-long is a wonderful way to make new friends, really feel part of a community and find your crafty tribe! Join over 11,000 stitchers from all over the world in our dedicated Facebook group HERE. We share photos of our stitching, tips, chat about our day and support each other. If you have any stitching questions, this is the place to be!

The Lucky Nutcracker stitch-a-long starts on 17th September 2021 and the final part is released in November so this is a great project to get you teeth into over the coming autumnal months in the countdown to Christmas! 

 

Click here to SHOP the Lucky Nutcracker Stitch-a-Long




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