Flowers of the Month Pillow - PDF

Flowers of the Month Pillow – Cross Stitch Embroidery Pattern by Kooler Design Studio

The Flowers of the Month Pillow (KDS #2113) is a charming counted cross stitch embroidery design created by Jorja Hernandez for Kooler Design Studio, based in Lafayette, California. Released in 2018, this intermediate-level pattern produces a decorative pillow face celebrating floral motifs representing each month of the year — a timeless and classic needlework concept that makes a beautiful finished home decoration or a thoughtful handmade gift.

About the Design

This is a square composition with a stitch count of 167 wide by 167 high, making it a substantial and detailed project well-suited to stitchers who are comfortable working with a wide range of colors and multiple stitch types. The finished design size varies depending on the fabric count chosen:

• 14 Count Aida: approximately 11-7/8 inches wide by 11-7/8 inches high
• 16 Count Aida: approximately 10-3/8 inches wide by 10-3/8 inches high
• 18 Count Aida: approximately 9-1/4 inches wide by 9-1/4 inches high

The pattern recommends adding 4 to 6 inches to each measurement when cutting your fabric, to allow sufficient margin for framing, finishing, or assembling into a pillow.

Recommended Fabric

The design is specified to be stitched on 14 Count White Aida fabric. Aida is the most popular ground fabric for counted cross stitch, featuring an evenly woven grid that makes it easy to count and place stitches accurately. The 14-count variety offers a comfortable balance between detail and working speed, making it an excellent choice for intermediate embroiderers tackling a complex floral design of this scale.

Techniques and Stitches Used

This pattern incorporates several classic counted embroidery techniques, giving the finished piece rich texture and fine detail:

• Full Cross Stitch: The primary stitch used throughout, worked with 3 strands of embroidery floss. Full cross stitches form the solid areas of color that build up the floral and background imagery.
• Quarter Cross Stitch (1/4 Stitch): Used to refine curved edges and add subtle shaping to petals and leaves, also worked with 3 strands of floss. Quarter stitches allow for smoother, more naturalistic outlines than full stitches alone.
• Backstitch: Used for outlining and adding fine linear detail, worked with just 1 strand of floss for a delicate, precise finish. Backstitching is essential in floral designs for defining petal edges, stems, and lettering.
• French Knots: Small, raised knots that add dimensional texture and are often used to suggest flower centers, stamens, or decorative dots. These are worked with 1 strand of floss in this pattern.

Materials – Embroidery Floss

The pattern calls for a rich and varied palette of DMC embroidery floss, encompassing a wide spectrum of colors to capture the beauty of twelve different flowers. The full color list includes the following DMC thread numbers:

• DMC 210 – Medium Lavender
• DMC 309 – Deep Rose
• DMC 322 – Baby Blue (used for both cross stitch and backstitch)
• DMC 335 – Rose
• DMC 340 – Medium Blue Violet
• DMC 341 – Light Blue Violet
• DMC 351 – Coral (used for both cross stitch and backstitch)
• DMC 563 – Light Jade
• DMC 605 – Very Light Cranberry
• DMC 611 – Drab Brown
• DMC 722 – Light Orange Spice