Memorial Day in the United States is often thought of as the unofficial beginning of summer, but of course it is also a somber holiday when we remember soldiers who have died in combat.
Stitching up a memorial cross stitch pattern is a great way to remember their sacrifice, especially if you have a service member in your family who died in service to the country.
This We Will Never Forget pattern from Kira Lyns Needlearts shows a flag-draped front porch, crosses and poppies. It’s shown as a pillow in the photo but you could also frame it. The design is 77 by 77 stitches, which comes out to about 5 inches square (or 12.7 cm) when stitched on 18 count fabric as shown. The project calls for eight colors and is worked in full stitches and optional half stitches.
This beautiful flat with poppies and daisies is from Autumn Andrea. The design is 184 by 257 stitches, which comes out to 13.14 by 18.36 inches, or 33.4 by 46.6 cm on 14 count fabric. The pattern calls for 35 colors. This would be a great one to stitch up for a member of the military or a veteran, too.
The French Giraffe has a Memorial Day cross stitch pattern that is literally a memorial, though not necessarily to a soldier who died in combat. It has a flag, boots with weapons and the person’s initials, where they served (if it’s small; the sample shows WWII and there’s not much room for more characters) and the birth and death years. So while you could certainly use it to remember someone who died in service it works for any veteran.
This last one is a bit of a crossover between Memorial Day (because it has poppies) and the Fourth of July (because it says 250 USA) but I wanted to include it in case you’re looking for a patriotic project you can use as decor through the summer. This one is also shown as a pillow and was stitches on 32 count linen. It uses size colors and comes out to 43 by 56 stitches, or 3.14 by 4.44 inches/8 by 11.3 cm on 32 count linen (which is the same as 16 count Aida). You can get the pattern from Needle Treasures Nook.
