Quilt Goals 2023 with Fat Quarter Shop...my Cross Stitch Sampler and FREEBIE pattern!

#QuiltGoals2023 / Stitching Goals 2023 with the Fat Quarter Shop with a FREEBIE pattern! If you saw my blog last week, I talked about getting going with CROSS STITCH! I learned from Kimberly's flosstube Cross Stitch University, got MacStitch software, ordered new supplies and started my first cross stitch project/pattern for my Fall collection from Moda Fabrics, Forest Frolic. I love pulling colors for a project and all those lovely colors of DMC make it so fun. 

My first goal was to make some designs that would go along with my Forest Frolic fabric line (which is shipping in July from Moda Fabrics). I wanted to use orange, red, brown, tan, greens and a touch of hot pink. My first project was Acorn Trio and I used Forest Frolic "Little Fall Fling" in Chocolate as the background within this frame. 

I enjoyed this project so much that it motivated me to make more little acorns. And leaves. Swirly leaves and little vines and colorful Aspen leaves. I loved learning more in MacStitch as I designed new blocks and tried them out as minis before composing them into a Fall sampler. 

More blocks of mushrooms and a little Robin bird with a leaf in her beak. I thought a light seafoam color was a soft and subtle divider color that also complimented the oranges and warm colors. My sampler of blocks can be made as one big image (of an 8 x 10 approximate size) or as small individual pillows. I think they are so sweet in this little format! 

The frame I'm showing this in is a 11 x 14" barn wood shadow box from Hobby Lobby (1982158). For the little pillows, I trimmed each to 3 1/2" square and used Forest Frolic fabrics on the backs. Since the front is about cross stitch, I thought it would be fun to add a decorative stitch of Xs on the back in complimenting colors.

This sampler is made up on Charles Craft 14 count Fiddler's Cloth Light Oatmeal. This is similar to Wichelt 14 count Aida in Natural 357-50A or to Zweigart Artiste 14 count Aida Oatmeal 653220. Since I'm more of a newbie to cross stitch, I think I'll get some more practice before trying a smaller scale fabric like Evenweave or linen. I had started this sampler on the Fiddler's Cloth, otherwise I would have switched to the Natural Wichelt Aida that I got from Fat Quarter Shop since it had just a tiny bit more warmth to it but looked very similar. 

Like I did with the mounting of Acorn Trio, I've finished this sampler by mounting on sticky board then floating it on the Little Fall Fling print in Orchard (48744-19).

To celebrate the start of my cross stitch journey, I wanted to share a little FREEBIE pattern for you from one of these blocks. I used the acorn with the little heart on top and 4 leaves and added a simple border and a Happy Fall message.

The pattern FREEBIE can be downloaded from the Fat Quarter Shop or here:

happy_fall_acorn_robinpickens_rpcsp-hfa403.pdf
File Size:	3290 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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Or if you have any problems here, I'll keep up access to HAPPY FALL ACORN on my shopify store. The Fat Quarter Shop has exclusive access to this free pdf and will have the patterns for Acorn Trio and Fall Frolic Sampler for sale. 

Luckily for me, the lovely Susan Strumpf offered to make my little acorn cross stitch into a sweet pillow with some Forest Frolic fabric. Look at the tiny button she made to go with the twine. It is SO CUTE! What a perfect amount of little added touch...thank you so much Susan!

Paper patterns have arrived! Perfect timing since I'm getting ready to go to the LONG BEACH QUILT FESTIVAL! If you are coming to the show, come by BOOTH 348 to see some of the cross stitch in person (and I just might have another couple designs to show there).

If you didn't see my previous blog post where I talk more about getting started with cross stitch, the fantastic supplies I got from the Fat Quarter Shop, learning from Kimberly's Cross Stitch University, and a sampling of different Aida fabrics, then please check out my previous post:
https://www.robinpickens.com/blog/quilt-goals-2023-my-journey-to-cross-stitch

Here are my little sample pieces next to my Starlit Bears quits in the Forest Frolic line. The Fat Quarter Shop will be carrying this line (complete with the Thatched backgrounds, the Acorn Quartet kit AND the Mochi Linen prints!) and I think the two go together nicely. The quilt on the wall uses 4 background colors of Thatched that are new with this collection: Mocha, Copper, Cinnamon and Caramel (48626-205,208, 206 and 204) and the quilt on the ladder has Buttermilk Thatched (202) for the background.

I do show some photos in the previous post of different Aida fabrics I purchased from the Fat Quarter Shop for comparison and future projects. I took a picture to show you how the Fiddler's Cloth is close to the Wichelt Natural 14 count Aida #357-50A. It is just the slightest big warmer and I like that. It would look great with the Fall colors. 

Feel free to check out the cross stitch section of my shop for new releases of patterns. I have another fun fall project in the works. Here's a little tiny peek:

I'm also working on some other cross stitch based on my quilts and artwork/illustrations as well as coordinating with new fabric lines. Stay tuned stitchers! Thanks again Fat Quarter Shop and thanks to all of you for visiting. Happy stitching!