Vervaco Tablelinen Kits Christmas Table Linens Embroidery Kits

A table runner is the project most people should start with. Runners make up the bigger part of this range, they sit across the table or along its centre, and being narrower they are dramatically quicker to finish than a full cloth - a first Christmas runner is realistic for one season's stitching.

A tablecloth to embroider is the heirloom version: a bigger canvas, a longer project, and the kind of piece that comes out every December for years. If you want one on the table this Christmas, start it early in the autumn.

Both come in two styles. Counted cross stitch designs, like the Permin of Copenhagen runners, are worked on aida with the pattern following a chart - a typical kit contains the aida, stranded cottons, needle, chart and instructions. More than half the range is stamped or printed instead, with the design already on the fabric so you embroider straight over it and there is no counting at all - the easier entry if charts are new to you. Finished sizes vary widely and are listed on every product page.