Summer 2020 has now been and gone and with it, our normal wedding season. I know so many people were looking forward to celebrating (I remember quite vividly how much time and effort goes into planning a wedding!) but of course this year everything looks different.
Even so, creating a wedding cross stitch for the happy couple makes an interesting project and a unique gift, especially if you’d like to learn how to cross stitch flowers at the same time. In this post I’ll show you how to come up with your own flower designs and cross stitch them, plus patterns and kits so that you can make a start.
At the start of 2021 we will also be releasing a brand new wedding cross stitch kit! A pretty, modern design you can get stitching as a gift for those taking the vows.
If you’ve grasped some cross stitch basics already, stitching flowers is pretty simple. If you’re making a wedding gift, you might first find out the bride’s favourite flower then look up an image (Google is a great place to start).
Use graph paper to roughly draw out a design and using the squares as a guide, you can translate your drawing into a cross stitch pattern. To make it easy to follow, you can colour in the squares with pens or pencils so that you have a good guide to work from. Think about shading and shape to really make your flower design as close a likeness to the real thing as possible. You could even use variegated thread (or floss) to emphasise subtle changes in colour shade on petals.
Once you’ve got the basic design it’s easy to work your flower into a repeat pattern, perhaps using a leaf shape or petals to create a wreath or continuous line. When you’re happy, use a fading or washable fabric pen on your cross stitch fabric to transfer the design.
Before you start, make sure you think about what you’d like the finished piece to be. There are so many ways to finish off your cross stitch work so think about whether it’s going to stay in the hoop, be turned into a wedding card or even a wall hanging. This will determine how you go about your work.
You could stitch a portrait of the happy couple with truly unique details such as their hair colour, clothes and bouquet of flowers or why not try this 'KISS' kit for a really bold look in their new home!
If you’d prefer to follow a pattern, our refined Grace Wreath is timeless and beautiful. You can choose your pattern or kit in any letter of the alphabet, which has a floral and leaf shaped wreath around it, then work in the colours and fabric you know the recipient will love.
Our Bloom & Grow cross stitch pattern and kit is another option to cross stitch flowers. Originally, an 8-part, mystery cross stitch-a-long project (which started in January 2020), this pattern has seen thousands of stitchers from across the world take part.
Each month I released a new part of the pattern, slowly revealing these gorgeous blooms from sunflowers and poppies to thistles and daisies! Our full kits come with all materials provided, including the chart and thread key, making them accessible for a beginner upwards.
You can make your Bloom & Grow cross stitch unique by free-stitching the wedding date or happy couple's names in a corner of the design. Don’t forget that if you get stuck along the way or if you're just looking for a little more inspiration, it’s easy to join our Facebook group with over 7,000 others doing wedding cross stitch, cross stitch flowers and much, much more!
