Cross-stitch rushnyk kits: solid fabric instead of insert panels

Our rushnyk kits are back in stock, and in an updated format. The pre-cut bases with insert panels have been replaced by solid towel fabric. Here is what that changes in practice, and what is in the box.

What has changed

A rushnyk used to come as a base with ready-made windows: you could only stitch inside the panels, and their size and position were decided in advance. It is now a single piece of fabric, 1000×330 mm, 16 count, white, already cut to size and with finished edges.

	Base with insert panels	Solid fabric
Where you can stitch	Inside the panels only	Anywhere on the cloth
Size of the design	Limited by the window	Limited only by the fabric
Other charts	Have to fit the panel	Almost any chart will do
The edge	Fixed, as supplied	Fringe at the length you choose

You make the fringe yourself by pulling threads out along the edges to whatever depth you like. Five millimetres gives a restrained edge; a centimetre and a half gives the expressive, traditional look.

The four designs

What is in the kit

A ready-to-stitch towel base: white 16-count fabric, 1000×330 mm, cut to size, edges finished.
DMC stranded cotton, supplied with enough thread to stitch the design in full.
A traditional printed colour chart.
QR codes for the PDF chart and for a file you can import into popular mobile stitching apps.

What to keep in mind while stitching

16 count is finer than the familiar 14-count Aida: sixteen squares to the inch instead of fourteen, so the stitch is smaller and the design comes out crisper. Two pieces of advice are enough to keep the work comfortable:

Light and magnification. Eyes tire faster on 16 count. A lamp to the side and, if needed, a magnifier on a stand solve most of it.
Grid lines. The cloth is long, so before the first stitch tack a 10×10 grid in a contrasting thread. Fifteen minutes of work that saves the design from drifting over a metre of fabric.

The difficulty of the series is above average, mainly because of the size rather than the stitches. Twelve colours, plain cross stitch, no advanced techniques.

Caring for the finished rushnyk

Hand wash in warm water with a mild detergent, do not wring, dry flat on a towel. Press from the back through a cloth while the fabric is still slightly damp. DMC floss stands up to washing well, but avoid drying in direct sun — it is the fabric that fades, not the embroidery.

Where to see them

The whole series is in table runner and tablecloth kits, and the rest of our thread embroidery range is in thread embroidery kits.

2026-02-27 00:19:33

109