Christmas Patterns

 Right click and save each photo so you can print the pattern according to your size choice.

 Get ready for Christmas with ornaments or bowlfillers.

 Or make cloth gift bags and sew on a muslin patch you've embroidered.

Use whatever color floss suits your fancy and your decor. I like to stitch these with 3 or 4 strands of floss.

 Feel free to sell products you make from these designs as long as you stitch them with your own two hands. And, if you do stitch them and are on Instagram, I'd love to see your finishes under the hashtag #kindnlovelystitches so I can see all of your gorgeous work!

If you'd like to make your own, of course, all you need is a Sharpie and some white paper.

Happy Stitching!

Seasonal Bowlfiller Patterns

 This is a good set to start your bowlfiller collection with. One for each season and they are all really quick to stitch!

 Right click and save to print any size you choose.

 You may even want to stitch more than one if you have a 3-tier tray to use or if you want to use them in different areas of your home. Try finishing each a little bit differently, too. Or finishing them all the same.

Use whatever color floss suits your fancy and your decor. I like to stitch these with 3 or 4 strands of floss.

 Feel free to sell products you make from these designs as long as you stitch them with your own two hands. And, if you do stitch them and are on Instagram, I'd love to see your finishes under the hashtag #kindnlovelystitches so I can see all of your gorgeous work!

If you'd like to make your own, of course, all you need is a Sharpie and some white paper.

Happy Stitching!

Favorite Songs Patterns

 Right click and save to print these patterns in the size of your choice. Wouldn't this one stitched with patchwork make a lovely Bible cover?

 This song is my very favorite and always reminds me that it will be alright no matter what. Do you have a friend going through a hard time or know someone that could use some encouragement? Stitch this into a lovely little pillow for them, add a mug and some tea bags, coffee, or hot chocolate and maybe a silk flower to cheer them up and let them know you care.

 Another song I love (Shhh...people who know me claim they're ALL my favorites!). Try stitching this one and adding some buttons and lace in a wooden shadow box you've chalk painted for a lovely gift.

Use whatever color floss suits your fancy and your decor. I like to stitch these with 3 or 4 strands of floss.

 Feel free to sell products you make from these designs as long as you stitch them with your own two hands. And, if you do stitch them and are on Instagram, I'd love to see your finishes under the hashtag #kindnlovelystitches so I can see all of your gorgeous work!

If you'd like to make your own, of course, all you need is a Sharpie and some white paper.

Happy Stitching!

Primitive Blessings Patterns

 You can combine words in different ways by just tracing one word at a time and then positioning the next under your muslin before tracing. Right click and save the designs and print them the size you choose.

 They could even be finished in a frame or as part of patchwork for a couch pillow or a table runner if you like. I'm still learning to quilt myself, but I think adding a felt or wool heart with a button in the center would make "bless your heart" even lovelier.

Use whatever color floss suits your fancy and your decor. I like to stitch these with 3 or 4 strands of floss.

 Feel free to sell products you make from these designs as long as you stitch them with your own two hands. And, if you do stitch them and are on Instagram, I'd love to see your finishes under the hashtag #kindnlovelystitches so I can see all of your gorgeous work!

If you'd like to make your own, of course, all you need is a Sharpie and some white paper.

Happy Stitching!

Friends and Family Patterns

 A few more bowlfillers for your home. Don't be afraid to go big either. Any of these would be lovely, stitched on a 12x12 or 18x18 piece of muslin in extra large letters and finished as a cushion for your couch, too!

 Right-click and save and then you should be able to print the size you want from a small bowlfiller to a larger page size. If you want it bigger, simply enlarge on a copier and you might need to take the pieces together. Once printed, cover with muslin and use a water soluble pen to trace the lettering. Or tape the pattern and muslin to a window to see better.

I love DMC 498, but I think these would also be lovely stitched in a dark brown or blue or whatever color suits your fancy and your decor.

 Feel free to sell products you make from these designs as long as you stitch them with your own two hands. And, if you do stitch them and are on Instagram, I'd love to see your finishes under the hashtag #kindnlovelystitches so I can see all of your gorgeous work!

If you'd like to make your own, of course, all you need is a Sharpie and some white paper.

Happy Stitching!

