We’ve been so inspired by all of the stitching, the quilting, the sewing, and the making happening around the world. Amidst the chaos and the uncertainty, people are truly tapping into their creative sides, stitching some pretty breathtaking works of art. We’ve been particularly floored by the hand stitching we’ve seen — be it via a pattern or completely free-hand, embroidery or cross stitch.
There is something about the simplicity of stitching by hand… the slowing down of a moment, taking time for ourselves, working toward something new and brilliant.
We’ve got a handful of fabulous stitchy ideas to share with you today — some free projects, some inspiration, all made better with our lustrous Aurifloss (100% Cotton 6-strand divisible embroidery floss) or our 12wt thread, both available in all 270 Cotton Colors.
We’ll suggest collections where it makes sense, but if you’re looking to snag single spools (or if you’re one of our fabulous readers based outside of the US), check in with us via our Thread Concierge so that we can point you in the right direction!
** Click on the links below the images to check out the free patterns shown.
We just love Bev McCullough’s sweet style, friendly demeanor, and bright and crisp project imagery. Her blog, Flamingo Toes, is beautifully arranged, featuring everything from craft projects to embroidered hoops, quilts to pillows, home organization tips to sewing ideas for kids… truly a little something for everyone.
We love that she always has a gorgeous range of free embroidery projects peppered in with her other patterns. Her curated Aurifil set, Colorful Vintage offers the perfect color range to complete them all!
We are completely smitten with pretty much everything that Aurifil Designer Jo Avery does. We’ve been following along with her for ages, and so love her delightfully staged photos with perfectly arranged spools of Aurifil thread. Her embroidered hoops are creative and eye-catching and she’s been kind enough to offer a few free options over the years. Mini Bear Portrait and Paisley Passion are perfectly suited to the bold colors found in her 12wt cotton set, Passionflower.
Susan Ache is our absolute favorite cross-stitch magician. She turns our tiny little wooden spools of floss into these remarkable mini masterpieces. It’s truly her personal mission to make every stitchy maker out there fall in love with Aurifloss and we’re pretty sure she is well on her way, sharing bits of magic with each and every chart she creates.
Susan shares free charts via this newsletter and on Aurifil’s blog a few times a year. You’ll also find all of her charts available HERE on our website.
Sheena Norquay is adventurous in her work, always up for trying something new, while remaining meticulous and measured in her experimentation. She is an artist, through and through, and brings something new to each and every quilt or stitching she creates. Sheena always sends along thoughts on new pieces… what she tried and why, which threads were used, and what she thought about it all. We always love reading about her process and have a sneaking suspicion that you might feel the same way. Embroidered Feathers and Cottage Garden Brooch are two small projects that she shared with our readers for free — grab them via the links above!
Looking for more stitchy inspiration? Check out some of the links below! Our 45 Spool Aurifloss Best Selection is a wonderful choice for maximum variety.
FREE CROSS STITCH & EMBROIDERY PATTERNS
- Stitch-mas in July via Aurifil & Guest Designers
- Cross Stitch Flower by Blair Stocker
- You’re So Berry Sweet by Sugaridoo
- Majestically Awkward by Beverly McCullough
- For the Love of Hexagons by Wild Olive
- I Love Us by Beverly McCullough
- Farmer’s Market Fresh Flowers by Beverly McCullough
- Floral Spring Embroidery Hoop by Beverly McCullough
- Bloom by Cutesy Crafts
- Love Everyone Always by Wild Olive
- Embroidered Bouquet by Sedef Imer
- Do Small Things With Great Love by Nana Company
If you find a pattern that speaks to you and you choose to stitch something up, we hope you’ll tag us at #aurifil so we that we can cheer you on!