Occasionally the gals on the 123 Message Board point other stitchers to free cross stitch charts that are offered for our stitching pleasure. Here are some of the sites that offer legal free charts.

Better Cross Stitch

Better Cross Stitch – Cross stitch tips, articles and links. Free cross stitch patterns.  One of the designs I particularly liked was one called Chrysanthemum and is pictured below:

Fabric: 14 count
Stitches: 300 x 230
Size: 21 3/8 x 16 3/8 in
Colors: 59 DMC colors

The charts are in pdf format and are available to print in either black and white or color. Personally, I prefer black and white as they are easier on my eyes. Take the time to explore that many different subjects that are offered.

EMS Cross Stitch Design

Ellen Maurer-Stroh is another designer who offers some free charts that I love. Her Project 2010 – Flower of the Month pictured below is a particular favorite.

You will need to register before you can download the free charts. Again, you can print them in either black and white or color. These are available in three different formats – pdf, PAT for PC Stitch and zipped for machine.

Brooks Books Publishing

Brook Nolen of Brooks Books Publishing offer a series called Advent Animals. The series consists of 25 little animals that can be stitched individually as ornaments or as a calendar. Use your imagination. As of today, 15 have been released. You can download any or all of them. You can see the first six pictured below.

Jardin Prive

Jardin Prive is a French designer who offers some beautiful designs for us to stitch. One of my favorites is offered  in five parts as a Stitch A Long La Pensée Positive which is pictured below.

There are 5 separate charts available in several languages including English available for download as pdf’s.

Elizabeth Jane is chart #12 in the Anniversaries of the Heart series by Blackbird Designs and comes with a bonus pattern called “For Those Recorded Here.”

Recently Louise Mae Glennon posted a picture of her finish where she had changed the colors of floss from the suggested pinks to shades of purple. I loved it and decided I would like to stitch it using the same colors.

Louise stitched hers on 32ct linen and the finished design measures approximately 5” x 9”. I will be using 28ct Monaco – my “go to” fabric. Just ordered the floss to stitch this! More to come once I receive the chart and floss.

The first three listed are the purples used for the flowers and borders (ie; purple, ultraviolet and aubergine) the colors bullfrog, and Olives were used for the leaves, chain links at top and vines.

The colors Toasted Marshmallow and Moose Drool were used for the flower icon in the upper left of design (tan color).

For the vase Carries Creation overdyed floss Dried Sage for the main color, for the top of the vase DMC #169, and for the checkered pattern in the vase Carries Creation overdyed Soot and DMC #543.

For the house Carries Creation overdyed Pina Colada for the main color, and Carries Creation overdyed Antique Gold for the roof and window panes. For the door steps and door DMC #169.
DMC #169 for the fence next to house.

For the patches of grass DMC #’s 3790, 832, and 3051.
For the birds Carries Creations overdyed Soot color.
For the anchor Carries Creations Green and Carries Creations winter wheat for the vine over it.

I knew as soon as I saw this series of charts by Silver Creek Samplers that it was something I HAD to stitch. Each of the four charts can be stitched individually or horizontally as one long picture.

The four charts are:

• Sing a Sampler 1 – Part 1 of a 4 part series. "Do a deer, a female deer." "Re, a drop of golden sun."
• Sing a Sampler 2 – Part 2 of a 4 part series. "Mi A name I call myself, Diane. Fa A long long way to run."
• Sing a Sampler 3 – Part 3 of a 4 part series. "SO a needle pulling thread, LA a note to follow SO."
• Sing a Sampler 4 – Part 4 of a 4 part sampler – "TI a drink with jam and bread, that will bring you back to Do.."

I am going to stitch them horizontally. The finished piece will look like the picture shown below.

Stitched on 16ct Lambswool Aida with with Gentle Art Sampler threads and Weeks Dye Works floss. Will add photos of my progress once I start stitching.

This arrived in today’s mail. I can’t wait to begin stitching it. Maybe this will be my "beach project." The chart for the two pieces is from Little House Needleworks and the finished set is from Impie, Hattie & Bea. Both pieces can be ordered from Handcrafts Online.

Traveling Stitcher Kit

Traveling Stitcher Chart

Traveling Stitcher Kit Pack

NOTE: I am adding this because I want to be able to find the instructions when I am ready to stitch this. For adding a scissors fob to the project. Take the letters for "scissors" off the larger piece (the capital ‘S’ from the personalization alphabet included) and chart all the letters on graph paper. Use the border from the needlebook making it smaller across and longer lengthwise. Inside, graph the left side house and the stitcher, along with some grass for the house to sit on. The back side simply has the same border and the blackbird from the fence.

Instructions for attaching the stitched pieces to the needlekeeper and Project Keeper.

These arrived in today’s mail just waiting for me to begin stitching:

The recommended fabric is 28 count Vintage Buttercream linen, BUT since I really do not like stitching on linen, I will need to find something else to use. Where I will put it when finished is another question.

Arriving in the same package, is

This I am planning to stitch as Christmas gifts and finish using the instructions provided in the Hometown Holiday Cube Tutorial

You do realize that if I stitched for the next 20 or 30 years, I would never finish Projects to Stitch.