Blue and White Still Life - PDF

Blue and White Still Life Cross Stitch Pattern – Kooler Design Studio (KDS# 1274)

The Blue and White Still Life is a beautifully composed counted cross stitch embroidery design created by Linda Gillum for Kooler Design Studio, a respected independent design house based in Lafayette, California. Released as part of the Kooler Classic Charts collection, this downloadable PDF pattern (KDS# 1274) is ideal for intermediate embroiderers looking to create a striking decorative piece with a timeless blue-and-white color palette. The finished work is perfectly suited for framing or display as home décor.

About the Design

True to its name, the Blue and White Still Life renders a classic still life composition entirely in a sophisticated range of blue tones, accented with warm earthy hues and crisp white. The design captures the elegance of traditional blue-and-white decorative art — reminiscent of fine porcelain or Delftware — translated into the tactile medium of counted cross stitch. The result is a refined, heirloom-quality piece that brings a sense of calm sophistication to any interior setting.

The pattern has a stitch count of 128 wide by 121 high, making it a substantial and satisfying project. Finished dimensions vary depending on the fabric count chosen:

• 10 Count fabric: approximately 12¾ × 12 inches
• 14 Count fabric: approximately 9⅛ × 8⅝ inches
• 16 Count fabric: approximately 8 × 7½ inches
• 18 Count fabric: approximately 7 × 6⅝ inches

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

Recommended Fabric

The design is specifically stitched on 14 Count White Aida cloth, the most commonly recommended fabric for counted cross stitch at this level of detail. Aida's evenly woven grid of holes makes it straightforward to count and position stitches accurately, making it an excellent choice for intermediate stitchers working with a design of this complexity. The white ground fabric enhances the luminosity of the blue and white color scheme throughout the piece.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several core embroidery techniques that give the finished piece its depth, detail, and dimension:

• Full Cross Stitch: The primary technique used to fill the design, worked with 3 strands of floss for good coverage and a rich, textured surface.
• Quarter Stitch (¼ Stitch): Used to refine curved edges and fine details within the composition, also worked with 3 strands. Quarter stitches allow for smoother outlines and more realistic rendering of rounded shapes.
• Backstitch: Applied with just 1 strand of floss to outline and define elements of the design, adding crispness and clarity to the overall image. Backstitching is a fundamental outlining technique in cross stitch that dramatically enhances the finished look.
• French Knots: Worked with 1 strand of floss, French knots add small, raised textural accents to the design. This classic hand embroidery stitch creates a tiny, knotted dot of thread on the surface of the fabric, often used for fine details such as flower centers, berries, or decorative dots.

Materials – Floss

The pattern uses DMC stranded cotton embroidery floss exclusively, with a carefully curated palette of colors that together build the signature blue-and-white aesthetic. The full floss listing includes the following DMC color numbers:

• Blues and purples: DMC 333, 340, 341, 775, 797, 799, 800, 820, 823
• Greens: DMC 895, 3346, 3347, 3348
• Warm earthy tones: DMC 920, 976, 977
• White: DMC Blanc

Several colors appear in the symbol listing for multiple stitch types — for example,