Ohio Neighborhood Watch Community Cross-Stitch Pattern

On September 14, 2026 By TheresaCIn Cross-Stitch Embroidery, Sewing & CraftsLeave a comment

An old neighborhood watch community sign becomes new again in a bold, graphic cross-stitch pattern.

I made this design because I noticed these old community watch signs in a couple of places around my neighborhood. They’re from the 1970s and 1980s and while they look weathered, they’re still standing tall. I love the bold design and how they serve as a snapshot of an era when doorbell and porch cameras didn’t exist. If something fishy happened in your community, you had to ask your neighbors if they saw anything and you hoped they had their eyes open. Also, the “sketchy character” on this sign appears to be a man sporting a trench coat and holding a pistol. I’m not sure if that’s the archetype of a “criminal” nowadays.

The digital PDF file for my Ohio Neighborhood Watch Community Cross-Stitch Pattern can be purchased here.

To create my cross-stitch pattern, I simplified the sign, making it specific to all of Ohio, not just a municipality. The circle gave me a hard time. Creating curved lines on a grid is not easy! In fact, I thought I was finished with the design and had stitched up “Neighborhood Watch Community” and did the top half-dozen lines of the red circle when I realized the circle wasn’t the right shape of round. So, I had to go back and fiddle with the pattern before I was satisfied. Then, I had to unpick a few rows of stitches.

That’s how my design process goes, though. I stitch all of my patterns before releasing them into the wild because I want to find any errors I can’t see on the computer. It also forces me to slow down and really be with the pattern. I have found places that aren’t quite right and I’ve gone back and enhanced them before completing the pattern.

The aida cloth of this design does a lot of heavy lifting. The original sign has a black background, although, on some of the sun-faded signs, it may look dark brown. Using a black aida cloth eliminates the need to stitch the entire background in black. That would be a lot, too, because on 14-count aida cloth, this design measures 7.43” x 9.5”

So, if you grew up in Ohio in the 1970s and 1980s or you have some of these signs still standing in your neighborhood, you can pay homage to the iconic design, with my digital pattern. While you’re stitching, you just may find yourself pondering how important it is to take care of our neighbors and community.

The PDF pattern can be purchased from my Etsy shop.

Ohio Watershed Keep It Clean Cross-Stitch Digital Pattern

On September 8, 2026September 14, 2026 By TheresaCIn Cross-Stitch Embroidery, Sewing & CraftsLeave a comment

The “Keep It Clean” watershed signs I see posted on roads right at creeks have a simple, eye-catching design. I knew the single color and bold fish illustration would translate well to a cross-stitch design.

Purchase the digital PDF pattern for my Ohio Watershed Keep It Clean Cross-Stitch Pattern on my Etsy shop here.

I snapped a picture of one of these signs close to me and got to work. While the program I use to create patterns can automatically convert an uploaded picture into a cross-stitch pattern, I discovered I still had a LOT of work to do. The auto feature picks up almost every color. And, because I’m not a robot, my photo wasn’t taken perfectly aligned to the sign (I was on the side of a road). So, I had to simplify.

To do that, I removed the background around the sign. I also removed any color the program picked up on the “white” part of the sign. Then, I had to correct the font. I had to fix each letterform and then make them consistent—all the E’s the same, and so on.

The fish required a lot of work, too. Curved lines are hard to create in a medium that is literally a grid. But, I did it and I’m satisfied with just how happy the fish looks.

Finally, I added the speech bubble. That little fishy has too much personality to be silent. He’s not jumping out of the water to wave “hello” as you pass by. No, he is on a mission. He wants to drive the sign’s message home: don’t leak in his creek. Please and thank you.

On 14-count aida, which is my favorite cloth count to work on, this design measures 5″ x 5.64″. It only requires two thread colors, one of which is black. You could do the whole thing in blue if you really wanted to.

Clean watersheds are important because water outside somehow, someway always ends up in our pipes flowing right to our faucets and water fountains. Clean watersheds mean clean drinking water. Also, our buddies, the fish and other aquatic life need clean water.

Have fun stitching up this simple design and sharing just how much clean water means to you.

Purchase the digital PDF pattern on my Etsy shop.

Frosty the Snowman Christmas Quilt

On January 30, 2026January 30, 2026 By TheresaCIn quiltingLeave a comment

I repurposed a cut and sew panel intended to be a fabric book into a quilt. Each page became a quilt block and coordinating fabric was used for sashing and borders.

