Review: 50 Cross Stitch Quickies Christmas

If you love little bitty Christmas cross-stitch patterns, you’re sure to enjoy 50 Cross Stitch Quickies Christmas, a booklet from Leisure Arts by Plaid Bucilla. (Note: as of this writing I am not finding the booklet on the Leisure Arts site, though it has been published. Check Amazon, Barnes & Noble or your local big-box craft store if you have one.)

It includes a nice range of motifs such as angels, candy canes, Santas, pet motifs, other animals, religious symbols and sentiments, presents, ornaments, penguins and more.

Projects are shown in a finished form as well as the stitch chart, and most are around 2 inches square when stitched, which makes them great for attaching to gift tags, holiday cards and other little items. You could stack a couple designs on a bookmark or just frame them in a hoop.

The book includes general instructions on chart reading and basic stitching, as well as tips for framing, making gift tags, mounting on a greeting card or turning them into ornaments, which are all great ideas.

If you’re new to holiday stitching or just want a nice reference with a bunch of different patterns to choose from, this is a great book.

About the book: 32 pages, paperback, 50 charts. Published by Leisure Arts, November 2016. Retail price $9.99.

Looking for more Christmas Cross Stitch patterns? Check these out on Etsy.

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Candy Canes Cross Stitch Pattern

If you like your cross stitch designs full of color and with a bit of an 8-bit video game feel, you’ll want to check out Flossy Fox Shop. This Etsy seller based in Washington state specializes in fantasy creatures, cozy witch scenes, magic and myths, as well as other designs that are sure to delight.

I know that shop category “cozy witch scenes” caught my attention, so let’s take a look. It’s mostly sampler style designs with lots of little elements, and some are specifically parts of the house like a cozy with kitchen or library. The one shown here is called Bats and Bells, Tea and Spells, and it includes a table in front of a window with plenty of fun creatures like a fox, crow, dragon and cat.

On the wall there are swords and an axe, and maybe also some drying herbs and a teapot. The design is 82 by 77 stitches and uses 22 colors. On 14 count fabric it comes out to 5.9 by 5.5 inches, or almost 15 by 14 cm.

The largest category is myths and magic, which includes cryptids, dragons, mermaids, kitsune and other fanciful creatures. Another large group is animals and nature, which is heavy on cats and corgis, as well as foxes.

There’s also a handful of cute bookmarks, some Christmas designs, and a few cute video game inspired designs. They also have a few stitchalongs if that’s something you enjoy.

These projects are colorful, cute and whimsical, and look like they would be a lot of fun to stitch if you like this style.

The shop also includes some cute needle minders and washi tape in a similar style if you want to coordinate your stitching.

Check out all the cuteness at Flossy Fox Shop, and if you stitch up one of their patterns I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Flossy Fox Shop]

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