Autumn by Lantern

An autumn still life lit by the warm glow of a lantern, with pumpkins, mushrooms and berries arranged on a wooden table. The design is worked in counted cross stitch on Aida, following a chart printed over several A3 sheets; backstitch outlines pick out the finer details such as the twigs and the frame of the lantern.

With 44 colours and plenty of shading it is a demanding project, best suited to stitchers with some counted work behind them. Hoop, scissors and frame are not included: the fabric has a generous margin all round, so it mounts easily in a hoop or on a scroll frame. Once finished, it makes a picture to frame for the autumn months.