Avlea Folk Embroidery Byzantine Crosses - Downloadable PDF

Avlea Folk Embroidery Byzantine Crosses – Embroidery Pattern by Krista West

The Avlea Folk Embroidery Byzantine Crosses pattern by designer Krista West is a downloadable PDF featuring a collection of six individual cross designs inspired by historic crosses found in Byzantine liturgical textiles and church ornaments. This beautifully curated set ranges from simpler, more geometric compositions to richly ornate motifs, offering embroiderers a variety of styles to explore within a single cohesive collection. The designs are rooted in the rich visual tradition of Byzantine decorative arts, making them meaningful as standalone pieces or as accents on garments, home décor, and devotional items.

What Is Being Made

Stitchers will complete up to six counted thread cross designs, each inspired by Byzantine sacred art. The finished measurements vary depending on the fabric count chosen:

• On 30-count fabric: designs finish between 2 x 2 inches and 3-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches
• On 26-count fabric: designs finish between 2-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches and 4 x 4 inches

These compact, versatile pieces are well suited for framing, stitching onto clothing or accessories, or incorporating into larger embroidery projects. Because of their relatively small size and focused stitch counts, they are also excellent practice pieces for those building their counted thread embroidery skills.

Techniques Used

This pattern uses counted thread embroidery, a technique in which each stitch is placed by counting threads on an evenweave or Aida-style fabric rather than following a printed or transferred design. This method produces precise, repeatable results and is the foundation of many traditional European and Mediterranean folk embroidery styles. For stitchers who wish to apply the designs to a non-counted fabric — such as linen, cotton, or a finished garment — the pattern recommends using waste canvas, a temporary grid canvas that is basted onto the base fabric, stitched through, and then removed thread by thread once the embroidery is complete. This opens up the designs to a much wider range of applications and fabric types.

Stitches Used

The six Byzantine cross designs are worked in counted cross stitch, the primary stitch throughout the collection. Stitch counts across the six designs range from 30 x 30 stitches to 52 x 52 stitches, keeping each motif manageable even for those newer to counted work. The relatively low stitch counts make these designs approachable for beginner embroiderers while still delivering the visual impact of intricate Byzantine-inspired ornamentation.

Materials

The pattern calls for the following materials:

• Counted thread fabric of your choice, such as evenweave or Aida, in 30-count or 26-count (or waste canvas for non-counted fabric applications)
• DMC Floss in the following specific colors used in the sample photography:
  • 355 Terra Cotta
  • 317 Pewter Gray
  • 729 Antique Gold
• Embroidery needle appropriate for counted thread work
• Embroidery hoop to keep fabric taut during stitching

The sample projects shown in the pattern are stitched using 2 strands of DMC floss, which produces a rich, slightly textured coverage. The chosen colorway — terra cotta, pewter gray, and antique gold — is deliberately selected to evoke the look of gold and silver metallic threads traditionally found in Byzantine ecclesiastical textiles, without requiring specialty metallic threads. However, the pattern notes that stitchers are welcome to substitute three colors of their own choosing, making the designs highly adaptable to personal palettes or specific project needs.

Design Details and Inspiration

Each of the six crosses in this Avlea Folk Embroidery collection draws from the ornamental vocabulary of Byzantine art, a tradition known for its bold symmetry, sacred symbolism, and lavish use of gold and jewel tones. Byzantine crosses appear across