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]

I have never been one who can predict trends, and even when I hear about trends for crafting I don’t always believe them. When I heard ducks and geese were going to be big this year I didn’t totally believe it, but here were are, with duck and goose cross stitch patterns everywhere, not to mention porch geese having a resurgence and these birds showing up in other crafts as well.

So when a wizard goose cross stitch pattern caught my eye, I knew I needed to share it.

It’s not only a wizard goose, but a wizard goose riding a bicycle, announcing their mission to go cause a kerfuffle.

How could I not share that?

The design is from Cross Stitch With Art, and it’s actually not the only one this character features in, but we’ll get to that. This particular design uses six colors and measures 76 by 103 stitches. That’s about 5.5 by 7.5 inches, or 14 by 19 cm, when you stitch it on 14 count fabric. The pattern is great for beginner to intermediate stitchers, as it uses pretty simple shapes and not a lot of colors.

It might also be fun to do the sparkles in a metallic thread, but it’s cute just as it is, too.

If you’re not up for raising a kerfuffle, maybe you’d like another one of this character’s designs. There’s another one on the bike (riding the other direction, so you can make the pair and hang them together) in which the goose is cultivating whimsy. Other designs show the goose holding a candle. One of them is also about whimsy, while another advises to “hang in there it gets worse.”

If you like your geese with a side of magic, snark and whimsy, these patterns are for you. Check them out at Cross Stitch with Art on Etsy.

[Photo: Cross Stitch With Art]

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