Clara Ellen

I recently lost my "little" brother to cancer. I wanted to stitch a memorial piece to give as a gift to my "little" sister. Both of them are younger than me BUT our last name is Little, or was until we married. 

Clara Ellen is #8 in the Anniversaries of the Heart series by Blackbird Designs and the design I chose to use.

 

Since some of the personalization was stitched over one, I chose a piece of 25ct Natural Lugana as the fabric and used the called for floss. I did change the inside of the windows to Onion Skin as the Olive Branch was a bit to dark for me.

 

The eyelet stitch has now joined the lazy daisy and backstitch as my least favorite stitches.

 I just placed an order for a frame from The Rusty Roof on Etsy. One of my favorite source for frames.

Lord Libidan's Small Cross Stitch Alphabets book

 Many of the projects I stitch, especially samplers, I want to personalize with the name or initials and dates of the person I am remembering. Some designers include an alphabet and numbers with their chart. Some do not. When I need alphabets and or numbers for any project, I head over to the Lord Libidan website for one of the free tools, he offers, 53 Free Cross Stitch Alphabets.  I have always been able to find letters and numbers that will work with my project. 

I have even used his letters and numbers to chart verses for my projects that I might want to change from what is offered on the chart. 

Lord Libidan's Small Cross Stitch Alphabets book is a collection of over 100 cross stitch alphabets, organized by height rather than style or theme. The book includes 103 alphabets in total, 50 brand new designs plus 53 reader favorites from the site. Every height from 3 to 16 stitches, arranged smallest to tallest. 

 Lord Libidan's Small Cross Stitch Alphabets is available as a paperback for $15.99 or as a PDF for $9. It is also available as a Kindle book for $9. The book will be available on September 29, 2026. 

I think you will find it a useful tool to add to your cross-stitch supplies whether you just want to add your initials and date to a project or chart an entire verse. 

 Buy on Amazon

Buy the PDF (Gumroad)

 

Little Red Hen

 Little Red Hen by Blackbird Designs is in the quilt book, Country Inn. I chose it as the August project for a new Facebook group Blackbird Academy SAL. The group was set up by Holly Jones and Leah Bloom. Each month their is a theme and you can pick any Blackbird Designs chart that goes with that theme. August was Alphabets.

I selected a piece of 16ct Platinum aida I had in my stash and Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss Warm Berries. When I started stitching with it, I decided it was to brown so switched to DMC 3859 which was the recommended floss.

Not exactly sure how I am going to finish this one but it is done.

 

Nettie's Sewing Basket

 Nettie's Sewing Basket was designed by Lindsey Weight for her mom. It was one of the 2026 releases by Primrose Cottage.

 The stitch count is 61 x 61 and the recommended fabric is 32ct Light Taupe Lugana. I chose a piece of 14ct Parchment I had in my stash.  

Floss colors:

• DMC 844
• DMC 3820
• DMC 3731 or Weeks Dye Works Aztec Red
• DMC 503 or Weeks Dye Works Cadet
• DMC 3354 or Weeks Dye Works Charlotte's Pink
• DMC 436 or Weeks Dye Works Chickpea 
• Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Farmhouse Stone instead of DMC B5200

Unfortunately the Farmhouse Stone really does not show up well so I am probably going to go back and outline the sewing basket at least.

 

  

 

The Homestead Band Sampler

The Homestead Band Sampler is a traditional counted cross-stitch chart from the Prim & Proper Collection by Homespun Elegance. Designed by Sandra Sullivan and released in 1989, this vintage leaflet (Leaflet No. 99) features classic band motifs. I stitched in back in 2002 as a gift for a dear friend who recently passed away. It came back to me along with some other pieces I had stitched for her.

It is probably stitched on 14ct cream aida with DMC floss. The bellpull hardware was one I used quite often that is harder to get now. 

Homestead Band Sampler

 

Whimsical Quaker

 Whimsical Quaker is another one of the Quaker Series designed by Lindsey Weight of Primrose Cottage.

 The stitch count is 80 x 80 and the recommended fabric is 32ct Blush Lugana. I chose to stitch it on a piece of 14ct light pink I had in my stash. I used a combination of fancy floss and DMC. 

• Classic Colorworks Really Teally/DMC 3766
• Classic Colorworks Ribbon Red
• Classic Colorworks Strawberry Parfait/DMC 3733
• Gentle Arts Victorian Pink
• DMC 310
• DMC 469
• DMC 471
• DMC 472
• DMC 3787
• DMC 3867 (instead of B5200)

I changed some of the white to a shade of pink simply because the white did not show up very well on my fabric. I plan on using the pink floral fabric as the backing for a small pillow.

 

Sea Animals Trio

I'm not sure why I was so attracted to Sea Animals Trio by puntiniputini but I knew as soon as I saw it, that I had to stitch it. 

 

The stitch count for each one is 67 x 66. I decided to stitch them on on one piece so I could finish them as a bellpull. I chose a piece of Color and Cotton 14ct Puddle Jumping with called for DMC. 

 First up is the octopus.

 Next one up is the whale. Easier to stitch the seaweed circle then add the trailing bits than my normal top left to right.

 And the last one will be the sea turtle. 

And here it is finished as a bellpull. The background fabric is what I used to finish the piece. Now to find a place to hang it.

 

Basket of Memories

 On June 15th, our family had to say goodby to my "little" brother, Leonard Eugene Little after a very short battle with cancer. He left behind four daughters, two sisters, seven grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

I wanted to stitch something for his three New Zealand daughters who came to this country to be his primary caregivers. The three girls are amazing young women. 

I chose Basket of Memories by Blackbird Designs which I had stitched in the past for Barb Adams who was one half of the Blackbird Designs team. 

 I chose a piece of 14 count Vintage Oat aida by Zweigart and three different colors of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss to use for each small pillow. On the back, I will add my brother's name and his birth and death year. 

Floss: VMSS Ocean Coral

  

Floss: VMSS Santa Fe

Floss: VMSS Old World Patina

 

After adding some ruched ribbon trim to each of the small pillows. I love how they turned out. And after mailing to my nieces in New Zealand, I got a note that they had just arrived.

 

Sweetly Saying - Stitching

 Free Stitch Friday for April from Primrose Cottage is Sweetly Saying - Stitching.

The stitch count is 75 x 60 and the suggested fabric is 32ct Light Ash Gray using Color and Cotton and DMC floss. I had seen this one stitched in shades of blue in the Primrose Cottage Facebook group and liked it.

I chose a piece of 14ct Vintage Oat and and blues from the Color and Cotton Bluebird gradient pack.

• Dark Bluebird
• Soft Bluebird
• Pale Bluebird
• DMC3756 instead of White
•  DMC 726 (yellow)
• Anchor Black
• DMC 3347 (green) 
• Classic Colorworks Cherry Cobbler
•  Classic Colorworks Tennessee Red Clay

This one joins the pile of ones that need to be fully finished.
 

 

Dog Lovers

 I am really not sure how many years ago I purchased the chart pack Dog Lovers by Puntinipuntini. The design features a prominent house with a pooch perched on the staircase and the phrase 'Dog lovers live here" emblazoned on the rooftop. It came with two buttons and a pin. Stitch Count: 74W x 91H. The recommended fabric was 32ct Belfast Gray linen by Zweigart.

 

I chose a piece of 16ct aida in a mottled blue/tan from my stash. I started stitching it and then for some reason put it aside to stitch other things. I decided I needed to concentrate on getting some of my many WIP's finished. Not sure how I will finish this one but at least the stitching is now done.

 

 

 

Free Stitch Friday - June 2026

 Curious about Free Stitch Friday which actually shows up on Thursday? To receive the free chart you must be a Cross Stitch Newsletter subscriber. Subscribe HERE.

The free chart for Jun 2026 is Sweetly Sayin’: 4th of July. This festive little design is packed with patriotic charm featuring classic Americana motifs, waving flags, stars, stripes, and a celebration of freedom that’s perfect for your summer stitching.

The stitch count is 72x62 and the model was stitched on 32 Taupe, Lugana using Color and Cotton floss. I chose a piece of 16ct Faline aida by Color and Cotton. DMC 642 is the closest color to the fabric. I am using Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss: Long May It Wave (red), Betsy Ross (blue) and Anchor white. I added Antique Gold to the mix because the white lettering did not show up well enough for me. The finished size on 16ct will be 4 5/8 x 3 7/8.

 

  

Home of the Brave

Home of the Brave was designed by Barb Adams of Blackbird Designs and published in 2002. Jean Lea of The Attic in Mesa Arizona released an alternate version as a remembrance of September 11, 2001.I chose to stitch it as originally charted by Barb.

 I chose to use a piece of 16ct Moonstone aida by Fiber on a Whim and a selection of my Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss.

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss colors that I used in stitching this one:

• Grand Old Flag (red)
• Indigo (blue)
• Frog Prince (house)
• Plantation Brown (flag pole/tree trunk)
• River Bank (leaves and grass)
• Golden Weave (alphabet)
• Weathered Barnwood (house roof)
• Dried Hay (house shutters and door)
• Anchor White 

Now I need to decide how I want to finish this one. I decided on a simple wood frame from Amazon.

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Jubilee

Summer Jubilee by Blackbird Designs was first published in the July/Aug 2003 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine. I was included in the book Souvenirs of Summer published in 2004. It had never appealed to me because it was stitched on a darker fabric (18th Century Blackbird linen by R& R Reproductions).

I decided I wanted to stitch something in celebration of the 250th birthday of our country so chose this one but decided to use a lighter fabric. I had a piece of 16ct Stone by Fabric Flair in my stash and most of the called for colors. Changes are shown in parentheses.

• GA Grecian Gold
• GA Pomegranate
• GA Butternut Squash (DMC 3822)
• GA Chamomile (DMC 372)
• WDW Hibiscus (DMC 760)
• GA Woodrose (DMC 3722)
• GA Sasparilla
• GA Old Blue Paint (DMC 926)
• GA Flax
• GA Old Brick
• GA Berry Cobbler (DMC 3736)

I changed the numbers in the original design to the dates 1776-2025. I also left off the date and one set of initials. 

 Now I just need to decide how to frame it. I bought a 14x7 inch frame from Amazon. The left side of the frame is more like the actual color. Now to decide where to hang it.

 

 

 

Free Stitch Friday - February 2025

 

What is Free Stitch Friday?

On the first Thursday of every Month Primrose Cottage Cross Stitch Newsletter Subscribers will receive a free cross stitch chart via their newsletter email!

There will be kits available to purchase about two weeks before the chart is released which will include floss, cross stitch cloth (you will be able to choose what count you would like), and some type of goodie!
The chart itself remains a mystery until the first Thursday of the Month, and then you will have everything you need to start stitching on the first Friday of the Month!

To receive the free chart you must be a Primrose Cottage Cross Stitch Newsletter subscriber. Subscribe HERE

 The chart for February 2025 was Happy St. Patrick's Day.

I liked this one so much, I stitched it twice, once (last year) as a small pillow, and this year as a totally different finish.

 

On a recent trip to Hobby Lobby to check on some framing, I found these neat little book stacks on sale for 40% off that I thought might work for finishing. I bought the two different colors that were offered.

 I used the green one first to mount the 2025 stitched piece on. I had to stitch it on 18ct so that it would fit the top of the book stack.

 

Morning Star

Morning Star by Blackbird Designs is copyright 2011 and is now Out of Print. I have had it kitted up with fabric and floss for some time. The original design calls for 30ct French Vanilla by R & R Reproductions and floss by Classic Colorworks (Barn Door, Calico Kitty, Cocoa Bean, and Country Lane.)

I decided after looking at the cover photo that I would rather use Autumn colors to stitch this one. I already has a piece of cream aida kitted up and went to my collection of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss to pick some colors. I decided on:

• Rustic Charm (darkest rust)
• Fireside Glow (dark orange)
• Gray’s Lily (light orange)
• Ripe Avocado (dark olive green)

 

I decided I wanted to add some kind of trim to this one but could not find enough of what I wanted to use so online to Etsy I went. In the past, I had ordered some hand-torn cotton frayed edges ribbons from LinenLark to use for ruched ribbon finishes. I had ordered Terracotta in the past and knew it would be perfect.

 

 

 

 

Truly Thine

 Truly Thine by Blackbird Designs was released in 2004 and has been Out of Print for some time now. I had really never wanted to stitch it because the fabric color suggested was too dark for my eyes. But then I saw a post with it stitched on a lighter fabric with different colors. 

The stitch count for the sampler is 69w x 93h. I chose a piece of 14ct pink aida I had in my stash and for floss the Color and Cotton Princess gradient set with C&C Aloe Vera for the green. 

I love how it turned out. Now to decide how to finish it.
 

 

 

Gather Friends

 Gather Friends by Threadworks Primitive is copyright 2019 but I had never seen it till recently and since Autumn is my favorite time of the year, I had to order it. I have a hard time with color charts and Nan is always willing to print a b&w one for me which is very much appreciated. Love her designs. 

 The pattern stitch count is 101W x 99H and calls for Weeks Dye Works and Gentle Art floss. I chose a piece of 14ct Vintage Taupe aida I had in my stash and used the called for floss.

 Now to decide on a frame for it. 

I ordered a frame from The Rusty Roof on Etsy, Distressed Cimarron Picture Frame in Nutmeg.