Get Your Christmas Stitching Started with Christmas Greetings

I have been cleaning out my office recently and I found this little booklet from Leisure Arts, which seemed appropriate since it’s basically Christmas in July time.

Christmas Greetings has patterns for three different designs that could be used in a lot of different ways. There is a text greeting and a picture with each one, and they are designed to be finished in such a way that they look like open books.

It sounds a little daunting, but the book does provide a materials list and instructions for how such a thing is done (they’re made with adhesive mounting board, batting and cording, as well as ribbon for the “bookmark” and charms to decorate the “pages”).

The charts, designed by Carol Emmer, are lovely and this would be an interesting way to decorate for the holidays, or choose part of any chart to make a wall hanging, pillow or other decor.

Have you ever stitched a book like this? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo via Leisure Arts.]

Looking for more Christmas Cross Stitch patterns? Check these out on Etsy.

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American Flag Cross Stitch Patterns

If you’re a fan of detailed and colorful cross stitch patterns, Design for Cross Stitch might have a pattern you want to try. This Etsy shop is based in Spain and has more than 50 designs with a focus on animals, holidays and landscapes.

I’m just going to start with the first pattern that caught my eye when I visited the site, which is this Sakura by the Lake project. This pattern is 200 by 200 stitches and the whole background is stitched, so it’s definitely not for a beginner, but it’s stunning and would be amazing to make for someone who loves Japan. Despite the detail it only uses 24 colors. Worked on 14 count fabric it will measure 14.64 inches, or 37.19 cm.

There are a few other landscape designs, including a canal in Venice and a few cabins in the woods.

The shop also has some cute animal cross stitch, with big, round faces and often holding a warm beverage. Holiday projects focus on Christmas and Halloween. Most of the patterns have a cute, chibi-like feel, but there are some that are more detailed and realistic as well. Take for examples the flower patterns, which are full of details and soft colors.

You’ll also find some fun bookmark cross stitch patterns with a watercolor feel, as well as some that look kind of like paint pouring turned into stitches.

If this sort of stuff sounds like fun to you, check out their Etsy store at Design for Cross Stitch.

Do you have a favorite cross stitch designer who I haven’t featured yet? Let me know in the comments or share more about them by clicking on “suggest a DIY” at the center top of the page and let me know the details. I’d love to share the designers you’re enjoying with a wider audience.

[Photo: Design for Cross Stitch]

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