Cross-Stitch

Charts, patterns and everything needlepoint

Stitch up a Sweet Diwali Greeting

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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]

Have you read?

Project Hail Mary Cross Stitch

The movie Project Hail Mary came at the perfect time for us to continue our space joy after the Artemis mission, so let’s keep the fun going with some Project Hail Mary themed cross stitch projects. 

Of course a lot of these projects feature the words “amaze amaze amaze,” like this one from Sew High School, which just features the words worked in a range of planetary colors. The design is 105 by 72 stitches, and uses a whopping 60 colors, but you could always use fewer if you like. Having each word in a single color or using variegated thread would be nice, too. On 14 count fabric this one measures 7.5 by 5.14 inches, or 19 by 13 cm. 

Or stitch Rocky along with the iconic phrase with this design from John Gudmann Art. The pattern listing is low on details such as size or number of colors used, but it’s such a cute one I wanted to share it anyway. 

There’s also this one from Milo Can Stitch, which is 89 by 91 stitches, so just about 6.5 inches/16.5 cm square. It uses 17 colors and looks like Rocky is doing a little dance, which is fun. 

Another classic line from the book and the movie is “You sleep, I watch,” which feels kind of perfect for a baby’s room. This design from Carefree Cat Shop uses 11 colors and measures 49 by 37 stitches. That’s 2.8 by 3.7 inches, or about 7 by 9 cm, on 14 count fabric. 

Soft Muse Studio Store reminds us you sometimes just need someone to be brave for with this design featuring Rocky and Grace. At 215 by 215 stitches, the finished project uses 13 colors and measures 15.4 inches, or 39 cm on 14 count fabric, which will fit in a 10-inch hoop. Other fabric counts are included if you want to make it smaller. (This designer has several cute Project Hail Mary cross stitch patterns so be sure to check them all out.)

I also love this colorful spacewalk design from Mercury Stitches. It is 50 by 70 stitches, which comes out to 3.6 by 5 inches (9.1 by 12.7 cm) on 14 count fabric. It uses 17 colors and is all full cross stitches, as well as some backstitching.