Taline's Tulips Large cross stitch folk embroidery kit

The Taline's Tulip cross stitch folk embroidery kit shows the power of folk embroidery to connect people across generations and lands: Taline Voskeritchian shared her family's heirloom folk embroidery with me and asked me to keep it alive. I was honored to keep such a glorious design alive for the next generation and prevent it being lost to history. The intricate central motif of crosses, tulips, and arrows appears in both Armenian and Greek folk embroideries in several variations, a reminder of how deeply intertwined folk embroidery is in many lands. Worked in a sophisticated palette of coral, warm blue, green, old gold, garnet, alizarin, and turquoise, all balanced and grounded by black outlining, it is a genuinely stunning example of how folk embroidery combines bold geometric elements with intricate backstitch and a graceful use of negative space.

This is a large, ambitious table runner and one of the most rewarding pieces in the Avlea collection.

What you'll make: A 17 x 40" table runner

What's in your kit:

• One 19 x 42" piece of 30ct 100% European linen in Vanilla
• DMC 6-strand embroidery floss
• John James size 24 cross stitch needle
• Full color chart and instructions

Stitches used: Cross stitch, backstitch Skill level: Intermediate Stitch count: 12,468 cross stitches, 19,990 backstitches (214 x 556 stitch area)

Krista's note: for Taline's Tulips Large, I used 2 strands of DMC for all backstitches and have included enough floss for that; if you prefer a more delicate backstitch look, please see the Taline's Tulips Small for what 1 strand of DMC looks like.

Please note: the drawn thread hem finishing shown in the photos has to be done after the design is stitched; the fabric in your kit will come with the raw edges serged so they don't unravel while you are stitching.