Cross Stitch Bookmark Pattern With Blossoms and a Border

A bookmark is one of the most useful things a small piece of stitching can become, and it makes a quiet, personal gift for anyone who reads. This cross stitch bookmark pattern is an original tall design of 17 x 63 stitches: four blossoms climbing a narrow panel, separated by small honey diamonds and held inside a single-stitch teal frame. The chart is followed by three ways to finish the piece so that it lies flat between pages.

About the Design

The bookmark uses 383 full cross stitches in 5 colors, with no backstitch. It is built from one short repeat, which keeps the counting manageable on such a long, thin piece:

• A blossom with four rounded petals, a honey center and a short green stem carrying two leaves.
• A honey diamond of five stitches that acts as a spacer.
• A teal frame one stitch wide, with four empty squares of breathing room between it and the petals.

The blossoms alternate. The first and third have rose pink petals with deep rose accents beside the center; the second and fourth reverse the two colors. The whole design is symmetrical left to right, so the center column is a dependable line to count from.

The Chart

One square is one cross stitch over one Aida block. Heavier grid lines fall every ten squares, which is a real help on a chart this tall: tick off each block of ten rows as you complete it.

Symbol	Color	Stitches
●	Teal	156
×	Rose pink	72
▲	Deep rose	72
◆	Honey gold	35
■	Leaf green	48

Choose the shades from your own stash. The two pinks must be easy to tell apart, one light and one clearly deeper, or the alternating blossoms will blur into one color. Any strong color works for the frame as long as it contrasts with the fabric.

Finished Size

On 14-count Aida the stitched area measures 1.2 x 4.5 in (3 x 11.4 cm), a comfortable size for a paperback or a hardback.

Aida	Finished design	Fabric to cut (3 in spare per side)
11-count	1.5 x 5.7 in (3.8 x 14.5 cm)	7.5 x 12 in (19.1 x 30.5 cm)
14-count	1.2 x 4.5 in (3 x 11.4 cm)	7.5 x 10.5 in (19.1 x 26.7 cm)
16-count	1.1 x 3.9 in (2.8 x 9.9 cm)	7.5 x 10 in (19.1 x 25.4 cm)
18-count	0.9 x 3.5 in (2.3 x 8.9 cm)	7 x 9.5 in (17.8 x 24.1 cm)

On 11-count the bookmark becomes long and wide, better suited to large books. On 16- or 18-count it is slim and delicate. Whatever the count, a bookmark needs a little unstitched fabric outside the frame once it is finished, so the final piece is slightly larger than the stitched area.

Materials

For 14-count fabric, stitch with two strands of stranded cotton and a size 24 tapestry needle; for 16-count, keep two strands and use a size 26 needle. Cut working lengths of about 18 in (45 cm). For finishing you will also need a piece of felt in a matching color and sewing thread, or simply a needle and patience if you choose the fringed finish.

How to Stitch the Bookmark

1. Cut and mark the fabric. Leave 2 to 3 in (5 to 8 cm) of spare fabric on every side of the design. Fold the fabric in half both ways to find the center.
2. Start at the center. The center of the chart is the middle stitch of the middle honey diamond, between the second and third blossoms. Stitch that diamond first and use it as your reference point.
3. Work one repeat at a time. Stitch the blossom above the diamond, then the one below, each with its stem and leaves. Complete each motif before moving on.
4. Continue outward. Add the remaining diamonds and the top and bottom blossoms, counting the single empty row on each side of every diamond.
5. Stitch the frame last. Count out from the widest petals, leave four empty squares, and work the teal line all the way around. If the frame meets itself exactly at the final corner, the counting inside is correct.

Long designs magnify small errors, so check each blossom against the center column before starting the next. The article on counting cross stitch covers gridding and reference stitches, both of which are useful here. A narrow strip of fabric is also easy to pull out of shape, and the advice in cross stitch tension helps keep the frame straight.

How to Finish It as a Bookmark

Before finishing, wash the piece gently if it needs it and press it face down on a folded towel so the stitches stay raised. Then choose one of the three finishes below.

Felt-backed finish

This finish hides the back completely and gives the bookmark some body.

1. Trim the fabric, leaving about 3/4 in (2 cm) of plain Aida outside the frame on all four sides.
2. Fold each margin to the back along a fabric row, two or three squares outside the frame. Fold the corners in neatly so they do not stick out, then press the folds.
3. Cut a piece of felt very slightly smaller than the folded bookmark and lay it over the back, covering the raw edges.
4. Sew the felt to the folded edge all the way around with small whipstitches in matching sewing thread, catching only the fold so the stitches do not show on the front.

Fringed finish

Aida frays into a soft, even fringe, which makes the simplest finish of all. Work a line of running stitch or backstitch in matching thread around the design, three squares outside the frame, to act as a stop. Trim the fabric six or seven squares beyond that line, following a fabric row exactly. Then pull out the loose fabric threads one at a time, from the cut edge inward, until you reach the stitched line. The back stays visible with this finish, so neat thread ends matter.

Aida band

Aida band is a narrow strip of Aida with woven, finished edges. If you stitch the bookmark on a band wide enough for the design, the long sides need no finishing at all. Only the two short ends have to be folded to the back and hemmed, or frayed into a fringe.

Ways to Personalize It

• Add initials. Leave out the bottom blossom and stitch a monogram in its place using the modern cross stitch alphabet, whose letters are narrow enough to fit inside the frame.
• Change the frame. Replace the plain teal line with a narrow repeat from the cross stitch border patterns, keeping a few empty squares between border and blossoms.
• Shorten or lengthen it. Each blossom with its diamond is a self-contained repeat. Remove one for a shorter bookmark, or add one for a tall book.
• Add a tassel. Wrap leftover floss around a piece of card, tie it at the top, cut the loops at the bottom and sew the tassel to the middle of one short end.