Designer Spotlight: Needleshaped Ltd

If you like your cross stitch patterns with a gothic twist, you’re going to love the collection of patterns offered by UK-based Etsy shop Needleshaped Ltd. I don’t know if they’re really from a town called Gravesend like their bio (which also calls them “cross stitch conjurers”) says, but I almost wouldn’t care if they made that up to add to their spooky credibility.

Here you’ll find lots of creepy and funny cross stitch patterns, lots of text-based patterns, dark princesses, horror, butterflies and more. There are a few fun tattoo-inspired designs sold as kits (many of their patterns are available both as the pattern alone and as a kit with supplies), as well as designs specific to Halloween and Christmas. There are also pop culture designs, occult inspired patterns and a few that are just funny.

I wanted to share this oujia board cross stitch pattern just because it shows how much fun you can have even just with one color of thread. (It also is a great example of what I was talking about the other day about how fun the projects are that are worked with black cross stitch fabric, even though that increases their skill level a bit.) It calls for using a piece of fabric that’s 26 by 18 inches (66 by 45.7 cm), which leaves some room around the edges as shown in the photo. You can also get this one as a kit that includes the pattern, fabric, needle and thread, which comes in a plastic package should you want to gift it to someone else. (You’ll need your own embroidery hoop if you use one.)

You can find all of the digital patterns together without the kit selections here for easier browsing, or head to their main Etsy storefront page to check out all the goodies.

[Photo: Needleshaped Ltd]

Stitching Elf Store is a small Etsy shop based in Ukraine with patterns that tend toward the floral, with lots of Christmas patterns and a few cats along the way, too.

The largest category in the shop is “flowery pattern,” which includes floral designs, samplers and a few seasonal projects with text. I liked this Enchanted Poppies design because it reminds me of the colors of Ukraine.

The pattern is 68 by 145 stitches and uses 24 colors, thanks to the kind of watercolor effect of the petals and leaves. On 14 count fabric it comes out to 4.9 by 10.4 inches, or 12.3 by 26.3 cm.

Another large collection is Christmas patterns, which is heavy on sampler style designs, a couple of Christmas trees with different designs in the layers, some Christmas-themed biscornu patterns and a stocking with a chat and a bird on it.

Other pattern highlights include a scattering of Valentine’s Day, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter patterns. The simply flowers series includes large, graphic flowers in bold colors. There are two sampler projects with a bird and a cat along with traditional flowers, and the purr cats patterns include larger cats with big, fluffy tails and more big, bold flowers.

I particularly like the St. Patrick’s Day designs that feature shamrocks and thistles and Irish blessings. They’re traditional looking but also different enough to be interesting, if that makes sense.

You’ll also find a few more biscornu patterns (see more about biscornu here) and a couple of Ukrainian floral bookmarks.

The patterns are pretty, with a mix of traditional designs and more modern designs. Give them a look over at Stitching Elf Store on Etsy.

Do you have a favorite cross stitch designer (or design patterns yourself) who should be in the spotlight? Let me know by leaving a comment with their shop link and a little bit about why you love them.

[Photo: Stitching Elf Store]

Have you read?