cross stitch designs & finishing “recipes”

  • Homestead Sampler Series: Summer by Starry Night Studios | Flat Cross Stitch Finish

    The Cross Stitch

    Homestead Sampler Series: Summer designed by Starry Night Studios
    Stitch Count: 69 x 69
    Fabric: 32 count Vintage Country Mocha Lugana by Zweigart
    Thread: Chose my own colours (some were the same as called for). DMC 08, DMC 347, DMC 469, DMC 676, DMC 729, DMC 930, DMC 931, DMC 3328, and DMC 3865

    The Finish

    Mounting Board: Somime white mat board
    Cotton Fabric: Lori Holt’s Vintage Design in denim from the Farmer’s Daughter collection
    Batting: 80/20 Cotton Poly Batting
    Trim: 3/8″ white rick rack from my local quilting store and 3/4″ red satin ribbon CelebrateIt Ribbon bundle (Michaels)

    My Thoughts

    You may know Alissa from Starry Night Studios…she does custom cross stitch finishing and also makes and sells beautiful finishing boards. I have admired and been inspired by her finishing style for years, and I am so excited that she has started to release some of her very own cross stitch designs! This Summer design was a true pleasure to stitch and came together really quick! I tend to suffer from decision fatigue when it comes to choosing how to fully finish my projects…I took Alissa’s own finish of this sweet design as the inspiration, and I am very happy with the results!

  • Token of Love by Teresa Kogut | Pillow Cross Stitch Finish

    The Cross Stitch

    Token of Love designed by Teresa Kogut
    Teresa Kogut’s April 2026 Patreon Tier Four Design
    Stitch Count: 80 x 78
    Fabric: 32 count Vintage Country Mocha Lugana
    Thread: DMC 356, DMC 370, DMC 422, DMC 612, DMC 730, DMC 801 (in place of CCW 156), DMC 3031, DMC 3052, DMC 3064, DMC 3768, DMC 3777, DMC 3865

    The Finish

    Cotton Fabric for the back: Lori Holt’s Bandana Design in Tea House from the Farmer’s Daughter Collection
    Pillow Stuffing: Poly-fil Premium Fiber Fill
    Patch on back: Merino wool blend felt from the Spring Vacation collection by Over The River Felt
    Trim: 3/8″ Red Satin Ribbon by Celebrate It from Michaels

    My Thoughts

    I instantly fell in love with this design when it first dropped in Teresa’s Patreon group! I envisioned the finish the entire time I was stitching it but I knew I would be dipping into uncharted territory for myself! This is the first time I have ever done a heart shaped pillow and the first time I have ever done the ribbon ruching technique. I won’t lie, I was pretty nervous when I outlined that heart onto the stitch…I thought for sure I was going to ruin it! One deep breath later I took the leap and absolutely love how it turned out. There were some very helpful video tutorials for the ribbon ruching, but I mostly stuck to the one by Floss Paper Scissor! It’s not technically perfect, but it’s perfect to me and I will treasure it forever!

  • Night Light by Hands on Design | Ornament Cross Stitch Finish

    The Cross Stitch

    Night Light designed by Hands on Design
    Stitch Count: 63 x 70
    Fabric: 32 count Delft Blue Linen by Weeks Dye Works
    Thread: Called for DMC cotton floss/no conversions
    DMC 21, DMC 224, DMC 402, DMC 471, DMC 610, DMC 612, DMC 648, DMC 677, DMC 733, DMC 930, DMC 844, DMC 3865

    The Finish

    Mounting Board: Mat Board
    Batting: 80/20 Cotton Poly Batting
    Cotton Backing Fabric: Lori Holt’s Dainty Design in Lettuce from the Mercantile Collection
    Trim: Edge and hanger trim; Natural Jute Twine by Ashland. Lace ribbon trim:  Muted Meadow Easter Trim Bundle by Celebrate it and Generic Easter Trim Bundle by Celebrate It all from Michaels

    My Thoughts

    I have admired all of Hands on Designs “bugs” but hadn’t stitched one until now! When Night Light, featuring this beautiful firefly released at Nashville Needlework market this year I put it high on my “must stitch” list. It’s a treat for me to stitch on a fun hand dyed fabric, my go to is definitely a tame neutral, but I love and admire all of those beautiful fabric options out there! This was such a fun stitch, Cathy at HOD is a magician with her designs; her colours, creativity, and use of easy specialty stitches come together to make such a beautiful finish!

