Hello, stitchers! This is my second collection of my favorite Pride cross stitch patterns. I received many comments all over the place about my first compilation and I'm so happy to introduce you to fresh designs you may not have seen yet. Like the last article, I also connected with these designers to learn about their inspiration and what Pride means to them. I hope that you find connection in knowing that we are a strong, supportive community and we want to help you craft what you love!
Now onto my favorites! (click the images to go directly to the patterns) Pride Flag Planets Collection by Mathysphere
These designs by Mathysphere are an oldie but I goodie. I've always had them on my To-Be-Stitched pile! I love that there are so many variations and planets with their pops of color! When I asked Geri about their inspiration for these designs, they replied:
"The idea for these little guys came about at a Pride festival (where else?). I'm out in the US midwest, so our Pride events are always fun, scrappy, and homegrown; my sister and I were snacking on a park bench, watching a group of kids twirl around in pride-flag capes, when I mentioned that I'd love to stitch a Pride design sometime. At that point I'd been designing mostly math and space patterns, and my sister told me that I should stitch the different flags, but as planets-- and so I sketched a few there, and then did! After stitching the first couple planets I took requests on Tumblr for a while, and nowadays the planets are some of my most sentimental patterns. Every once in a while I'll get a message from someone who's stitching one, sometimes for themselves but just as often as gifts to show support to their loved ones: young people stitching for their friends, grandparents stitching for their grandchildren, spouses stitching for their partners. There's a whole lot of love in this world, and it's a lucky feeling, getting to be reminded of it so often!"
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Edwardian Moon - Skeleton Ladies on a Paper Moon by Night Spirit Studio
Not every Pride pattern has to be bright rainbow colors. I love how romantic this design is in monochromatic colors. When I asked Sage of Night Spirit Studio about her inspiration for this design, she replied, that her inspiration
"was visibility throughout history."
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Homo Sweet Homo by Subversive Cross Stitch
This Homo Sweet Homo design is from the early days of subversive and modern cross stitching. I feel like it maybe opened a lot of eyes and hearts to what kinds of content people could stitch that wasn't just traditional samplers. I was excited to reach out to Julie Jackson of Subversive Cross Stitch and she told me a little about this design.
This was one of the first designs that I did 20 years ago. Just a simple play on Home Sweet Home, not much more of a story than that but it has been a fan favorite all these years.
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You Are Loved by Spot Colors
I don't typically stitch projects that are mostly words, but I do love this vibe. It has Pride flags in the banners and Trans flag colors in the hearts! Bonus, it's a freebie from Spot Colors! When I asked Nicole about this design, they told me,
I was brainstorming ideas for a valentines day design when I came up with the saying. I felt like it was a better fit for something more than valentines day (not a v day fan) and I had never done a Pride design before and felt it was perfect.
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Move Forward in Love by Modern Folk Embroidery
I can't share Pride patterns without sharing Jacob from Modern Folk Embroidery 's design, Move Forward in Love. I'm sure you've seen people stitching this one up over the last couple years, and people have been so creative with the palette! I love the story behind this design, too! Thank you Jacob for sharing this tidbit!
The pattern started by watching ImogenXstitch's first flosstube some years ago. She was talking about Tarot, and showed the card "The Lovers". She then quoted Madam Adam (@officialmadamadam on IG), who had said "Move forward in love, or backward in fear". And that quote stuck with me. Fear is such a powerful weapon that has been used by so many politicians to control people. But when we let go of the fear and embrace the love that is there, we can make much bigger strides. To move forward we have to embrace love.
For the design itself I wanted to get out of my comfort zone a little - I'm not a rainbow person, and neither do I ever design with super bright colours. At the centre of the design is Daniel Quasar's "Progress" pride flag. Around the octagonal centre medallion I had placed carnations and birds all in the different colours of the progress flag. I liked the idea that the design reminded me of Quaker medallions, as the Quakers have always been at the forefront of activism through their beliefs. This, to me, was a nod to their work.
I created a 2nd version which can be stitched fully monochrome, which aesthetically remains a little closer to Quaker medallions as well. For this design I centered the text so it all fits neatly."
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Subtle Bisexual Sword by AbbyXStitch
This design is pretty new, and I'm happy to feature it! I love the subtle gradient of the bisexual flag colorings on the edge of the blade. AbbyXStitch has an adorable style and I can't wait to see what else she comes up with! Here's some insight on her design process:
I think selfishly, my patterns tend to be reflections of myself and my interests, and what I want to see represented. I am a huge fantasy lover, and a bisexual woman, and have always loved the imagery of flowery swords. Combining the two felt like a happy accident when I was brainstorming what to design for Pride. Choosing subtle colors was a little more intentional, because while out and loud patterns are amazing & necessary, I think there should also be options for LGBTQ+ people who prefer to be “quieter” for safety or simply aesthetic purposes!
Have you had an opportunity to stitch some projects for Pride? If you like what I do, feel free to subscribe to blog updates! I love validation! Click me to submit your email address!
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