Avlea Arcadian Peony Cross Stitch Folk Embroidery

$52.00

• Designer: Avlea Folk Embroidery
• Project Type: Cross Stitch Folk Embroidery Table Runner
• Finished Size: 14" x 24"
• Stitch Area: 163 x 284 Stitches
• Stitch Count: 12,827 Cross Stitches
• Stitches Used: Cross Stitch
• Skill Level: Confident Beginner
• Available As: Kit or Paper Pattern

Cross Stitch Kit Includes

• One 17" x 26" Piece of 26-Count 100% Cotton Traditional Groundcloth in Natural
• DMC 6-Strand Embroidery Floss
• John James Size 24 Cross Stitch Needle
• Full-Color Chart and Instructions

Paper Pattern

Includes the chart and instructions for creating the Arcadian Peony design using your own fabric, floss, and needle.

Product Description

Avlea’s Arcadian Peony is a beautiful example of the Greek folk embroidery table runners stitched throughout the 20th century. Lush peony flowers emerge from rich greenery and are framed by a geometric laurel leaf border, creating a design that feels both exuberant and beautifully balanced.

The pairing of delicate peonies with the classical laurel border draws on Mediterranean decorative traditions that stretch back thousands of years. Worked in rich, saturated colors, the design captures the distinctive combination of geometry, floral motifs, and vivid color that makes Greek folk embroidery so recognizable.

Arcadian Peony is worked entirely in cross stitch, making the technique itself straightforward while the scale of the project offers a satisfying next step for someone ready to move beyond a first cross stitch project. With 12,827 stitches and a 163 x 284 stitch area, Avlea classifies it as a Confident Beginner project.

Choose the Kit for Avlea’s 26-count Traditional Groundcloth, DMC floss, John James needle, and full-color chart and instructions. Or choose the Paper Pattern if you already have your own cross stitch materials and would like to select your own fabric and floss.

Please note that the drawn-thread hem shown in the finished photographs is completed after the embroidery. Fabric included with the kit arrives with the raw edges serged to prevent unraveling while you stitch.

Why We Love It at A Show of Hands

Arcadian Peony feels like a wonderful introduction to what makes Greek folk embroidery so special. The flowers are joyful and colorful, but the strong geometric border gives the entire piece structure and connects it to a much older Mediterranean decorative tradition.

We also love that such an intricate-looking finished piece is created entirely with cross stitch. It gives newer stitchers an opportunity to take on a substantial, beautiful project without needing to master a long list of embroidery techniques.

Perfect For

• Confident beginning cross stitchers
• Greek folk art and textile lovers
• Table runners and decorative linens
• Traditional handwork
• Mediterranean-inspired interiors
• Slow stitching projects
• Handmade heirlooms
• Experienced stitchers looking for a relaxing larger project
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Gather and craft Join us in our store for crafting, to ask questions, or dream up new projects!
Pay with Apple Pay We offer Apple Pay as a swift and secure way to make a payment at checkout.
Order online, collect in-store Choose in-store collection at checkout to pick up your order at select Fresh locations.
Gather and craft Join us in our store for crafting, to ask questions, or dream up new projects!

We’re here for the love of it and the fun of it. For the craft that connects us to something older than any of us.

Fiber Information

Yarn Weight + WPI

Yarn weight refers to the thickness of a yarn. Thickness determines appropriate needle or hook size, finished fabric density, and yardage requirements. Standard weight categories from thinnest to thickest: lace, fingering, sport, DK, worsted, bulky, super bulky.


Weight labels on yarn are approximate. Wraps per inch (WPI) gives a more precise measurement. To measure WPI: wrap yarn snugly around a ruler for one inch, without overlapping strands or stretching. Count the wraps.


WPI reference:

  • 30+ WPI: lace
  • 20–28 WPI: fingering
  • 14–18 WPI: sport
  • 11–14 WPI: DK
  • 9–11 WPI: worsted
  • 7–8 WPI: bulky
  • Fewer than 7 WPI: super bulky

WPI is most useful when a label is missing, when substituting yarns, or when working with handspun yarn.

Gauge and Sett

Gauge is the number of stitches and rows per inch in a knitted or crocheted fabric. It is determined by yarn weight, needle or hook size, and individual tension. A pattern’s gauge is the measurement the designer used to calculate sizing. If your gauge does not match the pattern, your finished dimensions will differ. A small difference over many inches makes a big difference in fit.

To adjust gauge: a smaller needle or hook produces more stitches per inch; a larger needle or hook produces fewer. The goal is to match the pattern’s gauge, not its suggested needle size.


Sett is the weaving equivalent of wraps per inch (WPI). Sett controls how open or dense the finished woven cloth will be. A standard starting point for sett is half the WPI for a balanced plain weave. Twill structures generally require a slightly closer sett; lace structures a more open one.


Both gauge and sett are starting points that need to be confirmed by sampling. Calculate first, then verify with a swatch. Record what you find; your future self will thank you.

Wet Blocking

Blocking is the process of wetting a finished piece, shaping it, and allowing it to dry. It evens out stitches, sets the final dimensions, and for lace, opens the pattern fully.


For protein fibers (wool, alpaca, cashmere): soak in cool water with a small amount of wool wash until fully saturated, typically 15 to 20 minutes. Gently press out water without wringing. Roll in a towel to remove excess moisture. Lay flat, shape to finished measurements, and pin if needed. Allow to dry completely before moving.


For lace pieces, blocking wires threaded through edge stitches produces cleaner lines than pins alone.


Fiber-specific notes:

  • Wool holds its blocked shape well once dry.
  • Silk and silk blends block well and dry quickly.
  • Linen and cotton do not respond to blocking the same way protein fibers do, but wet finishing still softens and settles the fiber.
    Steam blocking is appropriate for fibers that should not be fully saturated. Hold the iron several inches above the surface. Do not press down on wool -- direct pressure and heat flatten the fiber's loft.

    Block to finished measurements, not to the dimensions of the piece as it came off the needles or loom.