Monkey Mayhem

A little monkey swinging by its tail from a leafy branch, stitched on a very open-weave fabric: the squares are easy to see, the needle slips through without effort and the design grows quickly. It belongs to the Bothy Threads Little Stitchers range, made for anyone picking up needle and thread for the first time.

Only full cross stitches are used, with no fractional stitches or backstitch outlines, and the cottons come already sorted by colour. The needle has a sharp point, so children should be supervised by an adult. A hoop helps keep the fabric taut but is not essential. The finished piece can be framed (frame not included) or sewn onto a bag.