Welcome to the world of cross stitching. I hope you will enjoy it as we all do. I went to a website and found that the pattern comes with 28ct. star sapphire linen for the material. It will be stitched over 2 threads so that it finishes to 7 inches x 7 inches. If you do not like small cross stitches and you are new to this hobby you might want to think about this project when you get more experienced. It is up to you. I hope this helps a little.

Thank you SO much for your help, I really appreciate the feedback. If you have a minute to get back to me do you have any suggestions for what I should look for in a fabric or a kit that would be more my speed?
Ann

When I started out stitching 25 years ago I started with some small Christmas ornaments. They were very easy and I purchased a book that had several patterns. I basically worked my way up to more intricate ones as I gained more experience. Right now I am doing the most complicated one I have ever done. It is a very very large picture of John Wayne - The Duke that I purchased here. I buy almost all of my patterns from Everything CrossStitch since I found this website. If you go to the sections on Cross Stitch Kits you will see that they have a section for beginners. That would be a good place to get some small things to learn on. As far a material the best sizes of Aida cloth to learn on are 12ct. and 14ct. which they also sell on this website. A lot of people like to do stamped cross stitch items but I prefer the counted cross stitch types. That is what is so nice about cross stitching nothing is "set in stone". Hope this helps you out . Any questions you have we are all willing to answer on this message board. Welcome aboard!

Thank you!!
Ann

My Mother-in-Law is a master needle worker; you name it, she has done it. I will paraphrase the advice she gave me when I started stitching 3 years ago. I had found a pattern that was beyond my talent, but I really wanted to do it.
You could make it much easier by stitching it on 14 count cloth (over 1 thread) It would be the same finish size as using 28 count over 2 threads. If the pattern has quarter stitches, you can attempt them or ignore them. (She always ignores them - at 85, she can't see well enough to make them any more - you can't tell in the finished product)
Above all remember - no one will notice the tiny mistakes but you!
Hope this helps!

Thanks so much for your reply. I love your mother in law's attitude. Very freeing! And so true. So I could use a 14 count cloth instead on the "Peacock" pattern? Potentially?? Do you mind explaining what "over one thread" means?

Thanks again for your time and thoughtfulness,
Ann

For more finely woven cloth, like 28 count, you "stitch over 2 threads" for one stitch - you basically skip a hole each stitch. You come up in one corner of your cross - moving diagonally you skip a hole then stitch down into the next one. So you end up with a diagonal stitch with an empty hole between the corners. The weave of the cloth makes the finished piece much finer and you can easily do quarter stitches accurately, giving the piece more detail.

When you use 12 or 14 count, you just stitch up one corner then down the next - no skipping holes. The finished piece is still beautiful. When you start getting into 9 count Aida cloth, that's when the finished piece starts to look a little blocky.

Hope this helps.
Good luck!

Oh, I get it! Thanks so much for taking your time to help me out. It's really great to know that you guys are here! Take care,
Ann