Pocahontas and John Smith In Love - PDF Cross Stitch Pattern

Pocahontas and John Smith In Love – PDF Cross Stitch Pattern by HugSandwich

This charming downloadable PDF cross stitch pattern from independent designer HugSandwich depicts the beloved Disney characters Pocahontas and John Smith in a romantic pose. Designed as a compact yet expressive piece, it is well-suited to beginner and intermediate stitchers who want to recreate an iconic couple from animated film history in thread and fabric.

What Is Being Made

The finished embroidery portrays Pocahontas and John Smith together in a love scene, capturing both characters with recognizable color detail. The design measures 1.79 inches wide by 3.36 inches tall (25 x 47 stitches), making it a petite, manageable project that works beautifully as a framed miniature, a greeting card insert, a patch, or an embellishment on a larger hoop composition.

Fabric and Materials

• Fabric: 14 Count Aida is the recommended ground fabric. Aida cloth is the most beginner-friendly evenweave fabric available, featuring clearly defined holes that guide each stitch with ease.
• Thread: The pattern calls for DMC stranded cotton embroidery floss exclusively, using a palette of 14 colors: DMC-310, DMC-321, DMC-754, DMC-793, DMC-794, DMC-797, DMC-807, DMC-938, DMC-3064, DMC-3772, DMC-3774, DMC-3778, DMC-3822, DMC-3830.
• Needles: A standard tapestry needle sized for 14 Count Aida (typically a size 24 or 26) is appropriate for cross stitch on this fabric count.

Stitches Used

The pattern employs three distinct embroidery techniques, giving the finished piece both solid coverage and fine detail:

• Cross Stitch: The primary stitch that fills the design. Each cross stitch is worked over one square of the Aida fabric, forming the colored blocks that build up the figures of Pocahontas and John Smith. On 14 Count Aida, each stitch is approximately 1/14th of an inch, producing a neat, pixelated image.
• Backstitch: Used for outlining and adding fine linear detail. The pattern specifies backstitching in DMC-310 (black), DMC-792 (dark cornflower blue), DMC-3032 (mocha beige), and DMC-3064 (desert sand). Backstitching is typically worked after all cross stitches are complete and dramatically sharpens the definition of faces, clothing edges, and hair.
• French Knots: Small, raised decorative knots used for fine accent details. The pattern calls for French knots in DMC-310 (black) and DMC-414 (dark steel grey), most likely used for eyes and other small focal points on the characters' faces.

Color Palette and Design Detail

The 14-color DMC palette is thoughtfully chosen to reflect the warm, earthy tones associated with Pocahontas's skin, hair, and clothing, as well as the cooler blues and neutrals of John Smith's appearance. Key colors include:

• DMC-310 – Black, used for outlines and strong contrast details
• DMC-321 – Christmas red, for accent elements
• DMC-754 – Light peach, for skin tones
• DMC-793 and DMC-794 – Cornflower blue shades, for clothing or background elements
• DMC-797 – Royal blue, for deeper clothing tones
• DMC-807 – Peacock blue, for accent details
• DMC-938 – Ultra dark coffee brown, for deep shadow or hair
• DMC-3064 – Desert sand, for skin mid-tones
• DMC-3772 – Dark desert sand, for deeper skin or earth