Vegetable Medley - PDF

Vegetable Medley Cross Stitch Pattern – Kooler Design Studio (KDS #2196)

Vegetable Medley is a charming and colorful cross stitch design created by Barbara Baatz Hillman for Kooler Design Studio (catalog number KDS #2196), published in 2018. Available as a downloadable PDF, this intermediate-level embroidery chart is part of the Kooler Classic Charts collection and is perfectly suited for stitchers who enjoy detailed, nature-inspired needlework. The finished piece makes a wonderful decorative item for kitchens, dining rooms, or any space that celebrates the beauty of fresh produce and garden harvests.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a large, richly detailed vegetable medley decorative piece intended for display. With a stitch count of 164 stitches wide by 162 stitches high, it is a substantial project that rewards patient, experienced stitchers. The finished design size varies depending on the fabric count chosen:

• 14 Count: approximately 11⅝ inches wide by 11½ inches high
• 16 Count: approximately 10¼ inches wide by 10⅛ inches high
• 18 Count: approximately 9 inches wide by 9 inches high

The pattern recommends adding 4 to 6 inches to each measurement when cutting your fabric to allow adequate margins for framing or finishing.

Techniques Used

This is a counted cross stitch project, a traditional hand embroidery technique in which X-shaped stitches are placed on an even-weave or Aida fabric by following a charted grid. Each square on the chart corresponds to one stitch on the fabric, allowing the stitcher to recreate the design with precision. The pattern incorporates two primary techniques:

• Full Cross Stitches – the main technique used to fill in the design, worked with 3 strands of floss for rich color coverage on 14 Count Aida
• Straight Stitches – used as detail and accent stitches, worked with just 1 strand of floss to create fine lines and delicate definition within the design

Counted cross stitch is an intermediate-level craft that requires the ability to read a symbol chart, maintain consistent tension, and manage multiple thread colors simultaneously. The combination of full stitches and straight stitches adds dimension and realism to the vegetable imagery.

Stitches Used

• Full Cross Stitch – worked over one square of Aida fabric using 3 strands of DMC embroidery floss
• Straight Stitch – worked as a surface detail stitch using 1 strand of DMC embroidery floss

Materials – Fabric

The design is specified to be stitched on 14 Count Desert Cream Aida fabric. Aida is the most popular fabric for counted cross stitch, featuring an evenly woven grid of holes that guide stitch placement. The warm Desert Cream colorway of the Aida provides a neutral, slightly warm background that complements the rich vegetable palette of the design.

Materials – Floss

The pattern uses DMC embroidery floss exclusively, with a large and vibrant palette of 37 colors to capture the full range of tones found in a garden vegetable scene. The majority of colors require one skein each, while several key colors — used more extensively throughout the design — require two or three skeins. These higher-quantity colors are:

• DMC 500 Blue Green-DK – 2 skeins
• DMC 712 Cream – 2 skeins
• DMC 3345 Hunter Green-DK – 3 skeins
• DMC 3347 Yellow Green-MD – 2 skeins
• DMC 3815 Celadon Green-DK – 2 skeins