CREEPY

CROSS-STITCH

25 SPOOKY PROJECTS

to Haunt Your Halls

LINDSAY SWEARINGEN

Creator of Tusk and Cardinal

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Table of Contents

About the Author

Copyright Page

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DEDICATION

FOR MY CAT, LITTLE BROTHER,

WITHOUT WHOM THIS BOOK WOULD HAVE FAR FEWER FELINES.

INTRODUCTION

Abandon hope, all ye who enter here … or rather, abandon your traditional ideas about cross-stitch. This art form has a long history, dating back to the sixth century BC, and it continues to persist and evolve. Cross-stitch is an art form that can easily be picked up by anyone interested in learning, and the materials are easy to find and usually very affordable. Despite the fact that, historically, needlework is most often associated with women (and often, for this very reason, not considered a true art form but rather craft), this creative pursuit should be enjoyed by anyone who takes an interest in it.

Within these pages you’ll have the opportunity to stitch spooky and peculiar patterns, perfect for any lover of the macabre! I am so pleased to present this book to you, as it’s filled to the brim with ideas that have been rolling around in my head for ages. Although you may be interested in stitching these patterns around Halloween, most of them are appropriate to hang in your haunted home year-round!

I began cross-stitching as a child when my mom pulled out a bag of embroidery floss and an old pattern from the 1980s. I found it difficult, but not impossible, for my small hands to achieve the stitches. I learned to follow the pattern and to count stitches. The end result wasn’t perfect (I don’t think I even finished), but I enjoyed the process. I didn’t revisit cross-stitch for a number of years until one day I stumbled across some cool, modern patterns that cross-stitch designers were selling online. It was a whole new world to me; cross-stitch had always been a dated craft in my mind, but here I was seeing something I wanted to make. Pair that with my love of Halloween (and all things spooky, to be fair) and you have Creepy Cross-Stitch. Each pattern is sufficiently dark but also whimsical—my favorite combination. I like to use moody tones and dark hues to help express the macabre theme. I do hope that you’ll enjoy stitching these patterns as much as I enjoyed designing them.

MATERIALS

FABRIC

Choosing fabric for cross-stitch may