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In 2003, Julie Jackson stopped by a craft store to buy a really ornate cross-stitch sampler — the kind with a guide to stitching the alphabet so it could be personalized as a wedding gift — as a kind ...

giant squid-coloured embroidery thread (we used DMC thread and the colours you need are on the pattern, but you can also choose your own colours) cross-stitch fabric (we used Aida 14 count fabric) an ...