StitchyBox Craft Subscription Review – April 2018

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

Beads, embellishments, and threads come in their own little envelopes.

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

This review is of the $36.99 Big Picture box. However, StitchyBox is eliminating the two-fabric plans for new subscriptions so next time around, you’ll see the bi-monthly Stash Box, which is $24.99 a month. 

About StitchyBox

The Subscription Box: StitchyBox

The Cost: $36.99 + free US shipping

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)
• "Buttoned Up" (a variety of buttons for $5.00 bimonthly add on)
• "Thread It Up" ($17.50 worth of threads for $15.00 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).

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.)

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

StitchyBox April 2018 “Goth Girl" Review

StitchyBox is bi-monthly and sends out your package usually in the second month of the two months each subscription period covers (I got this one in early May 2018; subscribers received an email about the delay as several box items were held up in customs):

This month’s StitchyBox came with a card detailing the theme for the box. This box’s theme is “Goth Girl.” If you think this is a weird theme for a spring box, every year Stitchybox does a Halloween-themed box around this time (so you have time before Halloween to finish projects).

16 Count Aida in Black (fat 16^th) – Buy a Fat 8^th for $3.75

With my current subscription, I get one cut of aida and one of evenweave. Starting with the next shipment, I’ll get a bigger cut of aida (maybe it is not so sophisticated of me, but I learned to stitch on aida and also it is easier for me to see what I’m doing with aida, so that is still my preference for fabric). This is a good basic black that I think might look especially nice with some metallic blending filament.

Picture This Plus 28 Count Evenweave in “Echo” (fat 16^th) – Buy a Fat 8^th for $11

And here is the evenweave for the month. Picture This Plus fabrics show up a lot in this box, but you get some fun dye effects with them so they are always welcome. I think this one is calling for some bright floss colors (so they will really stand out from the background).

Small Piece of Halloween Fabric

Lately, we’ve been getting small pieces of quilting fabric. If you are just getting started on embellishing fabric without a pattern, these are good practice pieces. This one is a fun Halloween novelty print.

2mm Faceted Crystals in Opaque Silver (15 count) – Retail Value $1

Now we are on to the embellishments. 2mm beads are pretty small and won’t stick out from your stitching too much (and if you are planning to frame something you made, they won’t interfere with a snug fit for the cover glass). You’ll usually get a few small beads each month (often from the same suppliers that work with beading boxes, but in much smaller quantities).

11/0 Delicas in Transparent Matte Dark Cranberry (1g) – Retail Value $0.65

I am so used to beading that it is kind of strange to see only 1 gram of Delicas (you usually get at least 5 grams from beading suppliers).  But for stitching, even a relatively large piece, this is certainly enough.  Delicas are very regularly-shaped, cylindrical beads.

Owl Charm

There’s usually a charm in Stitchybox and often they are about this size (and at least in my memory, usually silvertoned). This owl is super cute and fits wonderfully with the Halloween theme.

Black Lace (12”)

Lately, Stitchybox has been sending various bits of ribbon and such, but this time we got a piece of black lace. This would be a nice edge on a decorative stitched piece. (If you are ever lacking for ideas for an item, Google image search is your friend. I get lots of good ideas there.)

Dinky Dyes 100% Silk in “Vintage Newsprint” (exclusive, 8m)

This color is exclusive to Stitchybox and it’s not in their shop. But it’s a really nice silk to work with. It doesn’t get tangled at all, and it’s a good neutral color without being a straight black.

Needlepoint Inc. Silk in Pearl Gray Range (color 672) – Retail Value $5

This is a commercial product and is not exclusive. (Although you get a lot of exclusives in Stitchybox, you also usually get one or two products from commercial or non-indie manufacturers. It’s a nice way to try out some brands you otherwise might not have been willing to take a chance with.) This one was also very easy to work with.

Planet Earth Fiber 6-ply Silk in “Goth” (exclusive) – Retail Value $4.80

This is another exclusive and it was probably my favorite floss this month. I feel like a broken record, but this one is also easy to work with (doesn’t tangle, etc.) and I love the red and purplish colors together. (Variegated floss is fairly common with Stitchybox.)

Valdani Colorfast Perle Cotton in Ripened Plum (color O86) – Retail Value $5

I will admit to having a rather large stash of perle cotton and I no longer remember why I bought it. I think I will eventually use it to do kumihimo braiding with beads, and this will probably go with that stash, because it’s a little too thin to do cross stitch with one strand, and a little too thick to do it with two strands. (How you use this depends on what kind of embroidery you do, too.)

Weeks Dye Works Cotton in “Merlot” (5 yards)

Weeks Dye Works provides a lot of floss for StitchyBox. This color is part of their standard product line (i.e., non-exclusive) but they aren’t set up for e-commerce (so no link). This color really appeals to me and I think it might look especially nice on the “Echo” fabric up above.

Here are some sample squares stitched (all with 2 strands) on a piece of aida. From left to right, we have the Weeks Dye Works cotton, the Planet Earth silk, the Dinky Dyes silk, and the Needlepoint Inc. silk.

If you’ve ever wondered why I only show a little bit for the stitch samples, it’s because I use the same piece of fabric every time.  Here is what about 13 Stitchyboxes get you!

Verdict: Some of these items were not available in the StitchyBox shop, were unbranded, or were exclusives for this subscription, so it wasn’t really possible to calculate a value. I counted 12 items, for a price of a little over $3 per item. While that is a little high for a few beads, it is entirely reasonable for an exclusive color of silk floss and it is low for a fat 16th of hand-dyed fabric, so I think everything works out in the end. I really enjoyed the colors and items this month and actually had a lot more ideas than usual for how to use them.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Sign up by May 31st to get the July/August shipment. And watch the StitchyBox Shop for when inventory ends, as some of the exclusive products may become available for sale.

Value breakdown: At $36.99 for this box, you are paying about $3.04 per item.

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!

What do you think of the April 2018 StitchyBox? Would you like to see reviews of some of the new add-ons for the subscription?