A cross-stitch pattern with classic style that captures the frustration with daylight saving time, AKA “time change.”

This design was inspired by a handmade sign displayed twice a year in a yard along a high-traffic road. The message was simple: Time Change Is Stupid. I agree and so I made this cross-stitch.

The digital PDF pattern for my Time Change Is Stupid cross-stitch design can be purchased on my Etsy shop here.

There had been some talk that maybe the daylight saving time would be made permanent (it wasn’t). But, I read that if it was made permanent the way the legislation had been written, we’d get daylight way late in the morning during the winter. Which makes me wonder why the legislation couldn’t have been written to make the time change permanent once we get around to the spring change. Wouldn’t that fix the dark winter mornings? And after asking that question, I just come back to the same conclusion: Time Change Is Stupid.

Such a bold message is worth recreating, whether it’s painted on a scrap of plywood and propped up on a tree on the side of the road or beautifully embroidered using the cross-stitch technique.

Whether you’re tired because you just lost an hour, or you don’t know what to do now that you have to stay up an extra hour, you can stitch this design and let everyone know just how you feel. I’m willing to bet that you’ll find a few more people who will agree.

On 14-count aida, this design comes out to be 6.21″ x 4.21″. Perfect for displaying in your home or office cubicle. Or, gifting to someone who’s struggling because they had to get their kids or pets onto a new sleeping schedule because someone at some time thought farmers needed the lights turned on and off at a new time.

You can purchase a PDF file of this pattern and more on my Etsy shop here.

A cross-stitch pattern declares that bananas are not allowed. Lettering in banana colors and a depiction of the slightly bruised fruit make the message clear.

In my family, there are some strong feelings about bananas. The smell, the flavor, or the sound of someone chewing a banana just might drive you (or someone you know) up the wall. That’s why I created this playful cross-stitch design. You can stitch it up and let everyone know your true feelings.

Purchase the PDF digital pattern for this design here.

I knew this design would require bold lettering, so I built a big uppercase font with a drop shadow. Of course, the lettering is stitched in the classic banana colors of yellow and brown. The slightly bruised fruit stitched below the message is the only one allowed—no real bananas here.

Curves do not come easy to me when designing cross-stitch, which is done on a grid. Somehow, this banana came quickly to me. I love the odd-shaped bruises and the subtle highlight on the inner curve.

On 14-count aida cloth, this design measures 5.86″ x 4.86″. There are 5 DMC colors in the palette. The “No Bananas” cross-stitch pattern is quick to stitch up and will make others smile—either because it’s a fun design, or they have the same opinion of bananas and feel seen.

As the wise Gwen Stefani once said, “This sh*t is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.”

You can purchase the PDF digital pattern in my Etsy shop.

The fish is front and center on this cross-stitch pattern that reimagines an iconic storm drain design. The message is the same: keep our waterways clean.

I was so smitten with my Ohio Watershed design especially the fish that I asked myself how I could make another design like it. One day, I was flicking through the pictures on my phone and I saw this picture of a storm drain I took. The message and the fish are the reason why I snapped the picture.

The storm drain fish is a bit more sophisticated than the fish on the Ohio Watershed sign. Maybe it is because he’s created in relief, not a graphic. It took some time to figure out how to recreate him. In the end, I borrowed the Ohio Watershed fish head and fins and added a body.

Purchase the PDF digital pattern for this design here.

I had to reorient the elements from the storm drain. “Dump No Waste!” and “Drains to Waterways” had to be included as well as the bold shapes of the drain grate. I try to make my designs “easy” sizes. That is, nothing too large or anything that would be difficult to frame. At first, I tried to keep the orientation of the storm drain elements true to the original drain, but it was too horizontal. I ended up stacking the fish on top of the grate and framing them with the messages. The design doesn’t necessarily look like a storm drain, but the essence is there.

You know I couldn’t let that fish stay quiet. He’s gotta drive the message home with his blunt comment, “Don’t be a pain in my drain.” I feel ya, buddy! We all want clean water!

My Storm Drain Pain design measures 5″ x 7″ on 14-count aida cloth. There are 4 DMC threads in the palette. The entire area, except for the speech bubble, is stitched, so if you’re looking for a pattern to keep your hands busy and your mind quiet, this just might be for you. You can purchase the PDF digital pattern in my Etsy shop.

A simple cross-stitch sampler of lowercase and uppercase letters that can be stitched in any color of thread.

When I started designing my own cross-stitch patterns this year, I knew I would need a font, but I didn’t really know where to start. I went to the National Gallery website and searched for cross-stitch samplers to get inspired. My purpose wasn’t to create a sampler, but to create a font that I could pull from to write words on my designs.

After looking at a few samplers, I jumped in and started creating the letters, both uppercase and lowercase. I threw in the numbers for funsies. One thing I discovered about creating letterforms for a cohesive style is the ability to “share” shapes. The “C” has the same curve as the “O”. The “V” and “W” share the same valleys. The “b” and “p” are mirrored. And, so on. It makes creating the letters a little less daunting, but also adds the fun of figuring out which letters can share a shape.

 The digital PDF file for my Alphabet Sampler Cross-Stitch Pattern can be purchased here.

While this alphabet serves its purpose of being used in other designs, at some point, I decided to go ahead and stitch a sampler. The letters and numbers by themselves looked a little bland. Most samplers have a lot of decoration. I added a decorative border to give it a finished look. This particular border looks like a zipper.

My embroidery floss stash has a lot of greens. In an attempt to use them up, I stitched the sampler in a variety of green hues. But the design is so simple and the pattern is easy to follow, so it can be stitched in any color. I like the idea of each maker putting their own spin on it. Maybe you want to practice mixing and matching colors by making this sampler. Or, you want to make this for a specific person in their favorite colors. Perhaps, you have a spot in your home where you want to display this and you know what hues will work best. No matter why you’re making the sampler, you can make it in a variety of colors.  

On 14-count aida cloth, the design measures 7.07” x 5.64”. The pattern has a palette of only black DMC thread, but you can easily choose your own colors. Go have fun with it!

The PDF pattern can be purchased from my Etsy shop.