During the last few months I have been cross stitching a lot, spending time that in previous years I might have spent in the wild with my camera. The hot, humid weather is one factor that has kept me indoors, but I have also rediscovered my love for counted cross stitch. I haven’t yet figured out how I will frame or otherwise finish these pieces, but I thought I would show you some of the autumn-themed ones that I have finished stitching.
The first one is from a pattern that appeared in the Halloween 2025 edition of Just Cross Stitch magazine. It is called Tiny Pumpkins and was designed by Sara Louise Greer of Wickham Cottage. In the past I really enjoyed stitching on black fabric and decided to give it a try again. My eyes are older and require more light than when I was young, but the project turned out pretty well.
The second piece also appeared in the Halloween 2025 edition of Just Cross Stitch magazine. It is called Hallows’ Eve Sampler and was designed by Tracy Richards of Wrought Iron Stitching. I love the vintage autumn vibe of this piece that the designer was able to achieve using only four colors.
The final two pieces were designed by TheCozyDH, a Canadian independent cross stitcher, designer, and content creator on You Tube and Twitch. They have an Etsy shop where you can purchase downloadable cross stitch patterns that are “a lil cute, a lil cozy, a lil spooky” and also a Ko-fi shop, which tends to have lower prices because the platform has lower fees than Etsy.
The two skeleton guys, known as the Bobs, are described by the designer as follows: “Once there were two large skeleton brothers, separated by season and preference of caffeinated beverage. Now, in this tiny adorable form, the brothers are together again. Tiny Cozy Bob sips his Pumpkin Spice Latte while Tiny Sweaty Bob enjoys a chill boba milk tea.”
I suspect that in the coming months I will continue to balance my wildlife photography with my cross stitching. Two two hobbies allow me to express myself creatively in different ways.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Great creative pieces Mike. You are super talented.
Thanks, Suzette. There’s always something special about things that are handmade. So much these days is created with the aid of computers or artificial intelligence. There is a comfortable retro feeling about making something slowly in a traditional way.
Absolutely true Mike. Well said. Have a wonderful day.
So whimsical – this note of humor and relaxed cheerfulness is really appreciated!
As very much as your wildlife photography is loved and enjoyed this post about your other hobby is a pure delight to behold! My poor arthritic fingers make such projects extremely difficult to undertake but as S. Sandberg wrote : “Done is better than perfect.” But, less about myself and more about your entertaining post that prompts this quote being shared : “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” – Thomas Merton. Thank-you, Mr. Mike!!
Thanks, Ellen. I started cross stitching in the mid-1980’s and continued on through the 1990’s. Then life pushed me in other directions and I put my stitching on hold for 20+ years. I picked it up again a few years ago and now attend a stitching group twice a month at a local cross stitch/needlepoint shop and am involved in an on-line stitching community as well. There is sometimes very calming and therapeutic about the repetitive motions of cross stitching and other crafts that is good for the soul. I think that’s part of what Thomas Merton may have had in mind when he talked of simultaneously finding and losing yourself.
These are all great! I admire the precision and neatness of your work. My creative mind (art and cooking both) is also wandering to Autumnal inspiration because I am definitely over this humidity.
Nice