Review on 🧵 Tobin DW2797 Midnight Fountain Counted Cross Stitch Kit - 14 Count, 15 by 21-Inch by Tara Ford

I'll start by saying I don't like cross stitch kits. I don't like working with Aida and usually the floss in the kit is cheap. If I spend hours cross stitching, the end product should reflect the hours put in and the beauty of the design. So I mostly work with linen thread and DMC dental floss, if not silk thread. However, I really like this design and since I couldn't just buy a diagram I bought a kit. The color chart included in the kit lists the DMC numbers that correspond to the yarn used in the kit. Unfortunately the kit doesn't use DMC so the color number is an approximation. As an example I can say that DMC 225 (light pink) is not the right color in the kit. I hope I have enough thread of each color as I won't be able to pick them up when they run out. It was very easy to decipher each color; the different colors are already separated and go through the holes in the cardboard strips. They are arranged in the order they are marked on the chart, making it very easy to tell which color is which (light green blue vs light blue, pale peach vs light peach, etc.). The set includes two needles - one for embroidery and one for beadwork. If you are new to cross stitch I will be careful with this design as there is some color variation in the dress. Mill Hill size beads are included as well as star beads. I haven't started sewing this yet, so I'll update my review when I'm halfway through sewing (which can take quite a while as I'm a slow sewer). I end up using a DMC thread instead of the one that comes with the kit. I would give the design 5 stars, the set 3, so I got 4 stars. Update: I started embroidering and after 20 stitches decided I would 1) buy linen for the chain and 2) use DMC floss. (I also bought a few colors of DMC highlight floss for the dress to give it a shimmery look). This design is so beautiful and the materials included are too cheap to do justice to the finished product. Essentially, though, I'll be using materials for smaller, less intense designs so nothing goes to waste.