Tomatoes - PDF

Tomatoes Cross Stitch Pattern by Kooler Design Studio

This Tomatoes cross stitch chart (KDS #2316) is a downloadable PDF from Kooler Design Studio, Inc., designed by Barbara Baatz Hillman and published under the Kooler Classic Charts collection. It is rated as a beginner-friendly embroidery project and is intended to be stitched as a decorative piece — a charming, colorful representation of tomatoes that brings a classic botanical or kitchen garden aesthetic to any home décor setting.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a counted cross stitch decoration featuring a tomato motif. With a stitch count of 91 stitches wide by 75 stitches high, the design produces a finished embroidery measuring approximately 6½ inches wide by 5¼ inches on 14-count fabric. Stitchers working on finer fabric counts can achieve smaller finished sizes:

• 14 Count: 6½ inches wide × 5¼ inches high
• 16 Count: 5⅝ inches wide × 4⅝ inches high
• 18 Count: 5 inches wide × 4⅛ inches high

The pattern recommends adding 4 to 6 inches to each measurement when cutting fabric, to allow adequate margin for framing or finishing.

Techniques Used

This design employs three core counted embroidery techniques commonly used in cross stitch work:

• Full Cross Stitch: The primary technique used to fill in the main areas of the design, creating solid blocks of color that form the tomato motif.
• Quarter Stitch (¼ Stitch): Used selectively to refine curved edges and add detail, allowing the design to achieve smoother outlines than full stitches alone would permit. Quarter stitches occupy only one corner of a fabric square, making them ideal for rendering rounded shapes such as tomatoes.
• Backstitch: Applied as an outlining and detail technique to define edges, add fine lines, and bring the design to life with crisp definition. Backstitching is worked with a single strand of floss, giving it a delicate, precise appearance against the bolder filled areas.

Stitches Used

• Full Cross Stitch — worked with 3 strands of embroidery floss
• Quarter Stitch (¼ Stitch) — worked with 3 strands of embroidery floss
• Backstitch — worked with 1 strand of embroidery floss for fine detail lines and outlines

Materials Referenced

The pattern is designed to be stitched on 14-count White Aida cloth, which is the most widely used evenweave fabric in counted cross stitch. Its uniform grid of holes makes it easy for beginners to count and place stitches accurately. The design can also be adapted to 16-count or 18-count Aida for a finer, smaller result.

The floss palette is drawn entirely from DMC embroidery floss, a standard six-strand cotton thread widely available in craft stores. The pattern specifies the following DMC thread colors:

• DMC 310 — used for cross stitch and backstitch
• DMC 501 — used for cross stitch and backstitch
• DMC 608 — used for cross stitch
• DMC 666 — used for cross stitch
• DMC 730 — used for cross stitch
• DMC 743 — used for cross stitch and quarter stitch
• DMC 744 — used for cross stitch
• DMC 798 — used for cross stitch and backstitch
• DMC 815 — used for cross stitch and backstitch
• DMC 3011 —