Year of the Dragon Cross Stitch Patterns

The coming new year is the year of the dragon in Chinese astrology, so let’s celebrate with some year of the dragon cross stitch patterns.

The green dragon cross stitch pattern from Creative House Pattern (via Etsy) also features the year prominently, with a landscape worked into the numbers and the dragon perched on top. It’s not super traditional, but still fun. This one is 112 by 84 stitches and uses eight colors.

I always love the Chinese New Year patterns from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery, and the year of the dragon one is no exception. Include the year at the top or leave it off for a decoration you can pull out every 12 years! The pattern actually comes with all the numbers so if you want to personalize it with the birth year of a dragon in your life that would also be fun.

For a more traditional Chinese dragon look to your year of the dragon cross stitch, try this pattern from The Art of Cross Stitch on Etsy. The pattern is worked in three colors and measures 6 by 8 inches on 14 count fabric (80 by 103 stitches).

Or make this gorgeous red and gold dragon from Care Cross Stitch. It comes out to 8 inches/20.3 cm on 16 count fabric and uses three colors. I think this would look especially cool if you used metallic thread for the gold circle around the outside of the project.

You can also stitch the zodiac symbol for a dragon rather than the dragon itself, as in this pattern from Holly’s Hobbies UK. This one uses a single color and is about 50 by 50 stitches, or 3.6 inches/9 cm square on 14 count fabric.

And if you want a project that will last you the entirety of the year of the dragon, check out this amazing dragon from Unconventional X-Stitch. At 317 by 516 stitches and a whopping 87 colors, this project would be a true labor of love but such an amazing work of art to have in your home through the year of the dragon and beyond.

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Fancy Pumpkin Cross Stitch Patterns

One of the most common supplies for cross stitch, aside from fabric, needles and floss, is an embroidery hoop. A hoop isn’t needed for every project, and indeed there are some stitchers who prefer not to use them at all. I generally don’t use a hoop when I’m working on a small cross stitch project, especially something that’s shape isn’t conducive to using a hoop (like a bookmark).

But embroidery hoops can be really helpful for cross stitch because they hold your fabric at an even tension, which allows you to stitch more evenly without any more work on your part. It’s great for beginners to use hoops because the tension on the fabric can both help make your stitches more even and make the holes in the fabric a little easier to see.

I’ll admit to always just buying whatever hoop is available in the right size when I’m ready to start a project without giving it much more thought than that. But there are things you should consider when choosing among the different kinds of hoops, which Caterpillar Cross Stitch covers in their great guide to embroidery hoops.

The post walks you through wooden, plastic, spring tension and flexi hoops (which I’ll admit to having never heard of; they’re made of vinyl and plastic apparently), as well as Q-Snap frames, which aren’t really hoops because they’re made of plastic tubes that you snap together in the size and shape you need.

It also covers what size hoop you should use for the project you’re working on and how to actually use a hoop in the right way.

Whether you’re new to cross stitch or more seasoned, you’re sure to pick up a tip or a product to try in this post, so go check it out over at Caterpillar Cross Stitch.

Do you have a favorite kind of embroidery hoop to use for cross stitch, or do you go without? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[Photo: Caterpillar Cross Stitch]

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