Dimensions 35213 Gold Collection Hot Air Balloon Advanced Counted Cross Stitch Kit, 18 Cnt. Ivory Aida, 12'' x 16''

Intricate but very colorful and challenging to do. All Dimensions Gold projects are like this.A pleasure to stitch!

Dimensions is dimensions. Everything is just perfect. The only thing I wish they could change is Aida. This one is too stiff for me.

Oh my God, I dreamed about this Cross Stitch Kit!! Amazing colors and quality! Now every evening I will have a wonderful time)))

Dimensions Gold Collection are my favorite counted cross stitch kits. I'm currently halfway through stitching Balloon Glow and it's beautiful -- detail rich with a lot of depth.The two that I have completed in the past (Cabin Fever, European Bistro) were equally beautiful and fun to stitch.HOWEVER, I gave up on one called Memory Lane because it asked you to use too many ply at a time, making it a pain to stitch. I realized that some pattens recommend you use needlework stretcher bars to stretch the fabric while you stitch. I would personally recommend against those kits.The kit comes with 2 needles, 18 count aida fabric, a large pattern (half of the pattern on 2 pages), and presorted thread (I still put them on my own plastic sorter and draw the symbols next to each color so that I don't have to reference the list all the time. The cardboard is flimsy and doesn't have holes -- instead, the threads are glued into the sorter, so once you take it out you'd better have a place to put it back. [Also, i've tried punching holes in the cardboard sorter and it didn't go well -- to0 flimsy. Invest in a sturdy plastic sorter).It is for experienced stitchers, but it's not difficult if you know what you're doing. This is a big project: it has taken me about 2 years to complete each one, but that will obviously depend on how often you stitch. I am a student so stitch a lot more during summers and holidays. Most of the stitches are done with 2 ply, but some half stitches call for 3, 4, or 5 ply. The 5 ply parts can be a bit of a hassle, but they are worth the overall result.

I have been stitching dimensions kits both needlepoint and gold collection since 2002. This kit is definitely not for beginners. It is a challenging one given the shading effects all across the stitch. The final product came out very nice at the end of which I have attached a photo in this review.The Good: Beautiful shading, realistic outcome, literally looking at it makes me feel that I am looking out of a window into the surrounding Tuscan landscape, challenges experienced stitchers particularly in the area to the right of the wine glassThe Bad: Ran out of threads, the brown one and the mauve one. Contacted the company and they sent a DMC mapper which isn't very helpful as the shades do not match exactly across brands. Thankfully, had left over threads from dimensions kits I had made earlier which I was able to use and finish. The print on the aida is not straight and that makes it difficult when stitching in the bottom 15% of the aida. It is also hard to distinguish the difference between two printed colors on the aida in some of the areas. Took me a lot of time to really look at the picture and take a call on how to go about it.At the end with all the flaws, the outcome did not disappoint. Took me around 240 hours to finish the whole thing and now it is ready for framing after a bout of needed blocking.

Delivered on time and as described, looks nice BUT:Shipped without packaging, address label merely attached to its contents wrapper. Fortunately, was not damaged. It did ruin it as a surprise Christmas gift for my Wife, though.Oh, well.

Cannot go wrong with Dimensions brand cross stitch kits, in my opinion! I’ve always been a fan since doing my very first counted cross stitch project (also a Gold Collection kit by Dimensions). I think a beginner can certainly stitch these kits if they have the patience and determination. The directions are very clear to understand and nowadays you can find video tutorials online all over the Net to help guide you if you are confused. But if you read and follow the directions and stitch your project in the order presented in the directions, I really don’t think you’ll have a problem in my opinion. Just remember to SEPARATE the 6 ply embroidery floss and then “reassemble” the plies according to the directions for each individual symbol!! Some symbols only use one ply, some use two plies, and some may even use four plies! Also, there are different stitches used (half cross stitch, whole cross stitch, back stitch, French knots) so you truly need to look at that chart of symbols carefully and follow the type of stitch noted at the top AND the number of plies used per individual symbol. If you happen to run out of floss (never has happened to me yet with a Dimensions kit!) you can contact the company for additional flosses you may need. I think the shading and back stitching in these kits is exceptional. They advise you to start in the center of the design to insure you have enough of a margin left around the finished piece for framing. However, if you simply look at the front of your kit, it tells you clearly what the size of your finished design will be. I measure the fabric and subtract the size of the finished design and easily can figure out how much of an unfinished margin of fabric will be left. For example, if the design is 16” wide, and the fabric measures 20” wide, you know you will have FOUR inches left over. Divide that in half, and you’ll see that you will need 2” on either side of your stitching for it to be centered. (Do the same with the height, of course). This way, you can simply measure 2” in from the side edge and top edge, and begin your stitching in the top left corner (my preference, anyway). But if you’re new to counted cross stitch and nervous, STICK TO THE DIRECTIONS and you’ll be fine!! Newbies might find Gold Collection kits to be a little challenging — but I seem to prefer the designs in the Gold Collection better than most of the “regular” Dimensions line of counted cross stitch kits. It’s all a matter of preference. You can do it folks!! It’s not brain surgery. Take your time and have fun and you’ll be proud of your finished pieces! And if you mess up, pull out the mistaken stitches and re-stitch! Even seasoned stitchers make errors so don’t beat yourself up.

A qualidade dos produtos Dimensions é inquestionável.Comprei em uma ótima promoção. Poderiam fazer um esforço para diminuir os preços desta e outras marcas internacionais, assim teríamos mais acesso a esses produtos.

The only complaint I would have is in regard to how the floss is packaged. The ends are loose, which encourages tangles if one is not careful to avoid them. Other kits wrap the floss on long bobbin cards rather than allowing it to hang loosely. The floss is also not arranged in number order, making it a search to find each one as needed. Other than these minor things, the quality is good and the chart easy to follow.Looking forward to seeing it finished. So far, it is working up beautifully.

Très beau design. Facile à faire

Seller.. The global genie is good.. Delivered original and exact products

Todo, muy contenta lo recomiendo, comprar en amazon es buena,experiencia