Cross-Stitch

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Designer Spotlight: Wild Bluebell Patterns

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At the end of each month I made an editorial calendar for the next month, and by the time I get around to writing the posts I sometimes forget the particulars of a site or a pattern I wanted to share.

So it was when I opened the link for Wild Bluebell Patterns on Etsy and said (out loud, because I work alone) “ooh, I love these.”

It’s easy to see why I would say that when you take a peek at their detailed and colorful patterns, many of which have a witchy vibe. If I weren’t already in the depths of a big cross stitch project for my daughter, I would definitely be buying some of these patterns to stitch for her.

And since that’s what drew me in, let’s take a closer look at one of those dark and witchy patterns, in this case the Gothic moth. Worked in shades of purple and blue on dark fabric, it might be a little frustrating to stitch if you’re not under a bright light, but wouldn’t it be worth the work? 

The design is 111 by 109 stitches, which comes out to 7.9 by 7.8 inches, or 20.1 by 19.8 cm, when stitched on 14 count fabric. It uses 13 colors.

If you like this vibe you’ll want to check out the full section of witchy cross stitch. And honestly that would be enough to keep me going for a while, but this shop also has holiday designs (mostly Halloween and autumn of course, but Christmas, too, including an adorable T. rex covered in Christmas lights). There are other animals, with an emphasis on cartoony frogs and floating whales. A few landscapes and some labeled humor, including this amazing ramen bowl based on the Great Wave of Kanagawa painting.

There may not be something for everyone in this shop, but if your tastes go to the gothic, moths and mushrooms with a side of role playing games and witches, you’re sure to find something you like. Check out Wild Bluebell Patterns on Etsy and let me know what you think!

[Photo: Wild Bluebell Patterns]

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Crow Cross Stitch Patterns

In all my years writing about cross stitch, I don’t think I’ve ever had a post dedicated to crow cross stitch patterns. That’s a shame, because crows are cool, and they’re a great motif to use in the fall that has a bit of a Halloween/spooky vibe without necessarily being all pumpkins and ghosts (though we have some of that, too). 

Actually, these little crow cross stitch patterns from LaSelva Design could be up in the house year round, especially if you’ve made friends with crows or are trying to cultivate your own murder. This set of four patterns is each worked in four colors, and they’re shown in 3-inch hoops, though they vary in size a little bit. 

This Art Nouveau crow from Needle Lot Designs is stunning and reminds me a bit of a tarot card. It would be the perfect thing to stitch for a witchy friend. It measures 74 by 98 stitches, which comes out to 5.25 by 7 inches or 13.4 by 17.8 cm on 14 count fabric. It uses 14 colors and has no backstitching. 

Or keep it monochrome with PandoraXstitch‘s cross cross stitch pattern. I love how this one looks like a woodcut, and it shows you that even stitching in a single color you can make something really interesting. This design is 283 by 284 stitches, which is a little more than 20 inches or 51.5 cm not quite square on 14 count fabric. The pattern includes measurements for other counts if you want to make it a different size. 

The Book of Lost Keys design from Haunted Frames feels a little more Halloween, but it doesn’t have to be. It tells the story of a mama crow whose baby is locked in a cage, but the mama has the key. The design is shown worked on 18 count fabric and measures 109 by 79 stitches. That’s 6.1 by 4.4 inches, or about 15.5 by 11 cm. It uses four colors of regular floss as well as gold metallic floss. 

Speaking of more Halloween, I love this spooky cake stand featuring a crow and other characters from Ulysses Blue Stitching. You’ll find a creepy cake, eyeball in a jar, owl, ghosts and more haunting this house. It uses nine colors and measure 109 by 143 stitches. That’s 7.4 by 9.8 inches or 19.78 by 25.94 cm on 14 count fabric. 

I also like this kind of folk art crow (or raven as the pattern calls it) sitting on a pumpkin from MIYAstitch. This one measures a manageable 71 by 81 stitches and uses seven colors. On 14 count fabric it comes out to a little more than 5 by almost 6 inches (or 13 by 15 cm). 

Another pumpkin and crow pattern (this time with a witch hat) comes from My Lovely Embroidery MB. This dare I say cute design uses seven colors as well ans is 81 by 80 stitches. That measures 5.79 by 5.71 inches, or 14.7 by 14.51 cm, on 14 count fabric. This one uses full and three-quarter stitches as well as French knots.