  • Plaid Tidings by Hands on Design | Ornament Cross Stitch Finish


    Plaid Tidings (Merry Moments Collection) designed by Hands on Design
    part of Hands on Designs Patreon Ornament Club
    Stitch Count: 51 x 83
    Fabric: 32 count Vintage Country Mocha Lugana by Zweigart
    Thread: Called for DMC cotton floss/no conversions
    DMC 21, DMC 347, DMC 937, DMC 3865

    The Finish

    Mounting Board: Generic mat board
    Batting: 80/20 Cotton Poly Batting
    Cotton Backing Fabric: Lori Holt’s Sestina design in Schoolhouse from the Bee Dots Collection
    Trim: Christmas Gold/Natural Twine by Ashland and 3/8″ Linen Twist Edge Ribbon by Celebrate It from Michaels
    Jingle Ball: Creatology bells from Michaels
    Tag: I used old Close to My Heart cardstock, ink and a stamp all from my stash.

    My Thoughts

    Plaid Tidings is the third ornament in the Merry Moments ornament collection which is part of Hands on Designs patreon ornament club. Each month you get the design, a list of supplies, and step by step real time tutorials on how to finish the ornaments. This seemingly straightforward finish was actually a great learning experience and has boosted my confidence in doing front/back finishes without trim around the edge. I have been trying my best to “use what I have” for finishing supplies and love that I could incorporate some of my old stash of cardmaking/scrapbooking supplies to complete this one! Decorating my tree this Christmas is going to be so much fun!

  • April Cottage of the Month by Country Cottage Needleworks | Flat Cross Stitch Finish

    The Cross Stitch

    April Cottage of the Month designed by Country Cottage Needleworks
    Stitch Count: 77 x 77
    Fabric: 32 count Vintage Country Mocha Lugana by Zweigart
    Thread: Called for DMC; DMC 209, DMC 420, DMC 422, DMC 604, DMC 722, DMC 744, DMC 3031, DMC 3053, DMC 3363, DMC Blanc
    Changes; DMC 208 (instead of DMC 553), DMC 800 (instead of DMC 3840)

    The Finish

    Mounting Board: Generic mat board
    Cotton Fabric: Lori Holt’s Dainty Design in Lettuce from the Mercantile Collection
    Batting: 80/20 Cotton Poly Batting
    Trim: Both the purple trim and the pink ribbon for the bow are from the Easter Trim Bundle by Celebrate it from Michaels

    My Thoughts

    Another bright and fun Cottage of the Month finish! April follows along with the March design in that I finished it with greens and pinks; I really love how it turned out, especially that bright pink bow! I honestly, really wanted to use a yellow finishing fabric but all of my yellows were on the orange side, so it didn’t look right. Green saved the day, and it works perfectly!
    I love this flat finish version of the Cottage of the Month series with the big fabric border. More impact and more colour to show it off! And, they are perfect squares so they would be easy to pop into a frame if I wanted to change it up!

  • Sweetly Sayin – Stitching by Primrose Cottage Stitches | Pillow Cross Stitch Finish

    The Cross Stitch

    Sweetly Sayin’ – Stitching designed by Primrose Cottage Stitches
    April Free Stitch of the month via Primrose Cottage’s Stitching Newsletter
    Stitch Count: 75 x 60
    Fabric: 32 count Platinum Lugana by Zweigart
    Thread: Called for DMC floss; DMC 937, DMC 3021, DMC 3822, DMC 3831, DMC 3832, DMC B5200
    Additional colours to customize it: DMC 3810 and DMC 3811

    The Finish

    Cotton Fabric for the back: Lori Holt’s Sestina Design in Schoolhouse from the Bee Dots Collection
    Pillow Stuffing: Poly-fil Premium Fiber Fill
    Patch on back: Merino wool blend felt from the Spring Vacation collection by Over The River Felt
    Trim: Lady Dot Creates Hand-Dyed 7/32″ Rick Rack in Sea Glass

    My Thoughts

    Sweetly Sayin’ – Stitching is the perfect craft/stitching room piece! It is the April free stitch of the month from Primrose Cottage Stitches, if you missed out, they go up on their website the following month. I highly recommend signing up for their newsletter, so much value for free!!
    I customized this design to match the Stitching Quilt, I used all called for DMC colours and then added the two turquoise colours! It was a lot of fun using my creative brain to pick what parts of the design to change colours! I am so happy with how it turned out!

