Cross stitch kit "Strawberry Thief"

Strawberry Thief is a counted cross stitch kit inspired by William Morris's celebrated textile pattern. A mirrored pair of thrushes sits among ripe strawberries, flowers, curling stems, and dense foliage. The fully stitched dark navy background makes the greens, blues, yellows, and coral-red accents stand out as a richly decorative composition.

William Morris designed the original Strawberry Thief in 1883 as a furnishing fabric for Morris & Co. According to the Victoria and Albert Museum, it was inspired by thrushes stealing strawberries from the kitchen garden at Morris's Oxfordshire country home, Kelmscott Manor. Although complex to produce, it became one of the company's most successful textile designs.

Kit details:

• SKU: P4-025
• Source artwork: William Morris's Strawberry Thief, 1883
• Finished design size: 9.8 × 9.1 in (25 × 23 cm)
• Approximate fabric size: 13.8 × 13 in (35 × 33 cm)
• Number of colors: 17
• Stitch: full cross with two strands
• Coverage: full
• Fabric: cotton 16-count Aida without printing
• Fabric color: white

Kit contents:

• color chart with symbols;
• white cotton 16-count Aida fabric without printing;
• Peri cotton embroidery floss in 17 colors, sorted on an organizer;
• embroidery needle and detailed instructions.

Why choose this design:

• A distinctive classic subject: two birds, ripe strawberries, flowers, and rhythmic foliage create a recognizable composition inspired by William Morris's pattern.
• A carefully developed chart without confetti stitches: color areas are arranged coherently without scattered isolated crosses.
• Detail through color and outline: shifts in color and dark outlines define the birds' feathers, petals, berries, and curling leaves.
• Full coverage: the dark background is stitched as part of the design, giving the finished piece a rich, tapestry-like appearance.
• Decorative format: the 9.8 × 9.1 in finished piece can work well as a standalone framed design or in a home gallery of art-inspired embroidery.
• Materials are included: the kit contains the chart, Aida fabric, Peri floss on an organizer, needle, and instructions.

Who this kit is for:

• admirers of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement;
• stitchers who enjoy birds, botanical motifs, and symmetrical patterns;
• anyone planning a longer full-coverage stitching project;
• a thoughtful gift for someone who loves classic British design and counted cross stitch;
• collectors of embroidery inspired by well-known works of art and design.

Before you start:

Before you begin, we recommend visiting our How To section and reading these useful guides:

• Basic Rules of Embroidery;
• How to Care for Embroidery.

Frequently asked questions:

Why did birds and strawberries become the subject of the Strawberry Thief pattern?

William Morris designed Strawberry Thief in 1883 after observing thrushes taking strawberries from the garden at Kelmscott Manor. Birds, berries, flowers, and foliage became a complex repeating pattern and one of Morris & Co.'s most recognizable textile designs.

Who would enjoy the Strawberry Thief kit as a gift?

This kit is a thoughtful choice for admirers of William Morris, bird and botanical-pattern enthusiasts, and counted cross stitchers. It can be given for a birthday, a housewarming, the holiday season, or simply as a new creative project.

Where can the finished Strawberry Thief embroidery be displayed?

The finished piece can work well in living-room, bedroom, study, or craft-room decor, or in a gallery arrangement with other art-inspired embroidery. Choose the final frame and mat after the embroidery has been washed and blocked.

Order the kit:

Add the Strawberry Thief P4-025 kit to your cart and recreate one of William Morris's most celebrated patterns, one stitch at a time.