25 Festive Cross Stitch Patterns

Look inside this issue of Just CrossStitch to find 25 festive cross-stitch projects, perfect to celebrate the holidays. An elegant Nativity pattern, a classic Santa cross-stitch design, and a charming Holly Jolly Santa Sampler await you. Prepare for the season with specialty stitches and new techniques found in the intricate Poinsettias & Hardanger, Christmas Treasures and the Hardanger Ornament Duo, while traditional cross-stitch is perfect for the fun Holiday Words Stocking and Holidays Elves projects.

With 25 projects to choose from, there’s something for every stitcher and every decor style. Whether you prefer traditional or contemporary designs, intricate details or playful motifs, this issue of Just CrossStitch has you covered. So, grab your favorite needle, select your finest threads, and let your creativity soar as you bring these holiday-themed cross-stitch patterns to life.

Whether you’re stitching for yourself or creating heartfelt gifts for loved ones, these projects will fill your home with the magic and beauty of the season. Celebrate the holidays with the artistry of cross stitch and revel in the joy of creating something truly special. Get ready to embrace the festive spirit and stitch your way to a season filled with love, warmth, and handmade charm.

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Looking for more Thanksgiving Cross-stitch patterns and charts? Check out these Thanksgiving-themed Cross stitch designs on Etsy.

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20 Snow Globe Cross-Stitch Patterns

I have not done a lot of big cross stitch projects, but sometimes even with small projects it can be hard to decide exactly where to begin and how to work through the chart if you’re working with multiple colors. The general categories for the possible methods are known as cross country and parking.

Cross country means that you’re working one color at a time, moving around the chart (or the section of the chart you’re working on) until you’re done with that color. Parking means you’re working in a smaller section and doing all the colors in that area, “parking” the threads by leaving them attached to the canvas but out of the way while you finish each section.

Royal Rows is a specific way of parking named by Alison Royal, which is explored in detail on a post on Stitching Daily.

The idea is that you’re working one “tower” of stitches at a time (she uses a section of 10 stitches across by 20 down, but you can do whatever makes sense to you). You work all the stitches of a color at a time, starting at the top left and working your way down. When you’re done with a color you can park it where needed in the section below your current tower (known as the dungeon) or in the “east tower,” which is the section to the right.

There’s also a specific way of dealing with thread ends when you’re done with a color. This is a super simplified version (head to the blog post at Stitching Daily to get all the details) but the basic idea is that you’re working from left to right and top to bottom across the work, parking the threads in the next section when you’re done with them and systematically choosing which color to work with next.

The whole idea of parking is kind of overwhelming to me though I will admit that it makes a lot of sense. I guess I need to try it on a smallish big project and see how it goes. Do you use the parking method of cross stitch? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo via Stitching Daily]

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