Avlea BitKit Blue Poppy Cross Stitch Folk Embroidery Kit

$22.00

 

• Designer: Avlea Folk Embroidery
• Project Type: Cross Stitch Drawstring Bag
• Finished Size: Approximately 3¼" x 8½"
• Stitch Area: 13 x 87 Stitches
• Stitch Count: 601 Cross Stitches, 544 Backstitches
• Stitches Used: Cross Stitch, Backstitch
• Fabric: 26-Count 100% Cotton Mikini in Ivory
• Format: Kit

Kit Includes

• 26-Count 100% Cotton Mikini in Ivory
• DMC 100% Cotton Embroidery Floss
• John James Size 24 Needle
• 100% Cotton Lining Fabric
• Full-Color Charts and Instructions

Product Description

Avlea’s BitKit Blue Poppy transforms a border inspired by Byzantine decorative art into a small, useful piece of folk embroidery. Worked in warm blue, terra cotta, and black, the geometric design has the strong color and rhythmic pattern characteristic of Avlea’s historically inspired needlework.

Rather than simply creating a sampler, you'll finish your embroidery as a petite drawstring bag measuring approximately 3¼" x 8½". The kit includes both the embroidery groundcloth and cotton lining fabric, along with instructions for finishing the stitched piece into the bag.

Blue Poppy is part of Avlea’s BitKit collection—smaller projects designed to give you a taste of folk embroidery without committing to a large-scale piece. With 601 cross stitches and 544 backstitches, it's a satisfying project that lets you experience traditional motifs and materials on a manageable scale.

Everything needed for the embroidery is included, from the 26-count ivory Mikini and DMC cotton floss to a John James needle, lining fabric, and full-color charts and instructions.

Why We Love It at A Show of Hands

We love that Blue Poppy becomes something you can actually use. The small scale makes it an approachable way to explore Byzantine-inspired folk embroidery, while finishing the piece as a lined drawstring bag gives all those little stitches a life beyond the embroidery hoop.

The palette is especially striking. Warm blue against terra cotta and black gives the traditional border a graphic quality that feels surprisingly contemporary.

Perfect For

• Small cross stitch projects
• Byzantine art and textile enthusiasts
• Folk embroidery lovers
• Useful handmade projects
• Exploring traditional embroidery motifs
• Slow stitching
• Travel-friendly handwork
• Handmade gifts
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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.