The Sofia Tulips cross stitch folk embroidery PDF pattern is one of my personal favorites as it's one of the cushions that lives on my couch so I see it every time I sit down to stitch! Inspired by a vintage Bulgarian embroidery, it features stylized tulips with eight-pointed stars in a lavish, complex design. Delicate backstitches create an intricate contrast with the highly geometric flowers and leaves. Worked in a traditional palette of terra cotta, olive green, grey brown, warm blue, and green, it is a genuinely stunning piece of textile art that brings the beauty of folk embroidery into your home. While Bulgarian folk embroidery is less known than Greek or Romanian folk embroidery, it is a venerable textile tradition that has aesthetic elements that harken back to the Byzantine era. What you'll make: An 18 x 18" cushion cover (cushion backing not included) Stitches used: Cross stitch, backstitch Skill level: Intermediate Stitch count: 23,828 cross stitches, 18,904 backstitches (255 x 255 stitch area) What does "intermediate" mean for this pattern? It means you're ready to settle into a project that will give you many enjoyable stitching sessions. This is one of my larger, heirloom-worthy designs. None of my patterns use advanced embroidery techniques, so intermediate here is about scale rather than difficulty.
