There are thousands of cross stitch patterns available, either in books or online. Many of them are free to download. You need to keep these three things in mind:
1. Will my pattern fit? Count your grids! As long as your pattern has the same or less number of grids as your pattern then the pattern will fit!
2. Does my pattern have a lot of backstitching? For those who do not cross stitch or embroider, backstitching is when you use a single thread of floss to outline your cross stitching, or need definition within the cross stitch. For example, the smile on a snowman’s face, or a stem coming off a flower. You can’t do this with drills. So, when you look at a pattern, is there any backstitching that is critical to the pattern? If so, you may want to keep looking.
3. Are there many ½ or ¼ stitches, embroidery stitches, or knots? These are different stitches that add dimension to your cross stitch project, but they cannot be reproduced in diamond painting. If you can make it look right with a full drill you might want to give it a try. If not, then keep looking! Your perfect pattern is out there.
