Arachova Antique cross stitch folk embroidery kit

The Arachova Antique folk embroidery kit is inspired by the weaving and embroidery traditions of Arachova, Greece, a mountain village known for its hand-woven wool rugs, distinctive folk costumes, and a deep commitment to the textile arts. The central medallion comes from a vintage embroidery pattern fragment I saw on one of my trips there, and the small outer border is a popular folk costume hem border. Stitched in a classic Mediterranean palette of terra cotta, black, soft olive, gold, and blue, it can be finished as either a table runner, bolster cushion, or wall hanging. I originally designed this as the exclusive for the Pacific NW Stitch Summit! What you'll make: an 11 x 22-1/2" table runner (can also be finished as a bolster cushion or wall hanging; lining fabric is not included in kit) What's in your kit: One 15 x 27" piece of 26ct 100% cotton Traditional Groundcloth in natural DMC 6-strand embroidery floss John James size 24 cross stitch needle Full color chart and instructions Stitches used: Cross stitch, backstitch Skill level: Intermediate Stitch count: 16,332 cross stitches, 7,176 backstitches (119 x 269 stitch area) What does "intermediate" mean for this kit? It means you're ready to settle into a project that will give you many enjoyable stitching sessions. This is one of my larger, heirloom-worthy designs. None of my kits use advanced embroidery techniques, so intermediate here is about scale rather than difficulty. Please note: the drawn thread hem finishing shown in the photos has to be done after the design is stitched; the fabric in your kit will come with the raw edges serged so they don't unravel while you are stitching.