Here's a public posting of upcoming / planned pattern and project work for 2025 (and probably more). Most of this has already been talked about in my newsletter but the recent Black Friday Sale feedback has shown me not everyone who wants the newsletter is receiving it. I'm sure I won't be able to get to it all in one year, but here's what's on my plate!
Upcoming Project: YouTube
I'm planning to properly get into YouTube content. It's really not my jam (video things) but I feel pressed into a corner by the Internet's pace and algorithms to cave in and participate.
As you can see the channel has been up for quite a few years. It was previously a place for my brothers and I to upload our skits circa 2009, then transitioned into my brothers' musical prowess, and will now be used for my art. I imagine as they continue to work on their music there will be an occasional post for it as well, unless they decide to start their own channel for that. :)
I plan to answer the questions posed in my Facebook Group post in the introduction video. I'm quite nervous about setting up and starting... I thought about dumping a bunch of money into a Vtuber rig using Aerie's likeness with Hanae's help, but it just seems much more reasonable for me to suck it up and put my face to camera. :')
My goal after the introduction is to cover my own designs and review some from other artists' patterns that I've finished stitching. Since I rely so heavily on my customers to send in finished photos of my patterns I feel like it might give the digital covers some "life" if I talk about the design elements more in depth. I used to be very wordy in things like my DeviantArt descriptions, but slowly moved away from it in favor of quick post templates. It seemed like the more I wrote the less people read / responded to all that in depth information, and I do worry about running into the same "yelling into the void" situation with YouTube. I shall persevere as long as I'm able!
Upcoming Patterns
Remaining Frenone World of Warcraft Designs
I recently reorganized my Frenone folder to make it less daunting to approach. The 8 characters (Alleria, Arthas, Aysa, Cairne, Kalecgos, Lady Liadrin, Nozdormu, and Tarecgosa) are for certain picks, with the Angel being an add on if I find the motivation to tackle her. Years ago when Frenone was still in contact about these (she has retired from her artwork) she gave me permission to experiment with the Angel's color scheme, perhaps to change her skin tone, feathers, or clothing palettes. I'm a big fan of winged characters so the Angel does appeal to me a lot, but there is no larger resolution of her design available to me so I'm not sure if it will come to fruition.
There's two other designs that are much lower priority to even consider. The first is a "frame" sort of design that could be used for any (appropriately sized) pattern to fit within. The second is Frenone's design for the card back, a tree with very pretty filigree around a moon.
You can pick up all of the finished Frenone patterns on Frenone's page, which include 13 characters already finished and one extracted rose design.
Remaining Erte Alphabet Designs
The final six Erte letters are at last upon us! These final Monograms are mostly symmetrical but every time I open their files my brain does a little loading circle animation and then I end up doing something else. They're like my procrastination projects on maximum at the moment - you wouldn't believe how many dishes I've washed after opening these designs!
"U" is my largest stop at the moment, as I do not want to do all the fruit, and I do not want anyone to stitch all the fruit. I have a few ideas on how to go about subverting this which mostly involves sequins and beads but I don't particularly want to source the materials either.
"Z" is the pattern I desire to complete the most, not just because she is last and represents the finality of the project, but because she is so decorated in beads and lace! I'm quite excited to chart out the Kreinik and pearls that'll go into her design. And "Z" is such an uncommon sort of monogram, I feel only those who also swoon over glittery pretty things will end up stitching her anyhow.
The first 20 letters of Erte's alphabet Monograms are available on his pattern page.
Alphonse Mucha's Moon and Stars (1902)
My goal for the 1902 Moon and Stars series was to approach it this past summer. But, well, life got in the way, again! This time for the positive, what with me moving across the country, and now there will be NO MORE INTERRUPTIONS, right?? I did open up The Evening Star last night and stared at her hair for a little while before deciding, "perhaps not RIGHT before the holiday break," and set her aside for the New Year. The simplified version of these four, as well as the other Mucha designs I've created patterns for, can be found on his pattern page.
Hanae Kariko Pattern Assortment
Hanae Kariko has shifted towards more original artwork, which she wants to keep focused to her convention merch. Once designs retire from active conventions (such as no longer being printed on shirts or pins) we might revisit them to become patterns. Until then, though, we are graced with a few pieces of fanart that she's allowing me to turn into patterns. We'll have ten pokemon and two versions of this FF14 otter to stitch in due time!