Patriotic Stitches

 If you've heard of Stitching with the Housewives and Priscilla and Chelsea, you may have seen the adorable redwork 'America' bowlfillers that Priscilla has in her galvanized 3-tier tray for July 4th. She said she bought them years ago, but even if they were available now, I couldn't get them since I'm not in the US.

 However, as an American living outside the US, decorating for July 4th is a big deal. I also started thinking of all kinds of little pillows I'd like to stitch up for other holidays, too.

 You should be able to right-click and save these photos and then print them the size you choose. Then, you can lay muslin over the top and use a water soluble marker to trace the word(s) onto the fabric.

Use your favorite red or blue floss (I like to use 3 or 4 strands) to stitch up as many of the designs as you like. Feel free to sell products you make from these designs as long as you stitch them with your own two hands. And, if you do stitch them and are on Instagram, I'd love to see your finishes under the hashtag #kindnlovelystitches so I can see all of your gorgeous work!

If you'd like to make your own, of course, all you need is a Sharpie and some white paper.

Look for more designs in the future! Enjoy stitching!

Red Pincushions

I love the color red and pincushions. When clothes wear off, I always take off the buttons. So the white buttons with red thread on a linen heart turned out really well. The second pincushion is a thread crochet granny square on top of a small red gingham base. I sewed the two gingham squares together first and then stitched the granny square on top stretching it as I went. I love how these two pincushions turned out.

A Teeny Tiny Biscornu Pincushion

No travel kit would be complete without a pincushion. I decided I wanted to try a tiny biscornu style out, but I couldn't find a pattern I liked. So I made my own pattern. Here's the pattern if you'd like to make your own. You can stitch the whole thing twice, but for my bottom piece, I just stitched the 5 inner squares. If you stitch one, I'd love to see it on Instagram under #lovelybiscornu

Sweet Flower Bowlfillers

Bowlfillers are little pillows to put in a basket to look pretty. They also make great gifts for friends and these flower cross-stitch patterns can be left out year round making them the perfect way to get started with bowlfillers.

Blue Carnation by Sub Rosa

Basket of Flowers by Sub Rosa

Tiny Sampler by La-D-Da

Quaker Spot Sampler by Mary Corbet

Flower Vase by Hands Across the Sea

Valentine Flowers from Notforgotten Farm

Eliza's Pyn Pillow by With My Needle

Friendly Little Stitches

Do you enjoy making things for other people? Might I suggest some friendly little pillows or pincushions to keep on hand for gifts or make a list of ones you'd like to stitch for different people. Most of them take very little stitching time and it's easy to turn them into cute little pillows.

Make a matching pincushion, scissor fob, and needle book for a stitchy friend. For non-stitchy friends, a little pillow with a mug and some tea bags makes a simple little gift. (I'm partial to thrift store mugs myself. No need to spend a lot of money to encourage someone.) Or you might put two or three seasonal cushions together in a basket with a doily to give as a housewarming gift. There are so many possibilities!

Here are links to a few free cross-stitch patterns to stitch for friends. Simply click on the pattern name to be directed to the link.

A Token of Friendship by Notforgotten Farm

Keys to the Past by SubRosa

Locks and Keys by SubRosa

Sampler Bag by Samplers and Santas

Treasured Friend by Plain and Fancy Merchant

My Friend by Primitive Bettys

Flower Basket by Sampler Girl

Sampler Quote from Hands Across the Sea

Good Friends Nametag from Victoria Sampler

A Friend to Me by Gettysburg Homestead

Sister Stitcher by the Primitive Hare

Tomato Pincushions

 I love pincushions of all kinds, but tomatoes are just so classic. So, I was thrilled when Theresa Venette of Shakespeare's Peddler and Kittenstitcher on Flosstube accepted an article and project for tomato pincushions to go in the second edition of her Samplers Yesterday &Today Zine. If you haven't seen the Zine, check it out. I love the articles and history she gives on samplers and designers.

 Both issues have sampler patterns in them and a selection of other lovely patterns. She also includes a recipe and craft project in each one. If you love cross-stitch and samplers, you really should check it out.

The tutorial for making the tomato pincushions includes the pattern for stitching the "Pins" tag as well. To go directly to issue 2 of the Zine, click here. And no, I don't get paid for directing traffic her way, but I'd really like to see more people buying the Zine so she keeps producing more!