Cross-Stitch

Charts, patterns and everything needlepoint

Book Review – Just CrossStitch

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Autumn stitching abounds! From framed pieces to pincushions, coasters and more, the 25+ patterns in this issue of Just CrossStitch will have you stitching through the chilly season with your warmest colors. The magazine features patterns for autumn, Thanksgiving and Halloween, so you’ll have projects to last you until Christmastime!

  • Capture the colors of autumn with the Colorful Leaves Biscornu. Stitch autumn leaves in shades of topaz and red settled delicately among fresh green branches. Use simple stitches—cross stitch and backstitch—to create this elegant design.
  • Fall feline! The deep, black linen fabric of the Autumn Cat creates a dramatic canvas that’s perfect for the rich autumn colors of terra-cotta, yellow, brown and green. Easy-to-follow finishing instructions will have you completing this feline-shaped project in no time.
  • Halloween Spooktacular! Stitch 6 spooky ornaments featuring classic black cats, skeletons, ghosts and more. By the end of this issue, you’ll be cackling with joy. Plus, you won’t want to miss our ongoing series features! Pick up Part 2 of the House for a Wife, a Huswif, and continue perfecting your specialty stitches in the Floral Band Sampler, Part 5. All this and more when you download (or subscribe!) today! 

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Have you read?

Designer Spotlight: Haunted Frames

Cute spooky and fantasy cross stitch patterns is how the designer behind Haunted Frames describes their shop, and I have to agree with them. These designs are cute and Gothic and a little bit spooky all at once. There’s a heavy focus on book themes, which you know I am a fan of, so let’s get into it. 

Stopping first in the books section, there are lots of designs that are literally on book shapes, but if you know my love of both books and cats, you’ll know I had to share the Midnight Book Cart cross stitch pattern. As the name suggests it’s a design with a witchy book cart, complete with a spiderweb, bats flying out of a book and what it describes as a ghost cat (though I would have to make a black cat instead of a white one since I have a black cat, and that fits with the vibe). 

The design is 65 by 97 stitches and is worked in 17 colors. It’s shown on 16 count fabric, which makes it 4.1 by 6.1 inches, or 10.3 by 15.4 cm. 

I also love the winter themed little free library design, which would be perfect to stitch up for the little librarian in your life (or to drop at a neighborhood book space). 

Projects with a book theme make up the majority of the patterns that are categorized in this shop, but you’ll want to scroll through all their patterns to see what else is available, since it doesn’t look like everything is in a category. You’ll find castles and dragons, more cats of course, some more obviously Halloween and Christmas themed projects and those that would suit for spooky season or any other time of year. 

If cute and dark is your aesthetic, you’ll want to check out all the patterns at www.etsy.com/shop/HauntedFrames, which you can find on Etsy. 

[Photo: Haunted Frames]