Cross-Stitch

Charts, patterns and everything needlepoint

Review: Cross Stitch for the Earth

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If you’re a fan of a nature theme or know a nature lover you want to stitch for, Cross Stitch for the Earth by Emma Congdon has some fun options for you.

The 20 projects in this book include pro-environment sayings and projects featuring animals and nature scenes. Each pattern includes an overview of the stitch count, how many threads were used to stitch the project, finished size and a shopping list. The charts are spread out on two to four pages, so they are pretty good sized for easy reading (only the smallest designs are shown on just one page).

One of my favorites is one illustrating the quote “We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” This project is 130 by 190 stitches, and uses 27 colors to illustrate a bear, eagles, whales, jellyfish, mountains and more.

Another cute one is “the world is full of magic,” which includes Arctic animals like polar bears, seals and a narwhal. It is 131 by 197 stitches and uses 25 colors.

There are a couple of round projects that are somewhat smaller (100 by 100 or 101 stitches) that fit in a round hoop for display, such as one with trees and the saying “take care of the earth and she will take care of you.” You’ll also find a set of four little hoops around the 65 by 65 stitch range that would be perfect for hanging in your recycling area, with sentiments like “Earth Day every day” and “Less plastic is fantastic.”

There’s also a stunning and colorful four seasons sample that includes animals and natural scenes. It’s 200 by 130 stitches and uses 23 colors, and would be so fun for a kid’s library or homeschooling space.

The book includes an overview of supplies to help you get started at the front of the book, and a techniques section at the back that includes tips on preparing fabric, how to cross stitch and back stitch, following charts and more helpful info. There’s also a chart at the back listing the DMC and Anchor numbers for all the threads used in the book if you want to substitute.

Cross Stitch for the Earth is a great book for nature lovers and environmentalists who want to illustrate quotes about nature in beautiful stitches.

About the book: 112 pages, paperback, 20 patterns. Published 2021 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.

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Stardew Valley Cross Stitch Patterns

So many people love the game Stardew Valley, and lot of cross stitch patterns have been inspired by the villages, animals and other aspects of the game. Let’s take a look at some cute Stardew Valley cross stitch patterns.

Let’s start by getting the lay of the land with this Stardew Valley map cross stitch pattern from Not Another Stitcher. The pattern is 308 by 188 stitches. The pattern listing doesn’t indicate how many colors are used, but I’m guessing it’s a lot. It does say they are all whole stitches.

There are lots of cute characters in the game that you can stitch. If you want a little sampler of some of the villagers, check out this pattern from Pixel and Node Com. If I can count right it uses 35 colors and it measures 75 by 111 stitches, which comes out to 5.36 by 7.93 inches/13.6 by 20.1 cm.

Want more options? Pale Garden Store has a larger collection of Stardew Valley villagers to stitch, with 36 characters. Stitch the whole bunch or just choose your favorites to make a smaller project. 

Speaking of lots of options, this collection of Stardew Valley animals and symbols includes more than 100 designs for everything from ducks to cows, multiple positions for cats to be in and emotes to make them expressive. The patterns are from Vital Wonder.

Stitch up some rainbow colored Junimos along with leaves and a flower in this design from Okhami Studios. The design is 100 by 100 stitches and uses 30 colors. If worked on 14-count fabric it will fit in a 9-inch frame.

You can create scenes from Stardew Valley in every season with a set of designs from Fancy Foxglove. Each is sold separately but there’s one for each season featuring the world around your little house. Shown here is summer, with oranges and butterflies in the trees. You have the option of stitching a cat or a dog on the bench. The design is 128 by 127 stitches and uses 47 colors. On 18-count fabric it comes out to about 7 inches/18 cm square.