Festive Feathers

Hannah Dale's design shows a round, fluffy cardinal on a holly branch: a festive subject that still looks good on the wall all year round. The speckled background is printed on the fabric, so there is nothing to stitch there and the work grows quickly: the bird and the leaves are worked in full cross stitch, with a little back stitch for the finer outlines.

The threads come ready sorted on a card organiser, which saves hunting for shade numbers as you stitch. Alongside the kit it helps to have a hoop or frame and small scissors; a frame for display is not included, though the square format fits standard sizes easily.