Muse

A woman's portrait worked entirely in counted cross stitch on 16-count Aida, a close weave that renders the tonal shifts of the face and the flowers. With 52 Anchor colours there is plenty of shading and frequent thread changes, so some previous stitching practice helps; sorting the skeins onto a thread organiser before you start makes the work smoother.

The kit holds everything needed to stitch, chart and instructions included. You only need to add a hoop or frame and a small pair of scissors, plus a picture frame at the end: a portrait like this looks its best framed and hung on the wall.