Merrily on High Cross Stitch Pattern Review: A Sweet Retro Christmas Sampler

If you love nostalgic Christmas décor with a playful pink and mint twist, the Merrily on High Cross Stitch Pattern by Sweetfire Road is a lovely project to add to your holiday stitching list.

This cheerful counted cross stitch sampler features Christmas trees, ornaments, candy canes, gifts, little houses and the familiar words “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” The pink gingham Aida gives the finished design a wonderfully retro look before you have even added the first stitch.

The pattern has a stitch count of 127 stitches wide × 170 stitches high and measures approximately 9? × 12¼ inches when stitched on the recommended 14-count Aida. It is designed to fit neatly into an 11 × 14-inch picture frame.

You can buy the Merrily on High Cross Stitch Pattern from Fat Quarter Shop here.

Pattern Details

Designer: Sweetfire Road Design Co.
Publisher: It’s Sew Emma
Format: Printed paper pattern
Stitch count: 127 × 170 stitches
Suggested fabric: Kimberly’s Pink Gingham 14-count Aida
Finished size: Approximately 9? × 12¼ inches
Skill level: Confident beginner to intermediate

The design uses ten DMC floss colours, including two skeins each of DMC 349 and DMC 505. You can shop DMC embroidery floss and cross stitch supplies here.

What I particularly like about this pattern is the combination of large lettering and small festive motifs. You can work on one tiny house, ornament or gift at a time and still feel as though you are making progress. It is not a quick weekend stitch, but it is a manageable Christmas project if you begin well before December.

The suggested pink and mint palette is a large part of its charm, but you could easily change the colours. Try cream fabric with traditional red and green floss, or natural linen with dusty red, sage and warm white for a softer farmhouse Christmas look.

Once completed, this sampler would look beautiful framed on a mantel, sideboard or Christmas gallery wall. If you need inspiration for presenting it, take a look at these creative ways to finish cross stitch projects.

Overall, Merrily on High is a sweet and cheerful Christmas cross stitch pattern with plenty of nostalgic detail. It is the kind of handmade decoration you can bring out every Christmas and enjoy all over again.