Penguin Cross Stitch Patterns

There are a lot of cute winter animals that I think don’t get the attention they deserve because they’re not necessarily Christmas related. We’re going to change that a little bit today with a look at some adorable penguin cross stitch patterns.

This first one is a little Christmas related in that the penguin is wearing a red and green hat and scarf, but you could absolutely change up the colors if you wanted to make it less holiday looking. The pattern is from Ecliptica Design and i ruses 16 colors in a design that’s 21 by 30 stitches. It comes out to 1.5 by 2.14 inches, or 3.8 by 5.5 cm, and only uses full stitches so it would be a good one for someone with a couple of projects under their belt who is looking for something a little more detailed than they might have worked before.

A more general winter one is this one from Starry Aloha Designs, which has a blue hat and scarf as well as hearts. You could even make this one all pink for Valentine’s Day if you wanted. The pattern is 58 by 62 stitches and uses six colors as written. If you work it on 14 count fabric it will fit in a 5-inch hoop.

Or try this round penguin in a little scarf surrounded by snowflakes from Geeky Stitches. This one is 53 by 51 stitches, which comes out to 3.79 by 3.64 inches (9.6 by 9.2 cm) on 14 count fabric. It uses five colors.

For a totally different look, try the penguin cross stitch pattern from Daily Cross Stitch. This one is the outline of a penguin filled with snowflake patterns.

Or how about a watercolor baby penguin? This adorable pattern from Laser Arts Designs has 170 by 230 stitches, which comes out to 12.1 by 16.4 inches, or 30.8 by 41.7 cm, on 14 count fabric. Laser Arts Designs projects typically include no more than 20 to 25 colors.

There’s also these mini baby penguin cross stitch patterns from LaSelva Design. Each of the five patterns fits in a 3-inch hoop, and while they are different sizes they’re all around 20 by 30 stitches.

Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish yourself as a cross stitch designer. Most designers do holiday designs, they often do florals, have text designs that are a little snarky. But if you can find a niche you love and people can come to know you for it, that’s a great strategy.

I don’t know if the designer behind Living on the Rainbow originally set out to do really cool three dimensional cross stitch patterns, but that’s a lot of what’s available in their shop and I think it’s super fun.

There is, for example, a whole set of Christmas village patterns that are assembled in a circle and topped with fabric that makes them look sort of like carousels. There are three dimensional mushroom houses, tiny stitched books, and spring themed designs including 3D eggs, teapots and bird houses.

Some of my favorites are the tiny campers, like this Gothic caravan that looks like something Beetlejuice himself would ride around in. The cross stitch portion features Gothic windows on the sides and back, a striped top and vampire fangs on the front. It’s finished with button wheels, bats and bat wings in the photos, but you can add whatever accessories you like to bring your caravan to life.

It’s shown on 18 count fabric and comes out to about 1.8 by 2 inches, or 4.5 by 5.5 cm. It’s stitched in three pieces that are assembled and stuffed, and the pattern includes instructions for how to do that. It’s meant to be a pincushion but would be delightful as an ornament as well.

There are also designs that are assembled as cubes, some of which are seasonal while others have themes like different crafts. There’s also a stunning section of Alice in Wonderland patterns you’ll want to check out.

In addition to the dimensional designs, there are some more conventional Halloween patterns, a series of mini ghosts, Christmas themed patterns that look like envelopes, and a few Christmas patterns, too.

Do yourself a favor and go check out Living on the Rainbow. Even if you never stitch any of the projects (though I’d love to know if you do!) they’re sure to make you smile.

[Photo: Living on the Rainbow]

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