*Frosty the Snowman Christmas Quilt Front*

My Frosty the Snowman Christmas Quilt is based on my Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas Quilt. When I found a cut-and-sew fabric book panel for the story of Frosty the Snowman that was similar to the Rudolph panel I used for that quilt, I knew I wanted to make another quilt. The Rudolph Quilt is one of my family’s favorites and is out on our couch year-round.

The construction of the Frosty Quilt is almost identical to the Rudolph Quilt. In fact, I measured the sashing and borders on the Rudolph Quilt and made my Frosty sashing and borders the same size.

This quilt was a breeze to put together. I had had the fabric for a few years. It was only when I made a promise to myself that I would focus on one quilt at a time that I worked my way through one unfinished quilt top and a started, yet unfinished row-by-row quilt that it was finally time for Frosty! Once started, it came together quickly.

Honestly, the hardest part was the backing. See, our dear Joann Fabrics and Crafts shut down and left not only a hole in our hearts, but the fabric market, too. I didn’t have enough Frosty hexagon fabric to be a complete back. Even with leftover Frosty fabric from the front, I didn’t have enough. So, I just kept adding more and more fabric—the white-on-white print from the front, and then some peppermint print fabric (that I had originally purchased from Joann). This is the most pieced backing I’ve ever made. If Joann Fabrics and Crafts was still in business, I would have zipped on over and purchased enough fabric of some Frosty/Christmas/winter theme to complement that hexagon pattern. I couldn’t do that and I didn’t want to order fabric online, so I made do.

*Frosty the Snowman Christmas Quilt Back*

The backing is alright. And, it is straighter and squarer with the edges of the quilt than I thought I was going to get it. Because of the layering of backing, batting, and top during the basting process, it is hard for me to line everything up.

And, speaking of lining up, I think my blocks line up well and make a good grid. I previously wrote about how I use tailor’s chalk and a ruler to make sure my blocks are lined up through sashing.

The quilting is big stitch and I did it by hand with DMC pearl thread. It’s easy and quick and creates a textural finish. Within each block, I stitched around the picture. In the sashing and borders, I did a few straight lines. I used blue thread on the white fabric and white thread on the blue fabric.

*Big-stitch hand quilting is perfectly imperfect.*

From the original cut-and-sew panel, I snagged the “Frosty the Snowman” logo. Using the needle-turn appliqué technique, I attached the logo to the back of the quilt, right above my label. That Rankin/Bass typography is just sooo good.

*Logo from the original cut-and-sew panel appliqued onto the quilt back.*

The quilt is bound with a non-Frosty, non-Christmas blue and white patterned fabric. While thematically it doesn’t fit, the colors are just about spot-on. Huzzah for making it work!

*Teeny-tiny stitches secure the binding to the back of the quilt.*

The details of my Frosty the Snowman Christmas Quilt:

+ 73”L x 60”W

+ Machine pieced

+ Hand quilted

+ Cotton top and backing

+ Polyester batting

*Not For Sale*

Lining Up Quilt Blocks with Tailor’s Chalk & Ruler

On October 20, 2025 By TheresaCIn quilting2 Comments

Creating a tidy grid of quilt blocks and sashing is easy with a simple trick using tailor’s chalk and a quilting ruler.

Lining up quilt blocks across sashing can be tricky. Pinning a row of quilt blocks sewn together to the sashing before stitching is necessary, but with some simple tools, you can get a neat and tidy grid.

*Line the ruler up with the side seam and the seam along the sashing you are stitching the next row to.*

After attaching the sashing to the first row of sewn quilt blocks, square up a ruler with the seam of a quilt block and sashing. Then, make a mark along the sashing with the tailor’s chalk. (Note: you can use whatever temporary pencil or marker you prefer. Heck, you could even stick a pin on the far side of the sashing where the seam is.) You’ll want to mark the seams of all the quilt blocks along the sashing.

*It’s now easy to see exactly where to pin the seams on the sashing.*

Now, take your next row of sewn quilt blocks and line the seams up with the marks. It’s not as satisfying as nesting seams, but it still feels good that you’re going to get an accurate placement.

*I pin both seams and I also put at least one pin in the middle of each block.*

Stitch the seam and voilà! A pretty darn accurate grid of quilt blocks!

