Anchor Aromatic Plants - Thyme with Heart Bread Basket - 0060044-00901_13 - Downloadable PDF

Anchor Aromatic Plants – 'Thyme with Heart' Bread Basket Embroidery Pattern

This free downloadable PDF pattern from Anchor, designed by Anchor Studio, guides embroiderers through creating a charming 'Thyme with Heart' bread basket — a decorative yet functional textile project featuring a botanical thyme motif accented with a heart detail. The finished basket measures 20 x 20 cm, with an embroidered panel of 16 x 5 cm, making it a delightful addition to a kitchen or dining table setting. This is an intermediate-level embroidery project, suitable for those who are comfortable with counted cross stitch on evenweave fabric.

What Is Being Made

The project produces a fully constructed fabric bread basket with a cross-stitched embroidered front panel. The design showcases a sprig of thyme paired with a heart motif, rendered in counted cross stitch using a palette of carefully selected thread colours. The basket is assembled from embroidered and plain or patterned fabric panels, finished with a satin ribbon for a polished, gift-worthy result.

Techniques Used

• Counted cross stitch — the primary embroidery technique used throughout the design. Cross stitch is worked in two stages: the lower diagonal stitch is worked first from left to right, and the upper diagonal stitch is then worked from right to left, forming a neat X shape on the fabric surface.
• Cross stitch over 2 fabric threads — each cross stitch is worked over 2 threads of the evenweave linen in each direction, ensuring consistent stitch size and a clean, even finish across the embroidered panel.
• Fabric construction — once the embroidery is complete, the front and back fabric panels are sewn together to form the three-dimensional basket shape, with the option to use a patterned cotton fabric for the back and interior lining for added visual interest.

Stitches Used

• Cross stitch — the sole embroidery stitch specified in this pattern, used to build up the entire thyme and heart motif with precision and texture.

Materials – Threads and Notions

The pattern calls for Anchor Stranded Cotton in 8-metre skeins, worked with 2 strands throughout. The specific thread colours required are:

• Anchor Stranded Cotton #23
• Anchor Stranded Cotton #25
• Anchor Stranded Cotton #226
• Anchor Stranded Cotton #241
• Anchor Stranded Cotton #246

One skein of each colour is required. The needle specified is a tapestry needle No. 24, which is the standard choice for counted cross stitch on evenweave fabric, as its blunt tip passes cleanly between fabric threads without splitting them.

Fabric and Additional Notions

The embroidery is worked on white evenweave linen with 112 threads per 10 cm. Approximately 38 x 76 cm of fabric is required in total, cut into two 38 x 38 cm pieces for the front and back panels — measurements that include seam allowance. Alternatively, a patterned cotton fabric may be used for the back and inside of the basket. The finishing notions include approximately 1.60 m of satin ribbon, which completes the basket's edges and ties.

Pattern Format and Availability

This pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF from AnchorCrafts.com, published under Design No. 0060044-00901-13 by MEZ GmbH, 2018. It is rated at intermediate difficulty, making it an ideal next step for embroiderers who have mastered basic cross stitch and are ready to combine needlework with simple fabric construction techniques.