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Free Smiling Stars Cross Stitch Pattern

Thu, 31 May 2012 06:00:38 +0000

I just love babies. They are so cute and cuddly and since I have never had any of my own, I can always pass them back to their mom or dad if they start emitting foul odors or viscous fluids of any type.

Baby-Themed Cross Stitch charts are very popular too - almost as popular as babies are!

Design Â Connie G. Barwick

The free Smiling Stars chart is a trio of smiling stars who join the Sleepy Moon design and the free Happy Sun motif. These charts will be really cute stitched on an afghan or pillow for a special new addition to the family. Or, create a special birth sampler to celebrate a birth.

More Free Baby Cross Stitch Patterns:

Kiwi Diamond Candlewicking Sachet

Wed, 30 May 2012 06:00:17 +0000

About.com Member Lisalady161 submitted a photo of the project she created using the free Candlewicking Kiwi Diamond pattern. She made a sachet she describes as "dainty and feminine." Read more about her project and see more photos.

Design Â Connie G. Barwick

More Information on Candlewicking:

View and share photos - yours might just be featured as an upcoming photo of the week.

More blogs posts featuring photos on Wordless Wednesday at About.com.

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Free Triple Spiral Cross Stitch

Tue, 29 May 2012 06:00:57 +0000

I had fun stitching the free Triple Spiral Chart. Those of you who don't like stitching on dark fabric, may think I am crazy since this project involved dark navy Aida fabric, but I tried a new gridding method on this project. I used a white chalk pencil to mark my grid. I got the idea from my sister-in-law's use of chalk to mark quilting lines. It brushes right off. I even left the lines on there quite awhile after I finished stitching and it still came right off.

Design Â Connie G. Barwick

I stitched my projects with 2 strands of DMC 471 and I love the bright green against the dark navy. I plan to use the Triple Spiral design as part of my St. Patrick's Day decorations next year, but it would also look nice as part of a spring display.

The Triple Spiral is an interesting symbol. It is also known as the Triskele Symbol. It is an ancient symbol associated with Celtic designs. It has also been found in Buddhist writings, Lycaean coins, Isle of Man bank notes, and is the symbol of Sicily. Learn More...

More information:

Make a Memorial Day Pin

Mon, 28 May 2012 06:00:48 +0000

Happy Memorial Day! Stay safe, stay hydrated, stay inside and stitch for a bit like me!

There's still time to stitch this small Striped Heart design and make a Cross Stitch pin to wear to an evening celebration. You might also want to stitch up several for next year to give as gifts.

Â Connie G. Barwick

Get started now and you will have a lot of hearts to help show off your USA patriotic spirit!

It might be nice to repeat the motif on a band of fabric to make a decorative band for a basket too. So many ideas from one little design! What can you create?

Free Happy Father's Day Motif

Sun, 27 May 2012 06:00:19 +0000

I enjoy trying new flosses. So when I received a set of Valdani flosses to test out, I wanted to design some special patterns just for them. One of the patterns is the Free Father's Day Motif shown here. It is simple enough to stitch before Father's Day rolls around (it is coming soon, in case you haven't noticed) and would make a great card or framed design - maybe you would like to frame it with a picture of you and your Dad.

Photo and Design Â Connie G. Barwick

Valdani flosses have lovely hues and the variations in the colors really pop. One great thing about these flosses is that they are colorfast, unlike many hand and over-dyed flosses. This is great for those of you who depend on washing your projects after you finish stitching them! They also recently added silk flosses to their line.

I listed the flosses I used for each project, but you can choose to use other flosses for the project if you like. Experiment with other hand-dyed or variegated flosses, or use solid colors.

See the Complete Collection of Valdani-Inspired patterns

Father's Day is only a month a way. Use this pattern or one of the other Free Father's Day charts to make something special for Dad.

Free Rose-Themed Cross Stitch Patterns

Sat, 26 May 2012 06:00:02 +0000

Roses are some of my favorite flowers and I know they are popular among other stitchers too, so I have collected a list of rose-themed cross stitch patterns from around About.com and the internet for you to enjoy. See free Rose-Themed Cross Stitch Patterns.

Design Â Connie G. Barwick

See More Free Cross Stitch Patterns:

Emma Lazarus Quote Cross Stitch Pattern

Fri, 25 May 2012 06:00:42 +0000

Emma Lazarus (1849 - 1887) was an American poet born in New York City best known for "The New Colossus", a sonnet written in 1883. Lines from The New Colossus appear on a plaque in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. The quote used in this free design is attributed to Lazarus. Stitch the free Emma Lazarus Quote Cross Stitch Chart with the floss color(s) of your choice.

Design Â Connie G. Barwick

Stitch a Small Rhodes Stitch

Thu, 24 May 2012 06:00:07 +0000

A Rhodes stitch is a counted thread embroidery stitch that is commonly used in more advanced Cross Stitch projects. The stitch creates a dense square filled with thread. I have created a new tutorial for how to stitch a smaller version of the Rhodes stitch.

Image Â Connie G. Barwick

The stitch is done over four squares of Aida fabric. Learn how to do the stitch by following the small Rhodes stitch tutorial.

Here are some other stitch tutorials I have done, so be sure to check them out too!

Stitch Tutorials:

Free Dinosaur Cross Stitch Patterns

Tue, 22 May 2012 06:00:56 +0000

I remember watching the TV show Land of the Lost. I even liked Will Ferrell's remake of Land of the Lost. The fun of the original show was that it was cheesy and silly. My friends and I watched it faithfully.

Design Â Connie G. Barwick

Dinosaurs rule in the lost land and they also rule here at About.com Cross Stitch. There are three of them stalking through the free pattern collection. Stitch the free Dinosaur patterns using the colors I suggest or choose your own. No one really knows what color they were, so have some fun with it. Use metallic flosses, glow-in-the-dark filaments or flosses - whatever you like!

More on Dinosaurs from About.com:

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Pinwheel Quilt Welcome

Mon, 21 May 2012 06:00:45 +0000

The Pinwheel Welcome is one of a series of Quilt-Inspired Cross Stitch Patterns available free from About.com Cross Stitch. I have always loved quilts, but I am not a quilter. So, I decided to create patterns with quilt themes so I could enjoy traditional quilt blocks in my own way.

Graphic Â Connie G. Barwick

Stitch the free Pinwheel Welcome pattern with the floss colors of your choice. Match your home decor or use holiday colors to create a Christmas welcome. Select seasonal colors and make a welcome for spring, summer, winter, and fall!

Patterns in this collection include:

Learn more about Quilting from About.com Guide Janet Wickell: