These Free Pokemon Cross-Stitch Patterns Will Make You Want To Catch Them All

Kaitlin Cone Cross-Stitch December 8, 2017

I grew up in a community that was averse to trends. Whenever there was a new toy, like the tamagotchi, pogs, or pokemon, I knew better than to ask for one or play with them at friends’ houses (I did manage to scrape up enough money to buy an off-brand tamagotchi and a few pogs, however). We were forbidden to read books like Harry Potter, and we were never over at our friends’ houses alone, so there was not even a way to sneakily read these books or play with these toys.

Now that I’m an adult, of course, I’m experiencing a lot of things that people my age experienced in the 90’s. With the advent of Pokemon Go, I can finally discover this world, and part of the joy of experiencing this for the first time is that there is so much more available to me to show my love of Pokemon — plushies from Build-A-Bear, amigurumi patterns, and, I recently discovered, Pokemon cross stitch patterns.

While there is an option to scan in pictures and turn them into crochet patterns, I’ve had the best luck with the patterns I’ve found on DeviantArt — particularly from MakiBird-Stitching, who has several popular Pokemon cross stitch patterns available for free.

You can print them out in color or black-and-white and follow along with the key provided to make sure you’re using the right colors. The design is large enough to stand on its own (you could put the finished product in a frame or hoop to hang on the wall), but small enough that it isn’t intimidating to think about having to cross stitch.

This sort of project is perfect for someone on the go. It’s easy to stash in a bag and take with you on a road trip (especially during the holidays), or to work for something to do on your lunch break, or while you’re running errands. And if you have a cozy afternoon or long weekend at home, then you can enjoy turning these patterns into your own pokemon collection from the comfort of your armchair.

When cross stitching, the stitching itself is simple but it’s always important to have a planning stage prior to getting your needle and thread out. Make sure you have all the right colors and the materials (cross stitch fabric, a hoop, scissors, embroidery thread, the pattern), and that you follow along with the pattern exactly. You can highlight the stitches you’ve already done, if you like, or you can check them off.

After you’re done, you can choose whether you want to incorporate the piece into a larger project (as a badge, on a purse, as part of a book cover, etc.) or if you want to retain the piece as is and display it somewhere. Something like this would also make a great gift for fellow Pokemon fans of all ages, so you might want to make a few of these for special occasions like birthdays and Christmas.

If you’d like to peruse the Pokemon patterns available on DeviantArt, you can do so by visiting MakiBird Stitching’s page. Happy hunting!

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Free Cross-Stitch Patterns

Kaitlin Cone Cross-Stitch October 2, 2017

I have friends, a husband and wife, who cross stitch together. They buy the beautiful kits with thousands of stitches and when it’s complete, it is a work of art. I love that they have a craft they do together, and that they give to their families as a gift. Unfortunately for me, I don’t have the time or patience to undertake such a project. I’m the type of person who will freehand designs or follow a small design, but beyond that, you can forget it. There are some small kits available, but I often find them expensive, and instead have to make up my own patterns as I go, which can go well until I get confused about which color I want where, how big the final project will be, and exactly how to get the shape I’m going for. That’s where Country Living comes in and saves the day.

I wasn’t aware that Country Living had such a thriving craft section to their website, but after scrolling through several patterns, I got really excited about the possibilities. These are smaller, more manageable patterns, easy to print out on your home printer, and simple enough that you won’t need two dozen different shades of the same color. Whether you’re looking for vintage inspiration, cute ideas, or more modern projects, Country Living has it all.

There are several Americana projects, such as a red barn, a white silo, and vegetation like trees with autumn foliage or various seeds and nuts. There are patterns with a summer vibe, like the bicycle and glass of lemonade. There are also unique patterns like oars, china patterns, and a cute little mailbox. Also available are animals, holiday patterns, and a map of the United States in miniature. If you can think of it, Country Living probably has a pattern for it.

This might be a good way to try out something new, something a little more challenging for yourself, like using different colors of fabric, or adding seed beads (the autumn leaves would look gorgeous with glass beads added in), or even buttons, lace, and ribbon. You could even add embroidery techniques, such as knots, various types of stitching, and single color embroidery thread. A simple pattern means you can tailor and embellish to suit your own inclinations without having to worry that you’re going to mess it up somehow and have to take it out or, heaven forbid, start over.

If you’re interested in trying out one or more of these adorable cross stitch patterns, you can view a library of them by visiting Country Living’s website (see a sample of their offerings down below). I particularly love the bicycle, the glass of lemonade, and the tree with autumn foliage. Be sure and look at the other subjects Country Living posts about, because there are several other topics that might be of interest to you, including other crafts, food and drink, holiday decorations, and house/intererior design. Their photos are all pinnable (if you use Pinterest), and you can follow them on various social media including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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