Stitch Quarterly (Fat Quarter Shop)

What's in the box: A typical box contains an exclusive cross stitch pattern along with fabric, floss and a few small stitching notions or accessories.

Stitch Quarterly is the cross stitch subscription from Fat Quarter Shop, a big US online retailer best known for quilting fabric, precuts, kits and patterns. The shop also has a full cross stitch department, so this box comes from a seller that already stocks stitching supplies. Fat Quarter Shop runs other clubs too, such as the Sew Sampler quilting box and seasonal mystery boxes, so it has experience with subscription programs. As the name says, the box ships four times a year. That makes it easier on your budget and your stitching time than a monthly club. The site tells you little about each box before it arrives, so expect a surprise rather than a pick from a catalog. Contents tend to focus on an exclusive design and the materials to stitch it, which suits people who like working from a kit. Fat Quarter Shop has a phone line and a customer service team, and that helps if a box arrives damaged or you need to change your subscription. Quilters who already shop there can easily add stitching supplies to the same order. The downsides: you don't get to choose the designs, and the site doesn't give much detail on pricing or what goes in each box. Check the product page closely before you sign up.