Hanae's other patterns can be found on her pattern page.
Just Call Me Cat's Blooming Lovely Collection
These four pieces from Just Call Me Cat celebrate self-care and self-love. As Cat says herself: "These romantic ladies and their winged companions invite you to observe the beauty held in the present moment, and the chance for kindness to touch your heart with a fleeting encounter."
I want to accent them with glittering Kreinik blending filaments and really get their colors to pop! I will be doing my best to match them to the other Cat pattern I did, Ostara. (The second pattern I did is the Pin-Up Xmas lady but it won't be quite the same as her!)
And if you just love Cat's art, this particular series is available on tea towels.
Sunset Dragon's Pattern Hoard
There's so many pieces here I wasn't sure how best to display them without spending all night resizing and arranging them, so I'm going with this! The four green checkmarks there are for the finished (or nearly finished!) Ever After High designs: Apple White, Lizzie Hearts, Maddie Hatter, and Raven Queen. There's a total of 65 pieces and I have really, really enjoyed working with Sunset Dragon's artwork thus far.
Sunset Dragon has very graciously given me permission for this large bundle of artwork to turn into patterns. It includes two series of My Little Pony Designs, the aforementioned Ever After High, Monster High, and Pokemon Mermaids. She has, since our agreement was signed, created more art for the Monster High collection, but they are not as of yet included for patterns.
I imagine when I get to the Pokemon Mermaids that I will be pouring a bunch more Kreinik into the palette once again, and may even dip further into Rainbow Gallery for extra textures! I'm not a fan of the Ponies myself but like, come on, these designs?? GLITTER FOR DAYS! I'm so excited to pick out specialty beads for Fluttershy's Magical Girl design - just look at those dangly pear beads! (Well, on Instagram probably, since that preview above is so small.)
Sunset Dragon has her own pattern page on my site!
Hannah Alexander Series 17, 10 Additions, 13 Additions... and MORE
My original inspiration and partner for getting my cross-stitch designing career off the ground, Hannah Alexander, is gracing us with another large series in 17: Pokemon! This isn't ALL of Hannah's Pokemon designs, but it is a grand majority of them. Even as recently as the Black Friday newsletter I wasn't sure I would be getting permission for the bottom four designs so this has quickly developed! Not all of the Pokemon will be getting shiny versions, mostly because not all shinies are created equal, but I will be making a few standouts like Umbreon's blue palette for sure.
Since I don't want to burn out on all this Pokemon theming I will likely be working on other Hannah designs between Pokemon releases. This includes three designs for Series 10 Zelda, the Tears of the Kingdom look (dress, armor, and postcard) and the three postcards for Series 13, the Mario ladies in armor.
I don't know that I will be able to finish all of the Pokemon designs for 2025 but it is my sincere goal and I hope everyone will be happy with the results.
Beyond these designs Hannah has given me permission for a further 72 pieces of art that I will not reveal now, but be assured are in the wings. :)
All Hannah Alexander patterns can be purchased on her pattern page.
Upcoming Project: Hannah Mario Bouquet Tutorial
The bouquet is a challenging pattern, as I do with all those partials and backstitching and whatnots, but still that much more "doable" than the grandscale Hannah Alexander patterns usually have. And only being 55 stitches wide means, I hope, a bit more of that gratification on each finished color. While not a beginner-beginner pattern I hope that this would be the sort of starter pattern to bring people towards Hannah's pieces. :) And with the planned full tutorial write-up, which expands on my basic cross-stitch freebie tutorial quite a bit, I hope that'll be even more true. The pattern above is available right now (click here) but the tutorial will come later.
So, what happened was I got the fabric out and cut it, then arranged my thread, then sat down to take the first photo and... realized instantly how many steps I had just skipped! Picking out the fabric and knowing how to correlate the thread numbers from the pattern are 100% questions my young self would have had. I tucked the project into a bag and then life carried me away to my move across the country, and so it still sits. I imagine for this to go well I'm going to have to at least write an outline or it's going to be too chaotic to follow.
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