We tested the Stitch ‘N Style Fashion Studio pre-threaded sewing machine because it was one of 2022's hottest toys. A 14-year-old used the machine for about a week to test it out.

As Athanas can attest, cross-stitching is all about connection. Just as it binds thread and cloth to create art, so, too, does it bond people from all walks of life who may never have met otherwise.

For Sara Trail, founder of the Social Justice Sewing Academy (SJSA), infusing cross-stitching with its historical value—which is often excluded from conversations that take place at the local ...