Red cardinal on holly
- Medium
- 50×51 stitches
- 5 DMC colors
- ≈ 5 skeins
- Aida 14: 9.1×9.3 cm
A red cardinal perched on a holly sprig with dark berries. A small Christmas piece in five DMC colours.
- Size
- 50×51
- Stitches
- 1,279
- DMC colors
- 5
- Skeins
- ≈ 5
- Level
- Medium
- Time
- ≈ 13 hours
No sign-up · colour and b/w · works with Pattern Keeper
Colors
- 349 Coral Dark×534
- 310 Black×441
- 910 Emerald Green Dark×224
- 741 Tangerine Medium×45
- 902 Garnet Very Dark×35
Red cardinal on holly pattern: description
The centre of this chart lands inside the folded wing, so that is the easiest place to begin. Stitch the black oval of the wing in DMC 310, then carry on along the back, crest and belly until the whole bird is drawn in outline. The outlines are full cross stitches, there is no backstitch, and once they are in place the red fills in with very little counting.
What order should the colours go in?
The black mask around the beak joins the outline, so it belongs with that first thread. Red 349 comes next and takes the most stitches of any colour, 534 of them, in long rows across the body, crest and tail. The three holly leaves in green 910 follow. Save orange 741 and garnet 902 for the end, with only 45 and 35 stitches to do.
A small patch of bare fabric separates the body from the left-hand leaf. Black thread carried behind it will show through white Aida, so end off and start again on the far side.
Which parts need careful counting?
The feet take the most attention. The orange toes are one or two stitches wide with black between them, and the branch runs directly behind. Work the three berries under a good lamp, because very dark garnet and black are easy to mix up in the evening.
What fabric suits a cardinal?
White Aida gives you the look of the drawing. The background stays unstitched and the design has no white stitches of its own, so any other light cloth works as well, such as cream or pale grey. Black or navy would swallow the outline, and green would do the same to the leaves.
How can you finish it?
On Aida 14 the piece measures 9.1 by 9.3 cm, which suits a small hoop or the front of a Christmas card. Backed with felt, it can hang on the tree as an ornament. Cardinals are a North American bird and a familiar sight on Christmas cards there, and the red and green sit comfortably with other Christmas cross stitch patterns if you are making a set.
The main colours are DMC 349 Coral Dark (42%), DMC 310 Black (34%), and DMC 910 Emerald Green Dark (18%). On 14-count Aida it comes out at 9.1×9.3 cm, on 18-count at 7.1×7.2 cm. You'll need about 5 skeins of DMC floss.
Made in the PatternHoop editor: width 50, 5 colors. Photo and pattern under CC BY 4.0: share and use them, crediting «PatternHoop (patternhoop.com)».
- Where to start
- the centre: stitch 25, row 26
- Stitched area
- 9.1×9.3 cm on Aida 14
- Aida 14 to buy
- 19×19 cm
- Chart pages in the PDF
- 1 colour + 1 b/w
Shopping list
DMC floss for the Red cardinal on holly pattern
Tick the threads you already have at home.
| I have it | Color | DMC | Name | Stitches | Skeins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| symbol ■ | 349 | Coral Dark | 53441.8% | 1 | |
| symbol □ | 310 | Black | 44134.5% | 1 | |
| symbol ▲ | 910 | Emerald Green Dark | 22417.5% | 1 | |
| symbol △ | 741 | Tangerine Medium | 453.5% | 1 | |
| symbol ● | 902 | Garnet Very Dark | 352.7% | 1 |
- 349 Coral Dark1 skein
- 310 Black1 skein
- 910 Emerald Green Dark1 skein
- 741 Tangerine Medium1 skein
- 902 Garnet Very Dark1 skein
Every DMC thread color with its number — in the palette
The Red cardinal on holly pattern by zones
It's easier to stitch in parts: here is what each third of the height holds.
Toprows 1–17
271 stitches · 21%
- DMC 349 · 58% Coral Dark
- DMC 310 · 35% Black
- DMC 741 · 7% Tangerine Medium
Middlerows 18–34
585 stitches · 46%
- DMC 349 · 65% Coral Dark
- DMC 310 · 28% Black
- DMC 910 · 8% Emerald Green Dark
Bottomrows 35–51
423 stitches · 33%
- DMC 310 · 43% Black
- DMC 910 · 42% Emerald Green Dark
- DMC 902 · 8% Garnet Very Dark
The Red cardinal on holly pattern on different fabric
| Fabric | Embroidery | Inches | Fabric with margin | Strands | Needle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aida 11 | 11.5×11.8 cm | 4.5×4.6″ | 22×22 cm | 3 strands | size 22 |
| Aida 14 | 9.1×9.3 cm | 3.6×3.6″ | 19×19 cm | 2 strands | size 24 |
| Aida 16 | 7.9×8.1 cm | 3.1×3.2″ | 18×18 cm | 2 strands | size 26 |
| Aida 18 | 7.1×7.2 cm | 2.8×2.8″ | 17×17 cm | 2 strands | size 26 |
How to stitch the Red cardinal on holly pattern in 4 steps
Prepare the fabric
Cut Aida 14 to 19×19 cm: 5 cm of margin on every side.
Sort the threads
The pattern uses 5 DMC colors: lay the skeins out by the numbers in the table above.
Start in the centre
Find the middle of the fabric and of the chart: the PDF marks the centre with arrows on the page edges.
Mark your progress
Cross off finished areas on the printout, or open the PDF in Pattern Keeper.
Questions about the Red cardinal on holly pattern
5 DMC colors, about 5 skeins in all, stitched with 2 strands on 14-count Aida.
50×51 stitches: 9.1×9.3 cm on 14-count Aida, 7.1×7.2 cm on 18-count.
For Aida 14, a piece of 19×19 cm: the design plus 5 cm on every side for the hoop and framing.
The pattern has 1,279 stitches — roughly 13 hours at 100 stitches an hour.
Yes. The symbols in the PDF are text, so Pattern Keeper reads the chart and the legend.
Yes, in the PatternHoop editor: upload a photo, pick the size and the number of colours, and the pattern is ready in a second, for free.
