We are currently living in surreal times, and my little family is so, so fortunate to be able to stay home and practice social distancing right now. It’s hard not to feel helpless in the midst of this pandemic, but of course the crafting community has done its part to help. Many sewers are making mask covers for hospitals and doctors that are low on masks or have completely run out. I just picked up some fabric donated by a local designer and elastic (the first supply to run out) collected from local fabric stores to start making some for my local pediatrician.

To encourage the cross stitcher community to stay home if possible, lots of cross stitch designers are offering free patterns as part of the Be Well and Stitch hashtag (#bewellandstitch). I’ve been dabbling in designing my own patterns for a couple years but this was the motivation I needed to jump in too.

Without further ado, my very first cross stitch design: Stay Home!

This was super fun to design, and it should be a quick stitch perfect for beginners. You can access the free pattern here as a digital download:

FREE Stay Home cross stitch pattern

Let me know if you choose to stitch it up! I hope to keep the momentum up and work on more patterns to sell in my Etsy shop as o get more practice.

I’m currently working on Love Sweet Love, another #bewellandstitch pattern by Ingleside Imaginarium, and it’s comforting to know that others are working on the same pattern, in the same boat, stitching to keep busy and calm. Even though self-quarantining has its challenges, I know we’ve been so lucky so far.

Stay well and stay home!