Rose Bouquet Cross Stitch Pattern

Whether for Valentine’s Day or any other holiday, wouldn’t it be great to give that special someone some roses that won’t wilt? Or stitch them for yourself as a reminder even in the depths of winter than things will bloom again someday soon?

This cross stitch pattern features a half dozen roses in various stages of bloom, complete with long stems and leaves, and maybe even a few thorns for even more reality.

The pattern is from DMC and measures about 9.25 by 7 inches when stitched (that’s 23.5 by 18.5 centimeters). It calls for 14 count fabric.

It uses 12 colors to make the different shades of the roses, leaves and stems. This would be so pretty stitched as a pillow, or just frame it and make it a wall hanging so you can always have flowers to look at when you need them.

Though this is a pretty detailed (and large) design, it is suitable for new stitchers who are ready for a larger project.

This free pattern can be downloaded (signing up for a free account is required) from LoveCrafts. Check out their beginner’s guide to cross stitch if you need help with any of the basics before you get started on this pattern.

If you need help keeping track of where you are in the pattern, since it is rather large and takes up two pages, You can use these hints from Stitched Modern. Knowing where the center of the pattern is when you start is super helpful, and using tools like highlighter tape or a magnet board to mark where you are can help you keep track and know where you need to start the next time you start stitching.

[Photo via LoveCrafts.]

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When you put all the time and energy you do into making a great cross stitch project, it’s worth taking the time to frame it in a way that will make it look its best.

Often for smaller designs we’ll choose to frame projects in a hoop, which is cute and a fine option, especially for seasonal projects you might want to change out through the year. Others will send their finished projects for professional framing, which is a great option for gifts and heirloom items that need to be preserved, but it can also be quite expensive.

Crewel Ghoul has a great tutorial for a way that you can easily frame your cross stitch projects at home with just a few supplies.

She uses adhesive mounting board (but you can use non-adhesive board if you have some one hand or you need a size that’s not available in an adhesive version) and a few other basic supplies to secure the sides and corners of the cross stitch fabric around the board before putting the design in the frame.

This requires a bit of hand sewing, but we’re cross stitchers so I’m sure we can handle that.

Framing your cross stitch like this gives it a little padding in the frame, which makes it look better than if it were just flat in a frame with no special finishing. It’s also a great idea to use a frame without glass or to leave the glass out of the frame so it doesn’t crush your stitches.

And though this is super secure it’s not 100 percent permanent if you decide you don’t want the project framed in that way any more. Or you can take it out of the frame and the edges are still all nicely finished so you can display it a different way without having to do anything else to it.

Check out the tutorial at Crewel Ghoul.

[Photo: Crewel Ghoul.]

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