Avlea Despina's Anemone Cross Stitch Folk Embroidery

$42.00

• Designer: Avlea Folk Embroidery
• Project Type: Cross Stitch Folk Embroidery Table Runner or Wall Hanging
• Finished Size: 6.9" x 16"
• Stitch Area: 89 x 209 Stitches
• Stitch Count: 4,432 Cross Stitches, 7,357 Backstitches
• Stitches Used: Cross Stitch, Backstitch
• Skill Level: Confident Beginner
• Available As: Kit or Paper Pattern

Cross Stitch Kit Includes

• One 14" x 20" 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 Despina's Anemone using your own fabric, floss, and needle.

Product Description

Avlea’s Despina's Anemone is inspired by a treasured Greek tablecloth stitched as part of a traditional prika—the collection of embroidered textiles historically prepared for a Greek bride to bring beauty and handwork into her new home.

The original tablecloth was stitched by a woman named Despina for her daughter and, even 25 years later, its design remained remarkably fresh and vibrant. Avlea adapted its stylized anemone motif into this cross stitch project, preserving the spirit of the original textile while creating a piece meant for contemporary stitchers.

Garnet, coral, blue, ecru, and golden olive bring the flowers to life, while carefully placed backstitch makes the saturated colors stand out beautifully. Zigzag details and chevron bands add a strong geometric element, creating the lively balance of floral and geometric motifs characteristic of traditional folk embroidery.

Worked in cross stitch and backstitch, Despina's Anemone is classified as a Confident Beginner project. The techniques themselves are approachable for anyone with some cross stitch experience, while the larger stitch count makes this a satisfying project to settle into over time.

The finished 12" x 18" piece can be used as a table runner or finished as a wall hanging. Please note that lining for the wall-hanging option is not included in the kit.

Why We Love It at A Show of Hands

The story behind this design is what makes it particularly special to us. This isn't simply a folk-inspired pattern—it comes from a piece of handwork made by one woman for her daughter and preserved as part of a Greek tradition in which handmade textiles marked an important passage in family life.

We also love the combination of flowers and strong geometric borders. The backstitch gives the colorful anemones wonderful definition, and the finished piece feels remarkably contemporary despite its traditional roots.

Perfect For

• Confident beginning cross stitchers
• Greek folk art and textile lovers
• Table runners and decorative linens
• Wall hangings
• Traditional handwork
• Slow stitching projects
• Handmade heirlooms
• Stitchers interested in historic textile traditions
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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.