Stitch Some Small Cross Stitch Patterns for Fall

I have a pretty short attention span these days (I was going to say when it comes to cross stitch, but actually it’s everything) so I’m always on the lookout for little patterns that can add some cuteness to my decor without taking a lot of time. So here are some small cross stitch patterns for your fall stitching and decorating enjoyment.

One thing I do still try to pay attention to is reading, so I had to share this little pumpkin bookshop from Mango Charm Studio. At 46 by 48 stitches, it shouldn’t take long to stitch up the project, which uses 16 colors (because small doesn’t have to mean it lacks details!). On 14 count fabric this one comes out to 3.3 by 3.4 inches, or 8.3 by 8.7 cm.

These cozy autumn icons from Stitch Bloom Garden would be fun to stitch on a single hoop as shown or work each little one on a different project. You could stitch leaves on napkins or use the designs in little frames. The full set is 108 by 106 stitches, which some out to 7.7 by 7.6 inches, or 19.5 by 20 cm, on 14 count fabric. The full set fits in a 9 inch frame and uses 21 colors.

Pattern House US has this cute maple leaf stamp cross stitch pattern that comes out to 3.93 by 4.64 inches/9.98 by 11.79 cm on 14 count fabric, but you can make it even smaller if you like. This project uses 7 colors and is 55 by 65 stitches.

Another one that reminds me a bit of a stamp is this pumpkin design from KC Patterns Studio. This one uses 6 colors and is 40 by 40 stitches, which comes out to 2.5 inches or 6.5 cm on 14 count fabric.

Find more cute minis at Dreaming Cat Patterns, which has a set of 12 mini fall motifs, leaning toward Thanksgiving but really pumpkins and pies and turkeys are great all throughout the fall, right? The designs are all 50 stitches wide and vary a little bit in height (all are 40 or fewer stitches tall) and number of colors needed. The biggest one is 3.57 by 2.86 inches, or about 9 by 7.3 cm on 14 count fabric.

And if you want to get super tiny, try the pumpkin and fall leaves minis from Bella Rose Craft that fit in tiny frames (just the pumpkin is shown above). The pumpkin is just 12 by 12 stitches and the leaves are 15 by 21, and they both fit in a tiny 1.5 by 2 inch hoop. So cute!

Long ago when I was in 4-H, the club made a quilt for our leader when she was having a baby. It was made of green and white blocks and some of the white blocks had four-leaf clovers cross stitched on them.

That’s the one and only time I remember using waste canvas to cross stitch on fabric, but I think about it a lot when I consider stitching on other fabrics that don’t have built in blocks.

Using waste canvas allows you to superimpose a grid onto fabric so you can follow a cross stitch pattern and stitch on the fabric, then remove the waste fabric, leaving just the original fabric and the stitching behind.

It’s relatively easy to use, but it’s great to have a tutorial and some tips to work from the first time you do it. I think we were just winging it honestly but it turned out fine in the end.

There’s a great post with lots of photos over at Koekoek that shows you how to set yourself up for waste canvas stitching success, how to actually do the stitching and how to remove the waste canvas. They call that part fun but I don’t agree as far as I can remember. I think the tediousness of pulling out the waste canvas threads is a big part of what has kept me from getting more and using it in different projects.

I’d love to add a bit of cross stitch to some clothing, or to a piece of fabric to then sew into a pillow or another project. (They show a pillow in the blog post, but you could also do this to make cloth napkins, a tablecloth or any number of other projects.) Maybe reading all about it will motivate me to give it another try!

Have you ever worked with waste canvas? I’d love to know how it went.

[Photo: Koekoek]

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