Bucilla Kits from 1990-Present
Kits from 1990 onward almost always have the year of the kit in fine print on the front of the kit, next to the copyright information. Typically this on the bottom left side of the packaging, but may vary depending on packaging design. If you cannot find copyright information on the front, also check the back, as some kits have barcodes and other meaningful information on the back of the packaging.
Bucilla Kits from 1980s
Kits from this time did not have the date on the exterior packaging. Kit dates were encoded on the directions sheet, with a two digit code for the year, and letter codes according to the type of kit. For example, X/86/NH would be a kit from 1986.
Kits from this time period typically had instructions on portrait orientation pages, with the date code centered on the bottom of the last page.
Usually kits were packed with the color picture first, cardboard layer, then the instructions with the first page facing the back of the kit, followed by the felt and notions. So if your kit is fortunate enough to be a polybag and not a box packaging, you can often pinch the plastic wrap on the bottom of the kit between the cardboard and instructions (pinch slightly off center so your thumbs aren’t blocking the center), to gently bend the instructions page just enough to read the date code without opening your kit.
There are other clues about the age of the kit as well, including the packaging style and kit numbering patterns. You may try looking up your kit on my 1980s Bucilla Kits page to see if I have estimated or exact age information for your kit.
Bucilla Kits from 1970s and before
Kits from this time did not have the date on the exterior packaging. Kits from this time typically had the instructions on a landscape sheet of paper that is printed as single or double-sided. The date code may be on either page if there are two pages. It usually (but not always) near the bottom right corner of the part of the page with the illustrations of the kit near copyright information, but position may vary depending on available white space. The date code is typically in the format: F/79/NH where the two digit number refers to the year, and the letter codes may vary depending on the type of kit.
Occasionally the date codes can be seen through the packaging if the fabrics included do not cover the entire instruction sheet, but more often the codes are difficult to see without opening the packaging. There are other clues, however, about the age of the kit as well, including the packaging style and kit numbering patterns. You may try looking up your kit on my Vintage Bucilla Kits page to see if I have estimated or exact age information for your kit.
Sultana (made by Bucilla) kits
Follow the same date code format and locations, however, the date codes typically have two years, as most Sultana kits were reprints of existing Bucilla kits, sometimes with changes from the original kit, so the format may resemble F/71/RF/73/N or RF/75F74NH with the number of slashes and order of codes varying. The earlier date is the original date for the kit, and the later date is the year it was revised and re-released for.
What do the Letters in the Date Codes Mean?
I don’t have a conclusive answer from an authoritative source, however, after looking at several dozen date codes from a variety of kits, I have noticed enough patterns in the choices of letters used that I have some guesses:
| Letter | Commonly seen Location | Description/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| X | Prefix | May mean “X-mas”. Have not seen this code used before 1980. Most common prefix for holiday felt kits after 1980. |
| F | Prefix | Probably means either “felt” or “for”. |
| S | Prefix | May mean “stitchery” or “sampler” (mostly seen on cross-stitch kits) |
| A | Suffix | May mean “Applique” |
| H | Suffix | Probably means “Heirloom” or “Holiday” |
| N | Suffix | Probably means “Needlecraft” |
| B | Suffix | May mean “Bucilla” |
| G | Suffix | (haven’t personally seen, don’t have a guess yet to meaning) |
| RF | Mid-code | Probably means “Revised for” (typically seen on Sultana reprints of earlier kits). Not sure if this code was also used on other Bucilla kits that had corrections added after the initial publication. |
Cover Styles for Different Years of Kits
See this page for images of various cover styles from different years.