  • Hope Anchors the Soul by Primrose Cottage Stitches | Pillow Cross Stitch Finish

    The Cross Stitch

    Hope Anchors the Soul designed by Primrose Cottage Stitches
    Stitch Count: 75 x 31
    Fabric: 32 count Antique White Belfast Linen by Zweigart
    Thread: DMC 3722 (converted to a colour I had in stash)

    The Finish

    Cotton Fabric: Front; Lori Holt’s Bandana design in Tea Rose from the Farmer’s Daughter Collection
    Back; Lori Holt’s Vintage design in Coral from the Farmer’s Daughter Collection
    Pillow Stuffing: Poly-fil Premium Fiber Fill
    Patch on back: Merino wool blend felt from the Spring Vacation collection by Over The River Felt
    Trim: Trim from a 1 yard Trim Bundle by Celebrate it (Michaels)

    My Thoughts

    Hope Anchors the Soul is a special design from Primrose Cottage Stitches, proceeds going to help one of the Primrose Cottage family members that are going through cancer treatment. You can’t help but love this design, there is so much meaning behind it!
    I stitched mine, from start to finish, on Easter Sunday with a special helper, my 7 year old niece. She put in several stitches and asked if she could make the very last one…of course, I said yes! I love that I can share my love of cross stitch with the next generation!

  • Waddle’s Strawberries by Teresa Kogut | Ornament Cross Stitch Finish

    Waddle’s Strawberries designed by Teresa Kogut
    part of Teresa Kogut’s Patreon/March 2026 Ornament
    Stitch Count: 90 x 90
    Fabric: 32 count Vintage Country Mocha Lugana by Zweigart
    Thread: Called for DMC cotton floss/no conversions
    DMC 22, DMC 356, DMC 503, DMC 738, DMC 3011, DMC 3064, DMC 3371, DMC 3776, DMC 3866

    The Finish

    Mounting Board: 6″ wood rounds from Amazon
    Batting: 80/20 Cotton Poly Batting
    Cotton Backing Fabric: Lori Holt’s Vintage Design in Coral from the Farmer’s Daughter Collection
    Trim: Edge trim; Muted Meadow Easter Trim Bundle by Celebrate it (Michaels)
    Bow and hanger; Easter Trim Bundle by Celebrate it (Michaels)

    My Thoughts

    Waddle’s Strawberries is THE cutest design! I love to cross stitch, and every stitch is fun…but this was seriously so much fun to stitch! Pure joy! I was nervous to finish it because I love it so much, and wanted to do it justice. All the pieces came together so perfectly, all from stash! The trim around the edge really ties it all together. I highly recommend stashing all of Michaels trim bundles when you can, they are so valuable to have on hand.

  • Light the Way by Hands on Design | Ornament Cross Stitch Finish

    Light the Way (Merry Moments Collection) designed by Hands on Design
    part of Hands on Designs Patreon Ornament Club
    Stitch Count: 58 x 47
    Fabric: 32 count Vintage Country Mocha Lugana by Zweigart
    Thread: Called for DMC cotton floss/no conversions
    DMC 08, DMC 347, DMC 471, DMC 645, DMC 676, DMC 729, DMC 816, DMC 937, DMC 3865

    The Finish

    Mounting Board: Generic mat board
    Batting: 80/20 Cotton Poly Batting
    Cotton Backing Fabric: Lori Holt’s Holly Design in Lettuce from the Hometown Holiday Collection
    Trim: Ashland Christmas Gold/Natural Twine from Michaels and Celebrate it Christmas Ribbon (cording) from Michaels
    Jingle Ball: Creatology bells from Michaels

    My Thoughts

    Light the Way is the second ornament in Hand’s on Designs patreon club! You get the beautiful design plus the complete step by step of how to finish the ornament by Cathy! She has me loving the backs of my finishes almost as much as the fronts, I have learned so much from this club already! Just like the first ornament, I am using materials from my own stash to finish with, and I am loving the learning and creative challenge!

  • Spring Blessings by Primrose Cottage Stitches | Pillow Cross Stitch Finish

    The Cross Stitch

    Spring Blessings designed by Primrose Cottage Stitches
    Stitch Count: 73 x 52
    Fabric: 32 count Light Blue Lugana by Zweigart
    Thread: Called for DMC cotton floss/no conversions or changes
    DMC 210, DMC 553, DMC 580, DMC 744, DMC 3021, DMC B5200

    The Finish

    Cotton Fabric for back: Lori Holt’s Lillian design in Lettuce from the Bee Dots Collection
    Pillow Stuffing: Poly-fil Premium Fiber Fill
    Patch on back: Merino wool blend felt from the Spring Vacation collection by Over The River Felt
    Trim: Pink trim is from the Celebrate it Easter Trim Bundle from Michaels

    My Thoughts

    Spring Blessings is the March free stitch of the month from Primrose Cottage stitches via their newsletter. It is now available on their website. Such a sweet design with the sheep and purple flowers, adorable!
    I ventured way outside my comfort zone and did a shaped pillow…I am a rookie sewer, still learning the ropes of using a sewing machine, but I am so happy I went for it. It’s not perfect, but that is what this is all about; learning, growing, and trying new things!
    I also went “big” on the trim, with those fluffy pom poms, maybe a little over powering on this little pillow. I am still not sure I love them, but there has been lots of positive feedback, thank you for that!