Stitch up a Sweet Diwali Greeting

I try to share cross stitch patterns for lots of different holidays and occasions, even if they aren’t something I’m that familiar with. Thanks to the large Indian population where I live, I have learned a little bit about Diwali through the years and love to share information about this festival of light.

Diwali is all about the victory of light over darkness and good over evil, and it is celebrated by Hindus and other Indian religions. It is celebrated on the Hindu calendar so it moves around between September and November, and the celebrations last for several days.

There are many symbols related to Diwali but one of the most common is the clay lamp or diya, which pays respect to the sun and symbolizes the light of wisdom.

The diya is the focus of this pretty Diwali cross stitch pattern with the sentiment “Spread Light, Spread Joy” and the diya held in two cupped hands.

The design is from Luba Davies Atelier on Etsy, and it measures 125 by 125 stitches. On 14 count fabric that would make it 9 by 9 inches, or 22.68 cm. If you want to make it smaller, using 18 count fabric would make it 7 inches on each side, or 17.64 cm.

I love the look of this using a brightly colored cross stitch fabric, but of course you can use whatever you like and what fits with your decor. You could also change the colors for the hands if you wish to show a darker skin tone.

As it is written the pattern uses 10 colors, and it incorporates full cross stitches, back stitch and French knots.

You can find the pattern on Etsy.

Looking for more Diwali cross stitch patterns? Check out this pattern for a diya, this one showing hanging lanterns and this pretty mandala that’s similar to a Diwali ragnoli.

[Photo: Luba Davies Atelier]

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Cross Stitch Patterns to Celebrate Holi

If you like seasonal samplers and cross stitch patterns with a primitive twist, you’ll enjoy the collection from Curious Carrie Designs.

You’ll find alphabet designs, biscornu, patriotic projects and more. The summer category is the largest on the storefront, with Americana and floral designs. There are also categories for the other seasons and more general designs.

One of my favorites is this pretty sunflower cross stitch pattern, which is shown styled as a biscornu but it wouldn’t have to be. The pattern features sunflowers and bees and a little beehive. It uses 12 colors of floss and each side of the pattern is 51 by 51 stitches, which comes out to 3.64 inches or 9.2 cm square.

I love the fabric she used for the sample, which she actually dyed purple herself, but it would also be pretty on a purchased light blue or other color if you don’t want to dye your own.

There’s also a whole set of themed biscornu with a four letter word on one side (crow, home, love and snow, to name a few) along with a seasonal pattern on the other side.

The shop has a rather small selection at around 90 patterns as of this writing, but it’s a nice collection of traditional looking designs heavy on samplers and biscornu designs, so if those are things you like you’ll want to be sure to check it out. Visit Curious Carrie Designs on Etsy to see all her pretty designs.

Are you a designer or do you have a favorite cross stitch designer who hasn’t made it into the spotlight yet? (You can see all the featured designers in the craft businesses category on the page.) Let me know in the comments, or you can submit more detailed information by clicking on “suggest a craft” at the center top of the page.

[Photo: Curious Carrie Designs]

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