*Those chalk lines will go away in the wash.*

I first came across the challenge of lining up quilt blocks when I was a quilt guild member. Another member posed the question to the group because her blocks were always a little offset. I hadn’t made a quilt with sashing at that point, so I listened and the best response was “pin it really well.” The most important pins are the ones at the seams of the second row and the chalk marks, but making those chalk marks are essential. It’s a simple trick and super easy to do with some common tools!

P.S. The quilt shown here is my Frosty the Snowman Quilt which is still in progress…stay tuned!

Add it to your Pinterest board for future reference!

How to Prep a Cross-Stitch Pattern

On September 4, 2025 By TheresaCIn Sewing & Crafts1 Comment

Prepping the cloth and floss for a new cross-stitch pattern makes it easy to jump in and start stitching. Here’s how I do it.

*All the supplies for stitching Tiny Modernist’s Cute Crocodile cross-stitch pattern.*

This past summer, I was bitten by the cross-stitch bug. When I was around 10-years-old, my mom introduced me to Christmas cross-stitch ornament kits—those little plastic round frames into which I’d pop the image of Santa Claus, or a snowman, or a train that I had painstakingly crisscrossed out with the provided threads. They were fun when I was a kid. But as an adult, I lost interest…until now.

Needing a hand sewing/stitching project, I browsed Pinterest and found a pattern that caught my eye. I was able to order the pattern and all the required embroidery floss and cloth from a single website. (Etsy is also a great place to get fun patterns, but you need to have the ability to print the pattern and must purchase the floss and cloth somewhere.)

*Quilting and tailoring tools come in handy for prepping cross-stitch patterns.*

Starting a cross-stitch pattern larger than those tiny ornaments can be overwhelming. Fabric! Thread! Find the center! Here’s how I set up my supplies after I have a pattern I want to start making.

First, I get my cloth. There are a lot of different sizes and colors. For now, I like working with 14-count Aida. White and beige are my favorite colors and easy to find. Consulting the pattern, I see how big the finished image is on the particular size of Aida I’m using. Then, I’ve learned to cut 3” extra on all sides. But, I wish pattern makers/writers would say “add 6 inches to the height and width” because a few times I’ve been tempted to just add 3”—and then I’d only have an extra 1.5” on each side. This extra fabric is so that you have finishing options.

I use my quilting ruler and tailor’s chalk to mark the size just on the edges of my larger piece of fabric. I cut the fabric using the weave as a guide.

*No need to mark the whole line. Just follow the weave to cut a straight line.*

Next, most patterns recommend working from the center out. Cross-stitch patterns generally have markers so you can easily find the center on the chart. I have been folding my fabric in half one way and then in half the other way. Then, I thread a needle with a single strand of black embroidery floss and run it up and down every 10 holes along the two folds. Once I get started and create the center stitches, I go ahead and clip and remove these marking threads so I don’t permanently stitch them into the design. (Ask me how I learned this.)

*Simple lines of stitching make it easy to see the vertical and horizontal centers.*

For the floss, I like to wind it onto bobbins, marking each bobbin with the corresponding color number. Then, I load them onto the ring. The plastic bobbins and ring were a set! I only put the colors for my current pattern on there.

Next, I get a piece of cardstock paper, fold it in half (so it’s extra sturdy), and punch enough holes in it to hold a couple lengths of each floss. I write the color number above each hole and then I cut two lengths of each floss and simply tie them on. The floss is the length I like to work with. If you take nothing else from this post, do this. I find this is one of the most helpful things I’ve done. It makes starting on the pattern so easy. Sure, at some point I need to cut a new length of floss from the bobbin, but having this card makes accessing it so easy.

*A card of pre-cut floss keeps the stitches flowing!*

I keep everything in the same project bag: cut fabric, floss card, ring of floss bobbins, pattern, needles, and something to cut with. Bonus items are thread conditioner and needle threader. One unusual thing you see in my photo is nail clippers. Nail clippers are scissors alternatives. If you are unwilling to travel with your “good scissors,” take nail clippers! They trim floss just as easily and are small enough for project bags and traveling!

*All the cross-stitch pattern supplies ready to go.*

And, here’s a glamour shot of my completed crocodile:

*It’s so satisfying to see a completed project.*

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