India-Inspired Cross Stitch Patterns

I try to make an effort to share cross stitch patterns for a range of celebrations through the year, not just ones that I participate in. And one of the celebrations I try to note each year is Holi, which is not the easiest holiday to find things for, since search engines think you’re searching for something else and just don’t know how to spell.

I’ve tried this before and came up with some Holi cross stitch patterns and projects with an Indian flare, and I’ve got more of that today. These would be great for decorating any time of year, of course, whether you’re of Indian heritage or want to remember your travels to that country.

For instance there’s the Little India pattern from Neni Design Crafts on Etsy. This design features Ganesha, the Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Temple, Lotus Temple, Hawa Mahal, India Gate, Tomb of Mohammed Shah – Lodhi Garden, Amritsar Golden Temple and the Jantar Mantar observatory. It measures 160 stitches square, which on 14 count fabric comes out to 8.9 inches or 22.6 mm. It uses 29 colors.

MIYA Stitch has another great cross stitch pattern featuring the Taj Mahal on a silhouette of an elephant. This on has sort of Holi colors and the splashes of color around the elephant are reminiscent of the colored powder used in Holi celebrations. This design is 192 by 123 stitches, and it uses 35 colors as well as some blends with those colors.

This lotus flower mandala from Author Embroide Design uses colors I associate with Holi and looks like it would be really fun to stitch. It’s 131 by 263 stitches, which comes out to 8.19 by 16.44 inches, or 20.80 by 41.75 cm and it uses 20 colors.

I’m sure there are lots of pretty lotus flower mandala cross stitch patterns out there, but here’s another one I love from Magic Stitch World. This one has a more muted palette and while it calls for 23 colors, this would also be really pretty done in a few shades of variegated thread to make the stitching a bit easier. It measures 76 by 104 stitches, which is 5.5 by 7.5 inches (13.8 by 18.9 cm) on 14 count fabric.

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Cross Stitch Patterns to Celebrate Holi

Natalka Studio is an Etsy shop based in Ukraine with a wide variety of cross stitch designs, including realistic, detailed designs with women doing various things, holiday patterns, geometrics and more.

One of the biggest categories in the shop is called girl cross stitch, which features detailed designs of women with flowing hair doing things like drinking coffee, dancing and carrying flowers. There are seasonal projects in this category as well as a couple having to do with hobbies.

I like the knitting one, of course, and almost shared the sewing one as the featured pattern above until I realized the thread is coming off a cone on the floor and there’s no pedal for running the machine.

The one I am sharing here isn’t actually in that category but it is really cute. Little Girl with Watermelon uses 21 colors and measures 73 by 73 stitches. That’s 5.21 inches or 13.3 cm square if you work it on 14 count fabric. I love her messy hair and the little dress and matching bows. You could also change the colors if you have a little girl who isn’t as into pink (or doesn’t have brown hair).

The largest category on the page is animals, and there you will find wild animals like monkeys, pandas and sloths; ocean creatures such as rays, an octopus and a blue tang fish; frogs, dogs and geese, among others.

There are also a lot of Christmas cross stitch patterns, which include a lot of traditional motifs and some more whimsical themes. I like this one of Santa resting by the fire with his boots off.

In addition to all these you’ll find pretty flowers, a bunch of mostly floral bookmarks, a whole big set of patterns with lemons, and a lot more. The fruits and berries section (if you like fruits other than lemons) would be perfect for decorating your kitchen or breakfast area.

Check out all the great patterns they have to offer at Natalka Studio on Etsy.

[Photo: Natalka Studio]

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