Cross-Stitch

Charts, patterns and everything needlepoint

Designer Spotlight: Niche Stitches

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Niche Stitches is a United States based Etsy shop that sells, by its own description, “bookish and modern cross stitch patterns.” You’ll also find patterns related to video games, movies, and more.

There is definitely a fantasy focus when it comes to these patterns, with several designs based on characters and quotes from the A Court of Thorns and Roses and Crescent City series, both of which are by Sarah J. Maas. You’ll also find dragons, a magic rabbit and more designs.

In the video gaming section there are patterns with game controllers and designs from Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing New Horizons.

The designs that really caught my eye were the seasonal ones, because they are heavy on designs inspired by The Muppet Christmas Carol. Here’s one of my favorites, a pair with Gonzo as the narrator and Rizzo as Tiny Tim telling us why they are in the story.

This one is set up as two separate patterns, with Gonzo measuring 106 by 153 stitches, which comes out to about 7.6 by 10.9 inches, or 19.3 by 27.7 cm on 14 count fabric. His design uses 15 colors. Rizzo is 93 by 137 stitches, or 6.6 by 9.8 inches/16.8 by 24.9 cm on 14 count fabric, and it also uses 15 colors. These might be a little big to hang on the tree but you could hang them next to each other on the wall.

There are also a few Halloween patterns and a section of animal cross stitch patterns, most of which are birds, with an elephant and giraffe thrown in.

This is a great shop to visit if you’re into fantasy books and cross stitch, but there are some great designs even if you’re not into that genre. Check out Niche Stitches on Etsy, and be sure to let me know if you have a favorite cross stitch designer I haven’t featured yet!

[Photo: Niche Stitches]

Have you read?

Stitch a Color Wheel in Flowers

If you’re someone whose favorite color is all of them, or you know someone like that (in my world it’s my daughter!) this color wheel bouquet cross stitch pattern is one you might enjoy stitching. 

It’s from Works by ABC and it features a rainbow of flowers stitches around the outside, with smaller flowers on the inside and a multicolored design in the middle that could be another flower but I’m not really sure what it’s supposed to be. 

The flowers are in 16 colors, and the full pattern uses 18 colors (with the addition of the green stems and the color of the petals and vines that go around the flowers). 

The design is 133 by 133 stitches, which comes out to 9.5 inches square (or 24.13 cm) when worked on 14 count fabric or 28 count over two threads. The pattern listing includes sizing for other counts if you want to make the project a little smaller. The sample was actually worked on 32 count linen, which is the same as 16 count Aida and comes out to 8.3 inches/21 cm. 

Despite all the colors I feel like this wouldn’t be too difficult a project to stitch because the flowers are all the same so as long as your count is right on the first one you should be able to stitch them all the same. And it’s so much more fun than a regular color wheel for an art room or to stitch for an artist in your life. 

You can grab the pattern from Works By ABC on Etsy. 

Something about all the colors on this one (and that the designer also has temperature cross stitch patterns, I suppose) reminds me of temperature projects. This one has too many flowers to document a year, but if you’re looking for a temperature project I’ve collected a bunch of temperature cross stitch patterns, including one by this same designer that also uses flowers. So fun!

[Photo: Works By ABC]