Cross-Stitch

Charts, patterns and everything needlepoint

India-Inspired Cross Stitch Patterns

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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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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.