Are You Up for a Cross Stitch Challenge?

February 21, 2026 by Sarah White

I for one don’t think we should try to do anything new in January. There’s enough going on, and it’s winter (at least where I live) and the way this timeline is going just getting through it is enough.

But it might be about time to start thinking about goals and challenges, at least when it comes to our crafts. There are lots of fun things you can do to learn new skills, finish old projects or just keep making things.

Sirious Stitches has a post all about gamifying your stitching, whether through a challenge devised by someone else or by making your own challenge for yourself.

There are lots of potential benefits such as using what you have and finishing projects you wanted to make at some point in the past.

The post includes some ideas for challenging yourself to stitch more, such as 100 days of stitching or planning to do 24 hours of stitching over the course of a long weekend, as well as ideas for starting new projects, making a tracker project, skill challenges and more.

If you’re looking for some challenges with a bit more structure, Stitching the Night Away has compiled a list of cross stitch challenges and stitchalongs that you can jump into whenever you are ready. You’ll find both free and paid stitchalongs here, and a wide range of topics are included.

For example, there’s a Doctor Who themed project, Christmas projects, floral designs and more. Joining in one one of these projects can be even more fun because typically there’s a community aspect to it, which is nice if you don’t know other people who cross stitch.

Do you have any particular goals or are you taking part in any cross stitch challenges (official or your own) this year? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Sirious Stitches]

Have you read?

Designer Spotlight: Charts and Stuff

Charts and Stuff is a small but fun Etsy shop with a cartoony style to its designs. Let’s take a closer look.

This shop’s designs are mostly silly and full of color. The rainbow colored hair is a common feature of a lot of characters, from a dancing woman to a reindeer, dogs and chickens.

As you scroll back through their designs (there are no categories but they also have fewer than 100 designs as of this writing, so it doesn’t take too long to explore) you’ll also find a series of patchwork designs that use similar bright colors but in a very different way.

For instance, this patchwork teddy bear cross stitch pattern. The pattern notes are low on details but it says the pattern comes out about 7 by 7.5 inches (that’s 17.78 by 19.05 cm) I assume on 14 count fabric. There’s clearly a good bit of back stitch involved as well as regular cross stitching.

These colorful designs would be a great way to use a lot of thread left over from other projects, because they don’t have to be the exact colors called for in the pattern. I could see the teddy bear with a ribbon that is the favorite color of the person you are stitching it for, for instance, and you can use pastels or more saturated colors, or a mix depending on what you have on hand.

In addition to the patterns already mentioned, there are a few blackwork designs, a set of season themed quotes, some word art in the shape of a heart and a cat, and some Christmas themed designs with the rainbow characters wearing Santa hats. There’s also a few of Santa riding a motorcycle if that’s something you’re into.

These cross stitch patterns are a lot of fun and look like they’d be great to stitch, so check out the pattern shop at Charts and Stuff on Etsy to see more.

[Photo: Charts and Stuff]