Of course! There is even a free “How to Cross Stitch” instructional PDF that you can add to your cart at checkout with full-colour photos and links to tutorial videos. All Peacock & Fig patterns have been designed with a range of stitchers in mind. If you’re really wanting extra tips, there is also this roundup of all the tutorials for beginner cross stitchers. and you can see all the hand embroidery tutorials here.  Plus you can also access the free cross stitch and hand embroidery patterns that are perfect for beginners!

To be as cost-effective for the stitcher as possible and to provide the highest quality patterns, all the patterns available from peacockandfig.com are only available as digital PDF patterns. This reduces the costs of printing, packaging, and shipping to the stitcher, and it means that once your payment has been processed you will be sent a link to instantly download your pattern. You can get stitching straight away! If you’d like to print them, you can do that at home, any print shop, and many libraries also have a printer available. Also, Peacock & Fig patterns are available in printed format at many needlework shops across the United States and Canada — you can see a list of these retailers here.

At this time, none of the Peacock & Fig patterns are available as kits. Peacock & Fig prides itself on providing high-quality service to its customers, and providing the highest quality embroidery floss, fabric, needles, etc to the stitcher with the pattern would make the patterns prohibitively expensive. The designer is happy to help you figure out where to source your stitching materials if you need help, but most craft or stitching stores will have a range of the basic supplies you will need for your pattern. There are also dozens of fantastic online shops where floss, fabric and notions can be purchased, such as Joanns and 123stitch.com in the US, and Stitch It Central and Charting Creations in Canada.

That’s a great question, and one that’s very common. You have two options — one is to print the pages of the PDF at the size and style you like (full colour or black and white), and the other is to read the pattern directly from your computer or device like a tablet or e-reader. Many of the Peacock & Fig patterns come with a separate one-page pattern (with a colour key) to be used on electronic devices (see individual pattern listings for details). There are many PDF reader programs available, such as or example Preview on a Mac, GoodReader on iOS, or Adobe Reader on a Mac or PC. Some PDF reader programs will also be able to highlight individual symbols which makes following your pattern even simpler. If you’re having issues reading the PDF on your device, make sure you have the most up-to-date version of your program. Many people choose to highlight the pattern (electronically or on their printed working copy) as they work, and others prefer to simply count where they are. You can also aid your counting by pre-gridding your fabric before stitching — there are instructional videos on how to do gridding with a pencil or marker and how to grid with fishing line on the site.

A full stitch means that you go up one hole and over one hole in one direction, and then the same in the other direction to make your full “X” stitch. A fractional stitch means that instead of going from each corner to corner, you’d only go halfway for one of the arms of the X. For more information on how to do fractional stitches, please check out this post and video. If you’re using Aida fabric (the most common fabric to learn cross stitch on, it’s got blocks of overlapping threads in between each hole), this means that you would usually have to do a fractional stitch by piercing the centre of the block of threads. One advantage of fractional stitches is you can create a lot more detail in a smaller physical space. Some disadvantages of using fractional stitches is they can be harder to do (depending on the fabric you are using), and they can also make your stitching progress take a little longer until you get used to doing them. For more information on how to do a full cross stitch, please see this video.

Backstitch is a (usually) black outline that goes around the outside of shapes. It can also be used for finer details like eyes, whiskers, or lettering. Backstitch is not difficult to do, but it can take time. In a pattern it is shown by a darker black line (or the colour of the backstitch thread). For more information you can go to this blog post about backstitch, or watch the tutorial video here.

Yes there are! There are several playlists in the Peacock & Fig YouTube channel, and one is called Cross Stitch Tips and Techniques. This playlist is designed for stitchers with a little more experience, but of course the tips will help even those who have never stitched a pattern before. More videos are always being added, so make sure to subscribe to the channel to stay up to date with the most recent tips and tricks!

There sure is! Just click here for an online DMC/Anchor conversion chart. If you enter your floss number in the search bar at the top right of the chart, both the DMC and Anchor conversions will come up. It doesn’t matter which floss manufacturer you prefer to use, just make sure you use only one manufacturer per project. Dyes can be sometimes a bit different between the manufacturers, so DMC black might stitch up very slightly differently than Anchor black. If you mix the two blacks in one project, it might be noticeable. Use whatever manufacturer you like, but only use that one for each project.

For customer service questions about a pattern you’ve purchased (or would like to purchase) from peacockandfig.com, please get in touch via the contact form and I’ll be happy to help you out. Unfortunately due to the volume of requests I’m unable to respond to individual stitching technique questions, I’d recommend joining one of the many stitching Facebook groups and asking the very knowledgeable members there. 🙂

I do take on licensing and commissions for my surface pattern designs and illustrations, please use the contact page to get in touch. For stitching patterns, unfortunately I’m only accepting commissions from magazines and retailers.

Absolutely! Please get in touch via the contact form and I’ll let you know your options.

Yes I do! I send weekly emails to people wanting to hear about what’s new with Peacock & Fig art, designs, stitching patterns, classes, etc. You can also get a discount code for 15% off your purchase and access to some free cross stitch and hand embroidery patterns by signing up. Peacock Lounge members also get special treats and access throughout the year, but you’ll have to join and stay tuned to find out what those are… 🙂 You can join the Peacock Lounge for free here. If you’re an art director, company, or agency wanting to stay informed of my newest surface pattern designs and art (and not get updates on the stitchy side of the house), please contact me via my contact page and I’ll add you to a separate list for quarterly updates.