HeartStealer (great username!),

Welcome!

What a wonderful thing, to create your own designs!

I'm not entirely sure which brands are available to you in the UK, as I'm based in the US. Here, for example, the DMC floss brand is all that's readily available, short of mail order or going to a cross stitch store. It used to be that Anchor was the most readily available floss brand in the UK, though that may have changed. LOL, it was a very long time ago that I had to mail DMC floss to a dear UK friend, who could only get Anchor.

There are a few different brands of Aida cloth; various generic craft stores will sell a no-name-brand Aida. If you have access to a cross stitch store, that will give you many more choices. I've personally worked with Charles Craft and Zweigart aida. Both are good, though I lean toward Zweigart.

If you're more interested in linen, the major brands I know are Wichelt and Zweigart. They're hard to compare because they're both very different. The Zweigart has thicker threads and is a softer fabric. Wichelt has thinner threads and can be used to good effect when you need a sheer fabric; however, I wouldn't recommend stitching on it without a hoop or frame.

Also, there are some very different colors in Zweigart vs Wichelt linen. If you need a specific shade, you may have to go with one or the other.

The other thing I'm going to recommend is that if you prefer to stitch with a hoop or frame, treat yourself to some Q Snaps. I do prefer to stitch without a hoop or frame, but there are fabrics (such as linens) that seem to work better with. After struggling for years with various hoops and frames, I discovered Q Snaps and never looked back. I can't recommend them enough! They hold the fabric taut and I've never had a problem with marks on the fabric with them, even using bright white fabric.

Hope that helps! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! And best of luck with your new designing journey!