Cross-Stitch

Charts, patterns and everything needlepoint

Book Review: 50 Cross Stitch Quickies Animals and Friends

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Animals are some of the most popular cross stitch motifs out there, and the Leisure Arts book 50 Cross Stitch Quickies: Animals and Friends by Plaid Bucilla features a bunch of cute and small scale animal patterns perfect of all sorts of projects.

All of the stitch counts are 35 by 35 or less, so they’re quick to stitch and perfect to use on cards, as tiny framed gifts, or even on tea towels, napkins or other little projects.

The patterns are arranged by theme as follows.

  • Animals of the sky: hummingbird, bee, goldfinch, ladybug, cardinal, robin, dragonfly, monarch butterfly, blue butterfly, bluebird
  • Farm animals: pony, chick, rooster, dog, goat, cow, cat, sheep, pig, bunny (in a spring floral hat!)
  • Forest animals: squirrel, wolf, fox, doe, raccoon, bear, chipmunk, moose, owl, black bear
  • Ocean animals: blue tang, dolphin, porpoise, clownfish, seahorse, crab, sea turtle, shark, octopus, whale tail
  • Safari animals: chimp, lion, zebra, tiger, lemur, crocodile, elephant, giraffe, leopard, gorilla

The patterns use mostly whole stitches, with some one-quarter and three-quarter stitches (learn more about partial stitches here) and back stitching to add details. Some are just the face of the animal while others show the whole body.

The book is laid out so there are two patterns on each page, with a photo of the stitched project, the chart and key. Charts are in black and white except for the back stitching.

The patterns are really cute and though they are small some of them include a lot of details. For instance the owl is just 33 by 31 stitches but it uses 10 colors to illustrate different colors of feathers and the bird’s eyes.

The booklet also includes two pages of general instructions on how to read charts, where and how to start and how to form stitches. If you’re totally new to cross stitch this should give you enough information to get started.

This book is really cute and has a nice variety of animals to stitch for people who like that particular animal, for a nursery or for other projects.

About the book: 32 pages, paperback, 50 patterns. Published 201y by Leisure Arts. Suggested retail price $9.99

 

 

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Mini Pumpkins and Jack o’Lanterns to Cross Stitch

I just can’t resist sharing a few more Halloween cross stitch patterns when they are as cute and quick to stitch as these!

This boo cross stitch from Luzatolye was the first little Halloween cross stitch pattern to catch my eye. I love the pumpkin Os! At just 23 by 8 stitches and using four colors, you can stitch it up in no time. On 14 count fabric it measures 1.6 by.5 inches, or about 4 by 1.27 cm. 

Another cutie from the same designer is this jack o’lantern with a witch hat. Another four-color project, this one is 14 by 18 stitches, which is an inch by just a little more than an inch, or around 3 cm square, worked on 14 count fabric. 

If you like your minis a little bit bigger, this jack o’lantern with leaves is from White Protea Art and measures 47 by 28 stitches. That comes out to 3.4 by 2 inches, or 8.5 by 5.1 cm, when stitches on 14 count fabric. It uses nine colors. 

Or there’s also this little cutie from that same designer. I love the little leaf on top of the pumpkin. At 33 by 36 stitches, it comes out to 2.4 by 2.6 inches, or 6 by 6.5 cm, when stitched on 14 count fabric. I think it uses around eight colors. 

Template Love Create also has two mini jack o’lantern cross stitch patterns that I like (I swear I didn’t plan to do two from each of the same designers, it’s just the whimsy of an Etsy search!). There’s one that is more round and one that’s oblong, which I like because it’s different from most of the pumpkin patterns you see. The pattern listings say both are six colors (though they look like four to me) and 28 by 28 stitches, but I don’t think that can be true. Either way they both fit in a 3 inch hoop and would be a super cute little addition to your Halloween decor.