If you love cross-stitch and lean toward the dark side of Disney’s storylines, this pattern book and kit might be just what Dr. Facilier ordered.
With 12 patterns and enough materials included to make two of them, this Disney Villains Cross Stitch kit is all you need to get started. They even include a hoop and a blunted needle. All you probably need is scissors.
The beginning part of the book has an introduction and then some basic cross-stitch instruction that covers tools and materials, getting started, how to do a cross-stitch, reading patterns, finishing up, and all about embroidery floss and embroidery hoops.
What’s Included?
The kit includes patterns for Cruella de Vil, the Evil Queen from Snow White, Maleficent, Ursula, Mufasa, Jafar, Dr. Facilier, and Hades, and many of these villains have two patterns each. The kit also includes enough materials to make a Cruella de Vil and an Ursula pattern, such as Aida fabric and embroidery floss, so you don’t even need to head out to your local craft store to get any supplies. Convenient during a pandemic.
I asked my favorite Disney Villain fan (my partner, GeekDad Rory) what he’d like me to make for him. He choose one of the Maleficent patterns. Since that pattern required materials that weren’t part of the kit, I dug through my own Aida stash, but only found a much-smaller grid size for the necessary color, with twice as many stitches per inch. So, I used the much-smaller Aida fabric. (Fortunately, the pattern used some of the included embroidery floss colors.) And, deviating a bit from the book’s plan, I used one strand of embroidery floss instead of two because of the smaller grid. I admit that I did have to take off my glasses so I could see what I was doing close-up. Fortunately, middle age hasn’t yet stolen my close-up vision.
All of the patterns in the book come complete with a finished image, a pattern to follow, basic instructions, embroidery floss color numbers, and the approximate finished sizes for size 16 and 14 Aida fabric. I did mine in 28, so it’s quite wee.
My Project
It was very easy to follow the book’s instructions, and, even though I messed up a bit, it was easy enough to balance out the stitches and then rejoin the printed instructions, already in progress. That’s what I get for having conversations with my kids while stitching; I lose my place.
I think Maleficent turned out pretty well, even though I did get distracted while stitching the purple “fire” collar on the right, so I had to fudge the pattern a bit on the left so that it would line up. But, unless you’d seen the original pattern, you’d never know! Rory is pleased with the result. (Yes, I ironed it. Aida doesn’t lie flat for me, for some reason.)
What If I’m New to Cross-Stitch?
Cross-stitch is a pretty basic needle craft, so even if you’re new to this kind of thing, the learning curve is pretty shallow. You’ll learn all that you need to know in just a few pages of this book, and then you can dive into any of the projects. I do recommend starting with one of the smaller ones, if you’re new, but otherwise, have at it. My biggest tip is to count twice, stitch once. Stitches must be lined up just so or else the picture won’t turn out.
The Disney Villains Cross Stitch book is out now and sells for less than $20. Well worth the money, if you love Disney’s version of evil. Muahaha.
If your Disney love leans more toward the nice, happily-ever-after side, there is also a Disney Princess Cross-Stitch book that came out a couple of years ago. It also looks fantastic, and it’s under $10!
Note: I received a copy of the book for review purposes. All distracted stitching mess-ups are my own.
Click through to read all of “Adorn Your Home With Cross-Stitched Disney Villains” at GeekMom.If you value content from GeekMom, please support us via Patreon or use this link to shop at Amazon. Thanks!
