Genuine Fred Stitch PLZ, DIY Cross Stitch Journal Kit

This was such a fun activity. It came with everything you need to create a cool cross stitch cover.

absolutely loved stitching the cover, looking forward to drawing patterns in it

I am a sucker for notebooks. Whether it’s a journal, sketch diary, doodle pad, etc., if it falls within a certain size range and has a unique cover, I’m all over it! That’s what made this so intriguing. Not only did this have dotted paper inside, which is cool, but it’s got a cover you cross stitch to customize!This notebook came with the following all neatly packed into a gift-able box: the spiral bound notebook, a packet of four brightly-colored skeins of embroidery thread (blue, green, golden-yellow and red), a tapestry needle and instructions. The directions were pictorial and verbal, printed in English, French and Spanish.I didn’t care for any of the example designs in the instruction book. Since I am an experienced counted cross stitcher, I free-handed a design that was laid out horizontally rather than vertically. The holes on the cover would also allow someone to do embroidery or needlepoint, if they had the skills.What I discovered really quickly was that the cover was shedding black powder all over my hands and thread as I stitched. I had to keep washing and drying my hands and cutting the thread short because it was turning blackish. This was a big turnoff. While the brightly colored thread contrasts nicely with the black cover, giving an almost neon effect, in some spots the yellow thread was a bit dingy from the powder.The dotted paper inside is useful for designers, graphing and other purposes. It’s fairly thick. I like that you can tear out pages easily, if you like. However, you end up with an edge you have to cut off. It would be better if the paper was perforated.I think the price of $15 at the time of this review is a bit steep. I might pay $10-12 for this, if I were getting it as a gift. More like $7 for myself.

I am an avid cross stitcher so when I saw this journal I squealed with delight. It's such a cool concept.The journal comes with everything you need to stitch except for scissors. You get the journal, 4 skeins of embroidery floss in red, yellow, green and blue and a tapestry needle. It includes a booklet with cross stitching instructions and patterns for the alphabet and some borders (the patterns are in black and white).I have never stitched on anything except fabric so stitching on the cover of this journal was a whole new world for me. It's pretty easy to stitch on, not too much of a difference from stitching on fabric. The floss is pretty good quality and I didn't have any issues with it. I did find it a little difficult to keep the stitches uniform but other than that I had no problems.The journal pages are dotted rather than lined so it's perfect to grid and plot patterns or would be excellent to use for bullet Journaling.Whether you are entirely new to cross stitch or have been stitching for years, this stitchable journal is fantastic for all levels. It's a fun novelty gift for any crafty person..

I love Genuine Fred - they make great, unique products that are imaginative and pure fun. This journal continues that trend. Basically, it’s a notebook, but the cover is extra thick with holes that allow you to cross stitch your own design on it. It’s the ultimate form of personalization. It has full, easy-to-follow directions as well as some suggested patterns and designs. I basically just made the pattern on the box, but replaced the words with my name. It took a little bit of time to casually put it together, but was very happy with the end result.Overall, this is a very fun and very unique journal that helped pass the time on vacation for me recently. I almost don’t even want to use it as a notebook since I like it so much. Love everything about it, highly recommended!