Cross Stitch Alphabet 17
"Christmas Holly"

Who can look at holly and not think of Christmas! That is what Alphabet 17 celebrates, Christmas and all that goes with it. Snowflakes, divinity, nutcrackers and the scent of evergreen.

"Holly"
Click here to enlarge
A new window (or tab) will open so you can keep your place here.

Click here or on the picture above for a printable PDF pattern for Alphabet Design 17. A new window (or tab) will open so you can keep your place here.

This is one of those alphabets where the letters and the words are the design. Add a simple holly border and this makes a Christmas greeting card suitable for framing.

Christmas Holly
Click here to enlarge

In the Alphabet 17 design example

Sometimes even alphabets need to be stitched to work out the kinks. Once I designed the first couple of letters, I knew I needed to get out my needle and floss to make sure that what I was seeing in my mind looked the same on fabric.

I knew I needed to be certain that what I was seeing in my mind looked the same as it did when I stitched it on fabric.

"Alphabet 17 - Christmas Holly" features bright, bold two-tone red letters accented with spiked, green holly branches. Kreinik metallic gold floss outlines the white holly berries. When stitched on 14-count Aida, with DMC floss:

• 2 strands for cross stitches
• 1 strand for backstitches

Use Kreinik Metallic floss for the holly outlines:

• 2 strands for backstitches

Description:

• Block letters, standard/straight

Characters Included:

• Upper Case Letters
• Lower Case letters
• Numbers
• Punctuation

Height:

• The upper case letters are 12 stitches high
• The lower case letters without ascenders or descenders (ex: a, c, o) are 7 stitches high
• The lower case letters with only ascenders (ex: b, d, h) or only descenders, (ex: g, p, y) are 12 stitches high
• The lower case "j", with descender and a dot above, is 12 stitches high

Width:

These letters have varying widths, but most upper case letters are 6 or 7 stitches wide.

Stitch Complexity

• Full Cross Stitches
• Backstitches

This easy-to-stitch alphabet uses only full cross stitches and backstitches. The green holly branches maintain a spiked appearance specifically because they are not outlined with backstitches.

Learn any unfamiliar stitches by clicking on the "How To..." button on the left menu, then select tutorial links at the bottom of the page.

Floss

Use the same colors as reflected in the design, or substitute ones of your own.

If using fabric with a different thread count, you may need to adjust the number of strands of floss you'll use. To help you decide, click the "How To..." button on the left menu. At the bottom of the page, you'll find a "Floss Coverage and Why it Matters" link.

This page shows cross stitch examples using from one to six strands on fabric with different thread counts. Still uncertain? Work a few sample stitches in the corner of your fabric.

Follow these tips when using the Kreinik Metallic gold floss, or any other brand of metallic floss or blending filiment:

• Cut floss into strands 15" or shorter. These types of specialty floss break, separate and shred more easily with prolonged stitching. I've found that it will do so long before I'm able to use the full 18 inches (testing both the thread and my patience!). I usually stick with 12-inch strands or shorter instead.
• Do not use the sewing method with metallic floss.
• switch to using a slightly larger needle. This makes a bigger hole for the metallic floss to slip through. Because there is less friction as the floss passes through the hole, it will separate and break less often.

How to Fit Text into a Design

Learn how to select and adapt cross stitch alphabets by clicking on the "Alphabet 123s" button on the left menu, or click here.

Click here for a printable cross stitch pattern for this design.

Learn how to select and adapt cross stitch alphabets by clicking on the "Alphabet 123s" button on the left menu.