Cross-Stitch

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Make Stitching Big Charts Easier by Gridding Your Fabric

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how to grid cross stitch fabric

This is a super brilliant thing to do if you are working on a large cross stitch project and getting a little lost or your stitches aren’t ending up quite where they are supposed to be.

When working from a large chart you can make grid lines on your cross-stitch fabric and on your chart, which makes it so much easier to find where you are in the pattern and where your stitches need to go as you are working.

Peacock and Fig has a full tutorial on how to do this. I feel like this makes it a little easier to work without having to be completely focused at every moment; just pay attention to the section of the grid that you are on.

Have you ever gridded your cross stitch fabric, or do you like to live dangerously? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[Photo: Peacock and Fig.]

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Designer Spotlight: Bad Stitched

I came across the Etsy shop Bad Stitched when I was looking for bookmark cross stitch patterns and found their adorable pride bat bookmark, which I didn’t share then because I was going for more of a back to school vibe, but it’s definitely worth checking out if you love rainbows and bats. 

This Etsy shop is big on whimsy and color, but not on organization, as there are not categories. Still, as of this writing there were only a little more than 60 patterns, so it’s small enough to scroll through. 

In keeping with the theme of the bat bookmark, there are a lot of designs with animals and insects in different colors. Another one that caught my in this neon cicada with a crescent moon and stars. This one is 85 by 70 stitches and uses 16 colors. On 14 count fabric it comes out to 6 by 5 inches, or 15.4 by 12.7 cm. 

You’ll also find patterns with animals such as mice, a snail, a jellyfish, a wolf, a corgi in a birthday hat, a fat seal and other bat designs. There are several mushroom designs, a pirate frog, and a scuba diving ghost (among other ghostly designs). You’ll find cats and mythical characters, a mouse thinking about eating strawberries and more. 

There’s also an ebook full of mushroom designs, and another of creepy creatures for Halloween and beyond. There’s also a Pantheon bundle, full of gods, goddesses, characters from mythology, three amphora designs and a Greek inspired font. 

If these sorts of designs sound like something you’d like to stitch, check out Bad Stitched on Etsy. 

Know of a cross stitch designer (or are you a cross stitch designer) who should be featured in the designer spotlight? Let me know by leaving a comment or sending a note through the “suggest a DIY” link at the top of the page. 

[Photo: Bad Stitched]