I love Double Helix glass! I sell quite a bit of the beads I make with their glass so I’m always thrilled when they get a new color. This one is called Notos. They’re describing it as super luster with subtle blue-grey-green tones. It looks lovely. Can’t wait to get my hands on some. Hopefully there will be some in Las Vegas at Glass Craft. We’ll see. I know my customers are going to love it…and all of you bead makers will too!! It becomes available tomorrow, March 23rd!!
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Cactus Cross Stitch Patterns
It’s the time of year when I can feel summer coming on even though we’re still firmly in springtime. It makes me want to start crafting projects with more of a summery feel to them, which is probably why I was recently drawn to look up some cactus cross stitch patterns.
Witch Stitch has an adorable little cactus in a pot pattern that wouldn’t be too hard for a beginner. It uses seven colors and has a little backstitch for the spikes.
This set of little cacti from Ugly Duckling House are cute all together on a hoop, but they’d also be cute stitched individually on different projects. Napkins for summer picnics, anyone? The full project is about 7.1 by 6.4 inches (18.8 by 16.3 cm) and 14 count fabric, and it uses 25 colors. There’s a little back stitching to make the spikes on a couple of the cacti, but you can leave them off if you don’t want to do it. Note: this pattern is no longer free but can be accessed on their membership site.
Another little sampler of mini cactus patterns is available from Nikki Pattern on Etsy. This design has four little cactus patterns in pots with geometrical designs on them. The set measures 71 by 108 stitches, which is 5.07 by 7.71 inches or 12.88 by 19.59 cm on 14 count fabric, and uses 14 colors.
Looking for something a little more realistic? Check out this set of four cactus in pots from Goffin Design (which I just profiled the other day). This one uses 20 colors and measures 207 by 108 stitches, which comes out to 4.79 by 7.71 inches or 37.56 by 19.59 cm on 14 count fabric.
Or if you really want a challenge, try this cactus collection from Patrones a Puntadas. This stunning realistic cactus cross stitch pattern uses a whopping 82 colors in 217 by 276 stitches. This would be a true labor of love for a dedicated stitcher who loves cacti, but how pretty it would be on your wall!
Cute Little Cacti to Cross Stitch