Love - PDF

Love Cross Stitch Embroidery Pattern – KDS# 1271 by Kooler Design Studio

The Love design (KDS# 1271) is a charming counted cross stitch embroidery pattern created by designer Donna Yuen for Kooler Design Studio, based in Lafayette, California. Part of the Kooler Classic Charts collection, this downloadable PDF pattern is intended to be stitched as a decorative piece — perfect for framing, gifting, or displaying in the home. The finished design celebrates the word and sentiment of love through carefully charted needlework, making it an appealing project for intermediate embroiderers who are comfortable working with multiple stitch types and thread counts.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a decorative embroidered piece centered on the theme of love. With a stitch count of 64 wide by 64 high, the design is a compact, square composition that translates beautifully across a range of fabric counts. The finished size varies depending on the fabric chosen:

• 10 Count Aida: approximately 6½ × 6½ inches
• 14 Count Aida: approximately 4⅝ × 4⅝ inches
• 16 Count Aida: approximately 4 × 4 inches
• 18 Count Aida: approximately 3½ × 3½ inches

As noted in the pattern, stitchers should add 4 to 6 inches to each measurement when cutting their fabric to allow adequate border for framing or finishing.

Recommended Materials and Fabric

The pattern is designed to be stitched on 14 Count White Aida cloth, which is the standard recommended fabric. Aida is a popular evenweave fabric with clearly defined holes that make it especially beginner- and intermediate-friendly for counted cross stitch work. However, the chart provides sizing guidance for multiple counts, giving stitchers flexibility to choose a fabric weight that suits their preferred finished size or level of detail.

The design uses embroidery floss, with specific strand counts called out for each stitch type. A full floss and symbol listing is included in the PDF, allowing stitchers to gather the correct colors before beginning.

Stitches Used

This intermediate-level pattern incorporates several classic embroidery stitches that work together to create depth, detail, and definition in the finished piece:

• Full Cross Stitches: Worked using 3 strands of embroidery floss, these form the primary coverage and color fills of the design.
• Quarter Stitches (¼ Stitches): Also worked with 3 strands, quarter stitches are used to create smoother curves and more refined edges within the design, filling in areas where a full cross stitch would be too large or blocky.
• Backstitching: Worked with either 1 or 2 strands of floss depending on the area, backstitching adds fine outlines, lettering details, and definition that bring the design to life. This stitch is a straight running stitch worked backward, creating a solid, continuous line.

Techniques and Skill Level

Rated as an intermediate project, the Love pattern is well suited to stitchers who have moved beyond basic full cross stitch work and are comfortable managing multiple strand counts, reading a charted symbol key, and executing precise backstitching. The inclusion of quarter stitches in particular requires attention to detail and a steady hand, as these partial stitches are used to refine curves and shapes that full stitches alone cannot achieve.

Counted cross stitch as a technique involves following a gridded chart where each square represents one stitch on the fabric. The stitcher counts threads or holes in the Aida cloth to position each stitch accurately, building up the image color by color and symbol by symbol. The combination of full stitches for body, quarter stitches for refinement, and backstitching for outlining is a classic approach in decorative needlework and produces a polished, professional result.

Pattern Format and Designer

The Love – KDS# 1271 pattern is available as a downloadable PDF, designed by Donna Yuen and published in 2012