Ghoul School - PDF Cross Stitch Pattern

Ghoul School – PDF Cross Stitch Pattern by HugSandwich

This downloadable PDF cross stitch pattern by independent designer HugSandwich celebrates the beloved animated classic Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School. Designed as a charming, horizontally oriented piece, the finished design measures 9.36 inches wide by 3.71 inches tall (131 x 52 stitches), making it an ideal project for beginner and intermediate stitchers alike who want to recreate a piece of nostalgic cartoon nostalgia in thread. The pattern is available exclusively as a personal-use digital download from HugSandwich and may not be resold or redistributed.

What Is Being Made

The finished piece is a cross stitch embroidery design inspired by Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School, the 1988 animated film. The design spans a wide, banner-like format that captures characters and visual elements from the film in a pixel-art style grid. The relatively compact stitch count makes it well-suited for framing, hoop display, or incorporation into handmade gifts and home décor.

Techniques Used

• Cross stitch – the primary and foundational technique throughout the entire design, worked by forming X-shaped stitches over the intersections of an evenweave fabric
• Symbol-based charting – the PDF uses a detailed symbol chart (with characters such as ¢, A, !, ", c, G, T, ~, æ, ¹ and others) to represent individual thread colors, allowing stitchers to follow the design square by square
• Color blocking – distinct symbol groupings in the chart indicate clearly defined areas of color, a technique that helps beginners work section by section without confusion
• Grid navigation – the pattern is divided across multiple numbered grid sections (columns counted in increments of 10 up to 110+), helping stitchers keep their place across the full width of the design

Stitches Used

• Full cross stitch – the core stitch of the pattern, each worked over one square of Aida fabric to build up the complete image
• The symbol chart suggests the potential use of specialty or accent stitches in select areas, as is common in character-based cross stitch designs, though the primary construction relies on standard full cross stitches suitable for beginners

Materials Referenced

• Fabric: 14 Count Aida is specified as the recommended fabric. Aida is a popular, stiff evenweave cotton fabric with clearly visible holes that make it easy for beginners to place stitches accurately. The 14-count designation means there are 14 stitches per inch, which produces a clean, medium-scale finished design at the stated dimensions.
• Thread/Floss: While specific thread brand names are not listed in the extracted content, cross stitch patterns of this type are standardly worked in six-strand cotton embroidery floss (such as DMC or Anchor), with stitchers typically using two strands over one square of 14-count Aida for good coverage.
• Needles: A tapestry needle (blunt-tipped, typically size 24 or 26) is the standard tool for cross stitch on Aida fabric, as its blunt point passes through the fabric holes without splitting the weave.
• Hoop or frame: An embroidery hoop or scroll frame is the conventional tool used to keep Aida taut while stitching, ensuring even tension across the finished piece.

Pattern Details and Difficulty

Rated as a beginner-friendly embroidery project, the Ghoul School pattern by HugSandwich features a manageable stitch count of 131 x 52 stitches and a straightforward symbol-based color chart. The wide, landscape-format design is broken into clearly numbered grid segments, making it easy to track progress. The pattern is credited with a reference to B Pratt 2015 within the chart pages. As with all HugSandwich patterns, this design is intended for personal use only and is available through the designer's shop at