Moroccan Lantern Cross Stitch Pattern

I’ve had this pattern in my collection of things to share with you for a while, thinking maybe I would look for more lantern patterns or items with a Moroccan theme to share with you along with it.

But you know what? This design is pretty enough to stand all on its own for a post.

The designer, Vivsters on Etsy, calls these Moroccan lanterns, and I think they’d be great as a decoration in a house with boho style or to use in your house around Ramadan, Diwali or any other holiday that involves lanterns.

The pattern is shown with all of the lanterns overlapping, but when you purchase the pattern you also get individual charts of each lantern so you can stitch them separately, just add one to a project, or stitch them all in a row instead of bunched up together.

But I really like this look of them being all gathered together like they are hanging on a patio. The colors are so lush. The pattern uses 30 colors and six blends to achieve this painterly look, and the designer advises you can use two or three strands of thread together as you like (noting that working with three strands gives a “more luxurious look”).

Speaking of which, check out this post for more on how cross stitches look when you use a different number of threads.

The designer used DMC threads but says they are willing to provide the colors for other thread manufacturers if you have another brand you prefer.

The pattern as shown is 250 by 23o stitches, which comes out to almost 18 by 16.5 inches on 14 count fabric. The designer advises leaving about five inches all around when you frame it.

It’s also suggested to use charcoal, gray or navy fabric, which will allow the lanterns to pop.

You can get this pattern on Etsy.

[Photo: Vivsters]

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Cross Stitch Patterns to Celebrate Holi

The designs from Bella Rose Craft look like they would be good for beginner cross stitchers and others who like relatively simple and small designs that are quick to finish for gifts or decor.

I’ll mention up front that this Etsy shop based in Indiana has no organization whatsoever. There are two categories: kits and patterns. So it’s a bit of a treasure hunt to find what you might be interested in.

As mentioned there are lots of minis and small looking projects with simple lines and minimal colors. There are holiday projects, animals, summer motifs like palm trees and beach umbrellas, a bathtub with a rubber duck, some text based designs (like hoppy spring and merry and bright), some biblical and religious designs, flowers, bunting and more.

On a site like this its difficult to pick something representative of the whole page, but I liked this bees and beehive design, so it’s the one I picked to share. This one illustrates a lot of my general points about the patterns from this shop. It’s small (2.79 by 2.57 inches, or about 7 by 6.5 cm on 14 count fabric), it looks like it’s all whole cross stitches and probably uses only six colors, and a couple of colors are only used for a handful of stitches.

Of the 300 plus cross stitch patterns available as of this writing, 140 are also available as cross stitch kits. These would be great to give as gifts if you’re trying to get someone interested in cross stitching. The kits include the pattern, fabric and floss, and you can choose to have it include a needle or not. The hoop is not included but the patterns explain what kind of hoop is shown if you want to get one to match.

So if you’re looking for cute, beginner friendly patterns for yourself or you’re trying to be a crafty enabler for someone else, check out Bella Rose Craft on Etsy.

[Photo: Bella Rose Craft]

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