StitchyBox Subscription Review + Coupon- March/April 2017

StitchyBox is a themed, bi-monthly subscription box for cross stitch and counted thread supplies.

If I fits, I sits!

My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

This review is of the Big Picture, $36.50 every other month, box. 

The Subscription Box: StitchyBox

The Cost: $36.99/box for the “Big Picture Box” (contains one cut of 14-16 count Aida and one cut of 28-32 count linen or evenweave) or $38.99/box for the “Detail-Oriented Box” (contains one cut of 32-36 count linen and one cut of 40 count linen).

Note: StitchyBox has introduced some add-ons to the bimonthly subscription:

• “Bling It Up” (beads and crystals for $7.50 bimonthly add on)
• “Stitch It Up” (small pattern charts for $6.50 bimonthly add on).
• You can also subscribe to “Just the Threads” to get a selection of threads and fibers each month (this is $22.99 for a one-time purchase or $21.84 for a bimonthly subscription; this is not an add-on but a separate subscription).

ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first month
CODE: SURB1

The Products: Over $40 worth of stitching goodies including two cuts of stitching fabric and a variety of threads and embellishments. (Note: patterns and instructions are typically not included. However, the StitchyBox blog has some project ideas. And you can choose one larger piece of fabric instead of the two smaller ones when you sign up.)

Good to know: You can buy extras of supplies you liked from this box from the StitchyBox shop (while they last). I’ve taken most of the values listed below from the StitchyBox shop when I could.

Ships to: U.S. for free, $6 international.

Check out all of our StitchyBox reviews and the Craft Subscription Box Directory for more great craft and DIY subscriptions!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

This month’s StitchyBox came with a card detailing the theme for the box. This box’s theme is “The Moab Desert at Night.” (All of this year’s color themes will be inspired by nature!)

Moab at Night Button Set – Value $2.50

I’ve been hoarding buttons lately. I don’t use them with stitching but I do use them in jewelry projects – they make wonderful closures for wrap bracelets and can also be incorporated into macramé in various ways. But I am always excited to get buttons, especially when there are a lot of them.

12mm Silk Orange Heart – Value $0.50

This would be cute as a single embellishment on a stitching project but I can also see buying a few and make earrings. (I go back and forth between being primarily a stitcher/fiber person and being a beader, and right now the beads are winning out…)

5 Jet AB Glass Star Beads – Value $0.75

These would actually look really good against some dark fabric, thanks to the AB coating. Perfect for a night-themed piece!

Fat 16^th Velvet Sky (Fiberlicious) Cross Stitch Fabric – Value $5.40 (get a fat 8^th for $10.80)

This color is a StitchyBox exclusive. Working on dark background colors is difficult but the results can be really rewarding. And this color is so pretty.

28 Count Evenweave in Crystal Peach (Zweigart) – Value $3.24 (buy a full yard cut for $51.90)

The box is Halloween-themed because you need plenty of time to plan and complete stitching projects before October. This color works for a Halloween theme but it also works very well for something more spring-related. Please note: Fabric information is provided on stickers on the StitchyBox fabrics. So I am linking to places where you can buy the ACTUAL fabrics, not just similar fabrics. That means the prices are the actual prices for the exact same items.

2” Halloween Tuck – Value $2.17 (buy a pack of 6 for $13)

You can stitch something small and tuck it into this stitched, padded frame to make a quick Halloween ornament. These would be good for pumpkins, bats, black cats, candy, and other small seasonal motifs.

Cactus Woven Ribbon – Value $1.50

This would be a great border if you like to embellish your work (rather than just doing plain stitching). It’s very flexible and can only be used one-sided because of all the embroidery/weaving.

Kreinik Black Metallic Blending Filament (#005) – Value $1.85

Ah, blending filament. The bane of my (stitching) existence. I find this stuff a pain to work with, but it looks so pretty when you add it to your work!  See a sample-stitch with and without blending filament at the end of this review.

Sajou Retours de Nord Cotton Floss in Pheasant – Value $4

This is French embroidery floss. You’ll sometimes receive an international product in StitchyBox. This was pretty easy to use although the individual strands seemed thinner than, say, DMC, so you might want to use three strands instead of just two.

Gentle Arts Shaded Sands (exclusive) – Value $2.40

This is variegated just a little but it’s kind of hard to tell. You’ll see a lot of Gentle Arts threads in StitchyBox, including some exclusive shades like this one.  It is quite similar in color to the Sajou thread from the previous picture.

Ship’s Manor Cotton Floss in Moab (exclusive) – Value $2

This is also a StitchyBox exclusive.  I stitched properly this time to show off the variegation (see below); while my tendency is to do all the stitches in one direction and then cross back over them in the other direction, with variegated floss, you are supposed to complete each “x” individually before moving on. It really makes a difference in terms of how your embroidery looks when you’re done! (This colorway is also available in silk if you prefer that.)

Dinky Dyes Silk Floss in Haunted House – Value $4.50

You’ll also see a lot of Dinky Dyes floss in StitchyBox. For silk, it is pretty easy to work with. This one is good wherever you want blacks and grays!

Kreinik Silk Mori (1/2 Skein) in Dark Dusty Purple (6127) – Value $1.85

You’ll also get a lot of half skeins of Kreinik silk mori in StitchyBox. This is actually a dark purple (my camera really has trouble with this color) and is quite beautiful (and also easy to work with).

Here are small squares stitched with this month’s threads. From left to right, you see the Gentle Art limited edition, the Sajou Paris, the Ship’s Manor, the Kreinik Silk Mori, the Dinky Dyes, and the Dinky Dyes with the Kreinik blending filament. All are stitched with two threads (except the last one, which is two strands of Dinky Dyes and one of blending filament).

Verdict: I calculated a value of $32.66 for this month’s StitchyBox. That is a little bit below the cost of the box on a month-to-month basis. However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind: (1) you get access to some exclusive items (usually thread colors) created just for the box and not available elsewhere, (2) you get to sample threads from some smaller and/or independent producers without paying shipping costs or meeting order minimums at the makers’ sites, and (3) you get some cuts of fabric that aren’t easy to obtain online (most websites don’t offer a fat 16^th, for example). I definitely think there is some added value that can be difficult to quantify for each of those aspects of the subscription.

This box is going to be best for people who like to go a little above and beyond the kits offered by craft stores, either by designing their own projects or by altering or embellishing commercial products. It can also be helpful if you are into other crafts, as well, like beading or kumihimo (I’ve received some embellishment threads in the past that would make for some really interesting textures in kumihimo, for example). Anyway, I liked playing around with all the new threads, I think the purple fabric is especially pretty, and I was oddly excited by all the buttons, so this was a good month for me.

What do you think of the March/April 2017 StitchyBox? Would you like to see reviews of some of the new add-ons for the subscription?