Pastel Rainbow Blocks

Check out my latest cross stitch project – Pastel Rainbow Blocks – a set of patterns based on quilt blocks in pretty soft rainbow colours.

If you’ve been reading here for even a little while, you will have realised that I LOVE rainbows.

I have created lots of rainbow projects. There are crochet projects like my Rainbow Blanket and my Rainbow Heart Blanket. There are sewing projects like my chair bag tutorial and rainbow bean bags. There are a lot of quilting projects like my Rainbow Mini Quilts series  and the Farmer’s Wife 1930’s Sew Along blocks which I made featuring rainbow striped fabric.

Possibly my all-time favourite rainbow project was a series of cross stitch patterns I created in 2014. My inspiration was to create cross stitch patterns based on quilt blocks and in the end I created nine blocks. Each one used the same set of DMC threads in traditionally bright rainbow colours.

The patterns are all free and the easiest way to get them is to subscribe to my Weekly News and download the free printable PDF – details here.

At the time, I also had the idea to create the blocks in pretty pastel colours. I even bought the DMC threads to stitch them but never got started.

Fast forward to 2016 and we have just been on a fabulous family holiday overseas – a first for us as a family. I wanted some kind of craft project to take with me and my current crochet project – a denim ripple blanket – was really too bulky to carry.

I needed something small and compact. Cross stitch was the perfect choice!

Last minute as always, I created a single page version of my pattern, dug out some Aida cloth from my stash, and gathered my threads and tools in a zip lock bag. I included a small embroidery hoop – only about 12cm across.

As we were travelling on international flights, I couldn’t take scissors so I found my Clover cutter. This little metal pendant encloses a round blade and you have to slot the thread into little notches to cut it. Safe for fingers and allowed on flights. (See how to make my Clover cutter case here. ) I use blunt needles for stitching on Aida cloth but I put two spare needles in my suitcase, just in case I lost my working needle or had it taken away at airport security.

I started with the block in the centre of my previous design. It has simple diagonal stripes and I remembered how soothing I find it to cross stitch on Aida. All those perfect little stitches becoming a picture and not having to think too hard.

I wasn’t sure that I would get a lot done during our trip but we had a couple of days where the kids were tired and a little sick, so we hung out in the hotel room and I stitched and listened to podcasts while they rested. (Thanks Darren from ProBlogger and Kelly and Carly from the Straight & Curly podcast – it was strangely comforting to listen to friends from the 56th floor of our Yokohama hotel.)

I’m onto the third and fourth blocks now. I’m working on multiple blocks at once this time. When I originally stitched these, I was creating the blocks and patterns as I went along, but this time I have all the patterns done. When I finish stitching a section with extra thread on my needle, I just start a new section of that colour in another block to finish the thread.

I can’t wait to show you the finished blocks!

Follow my progress each day on my Instagram account here.

UPDATE: Find the DMC thread colours list here