Cactus Cross-Stitch Pattern

• 6"-diameter embroidery hoop
• 12" square cross-stitch fabric
• Embroidery floss: light green, dark green, pink, tan, brown
• Embroidery needle

Cross-Stitch the Design: Place cross-stitch fabric in embroidery hoop, pulling fabric taut. Tighten screw. Using two strands of embroidery floss and following the downloadable chart for the pattern, cross-stitch the cactus from the back side through the fabric. See how to cross-stitch below. Weave tail from last stitch under previous stitches; trim ends.

How to Cross-Stitch: From the back of the fabric pull the needle and thread up at A. Insert the needle back into fabric at B, and bring it up again at C. Push needle down again at D to complete a cross-stitch. Repeat to make as many cross-stitches as needed.

How to Finish: When all stitching is complete, turn the hoop over. Stitch a running stitch approximately 1-1/2" outside the hoop in the fabric that extends past the hoop edges. Pull the thread to gather the fabric; knot the thread. Trim away the extra fabric approximately 1″ outside the gathered line. If desired, cut a felt circle that is slightly smaller than the back of the embroidery hoop. Whipstitch the felt circle to the gathered fabric on the back side of the hoop.