Cross Stitch: Sew Cozy

I started this cross-stitch project a few months ago, but it’s an old pattern at this point.  Sew Cozy was part of a run of “Charts and Charms” patterns released by Dimensions 15 years ago or so.  They included the pattern and tiny buttons and brass charms to be sewn on to the finished cross stitch.  I bought several of these years ago, but never quite got around to them until now!  It’s kind of enormous, so I decided to work on 16 count fabric instead of 14 count to cut the size down a bit.  *(For those unfamiliar with how cross stitch fabrics work, 14 count means 14 stitches per linear inch, or that a square 14 stitches on each side = 1 square inch.  This works for every count of fabric, so the higher the count, the more stitches fit in each inch and the smaller each stitch is.)

It’s kind of funny to think that cross-stitch patterns can become dated, but they really can!  At the time this was created, country chic/shabby chic was all the rage.  This was the height of fashion!  It’s less so now… but I still have a soft spot for craft room type designs (there have been several on my wish list over the years) and this one is no exception.  I had completed a few similar designs before our house fire, which had yet to be framed and hung.  I had hoped to have a full collection of them to decorate a “someday” craft room.  Who knows, maybe I still will one day!