Super Mario 3 World Cross Stitch Maps

Since 2015 I have slowly been working on stitching the Mario 3 World maps.    I was using some free maps that I found on Sprite Stitch but recently purchased the program Pattern Keeper and these patterns didn't work in that.  Bummer!  
But, I have a cross stitch software so I converted the images in the program and looked over the patterns to try to get the most accurate colors.   
I thought I would share the patterns here in case there are others who would like them.  Yes, I know, you can buy these from several places on Etsy, but these images are owned by Nintendo and people really shouldn't be selling them- especially if they aren't even bothering to double check the colors- hopefully they are!  

Also included is a sampler pattern featuring a small chunk of all eight maps in one stitch!

You can download the maps here.  They are all together in a zipped file.  Enjoy!

The Twelve Dogtors

Apparently I'm on a bit of a Doctor Who kick right now.    A friend and I were chatting about how there are so many neat Peanuts/Doctor Who mash-ups so I started looking at images and being amused.  Some I'd seen before but I hadn't looked for a while and came across The Twelve Dogtors, which I found particularly neat.   
I decided to turn the image into a cross stitch... and many hours and weeks later I've converted it... but it will be a while before I can stitch it as I'm still working on Super Mario 3 World 4.  I'm sixty-five percent done, so I am getting there!
If you'd like to stitch it, here's the pattern.   I own no rights to this and creative talent is not mine (though I do confess I changed the twelfth doctor... gave him his sonic sunglasses).   Do NOT take this pattern and put it for sale on etsy. That would be illegal in more ways than one.
This pattern is compatible with Pattern Keeper.  The pattern is very large so I would suggest a pretty high stitch count, like 24 or 25. 

Doctor Who Cross Stitch Patterns

I will confess that I have far too many interests in the crafting realm.   Someday I may be smart and give one up so that I can actually accomplish all the projects I'd like to accomplish, but where is the fun in that?
I enjoy cross stitch.  The main caveat is that I like big patterns... and they take a nice chunk of time... and since cross stitch is not functional (as in you can sleep under it or use it) the allotted time it receives is when I watch a movie... which isn't too terribly often and half the time I decide to work on making birthday cards... so you know... cross stitch doesn't happen too often...
But I enjoy looking at patterns though I don't buy unless I am actually going to work on it and since I rarely finish a project all I do is window shopping, but sometimes I mess around in PC Stitch and make a pattern... which is what I've done with two Van Gogh Doctor Who images. 
Now, these patterns I didn't really do any work on. The mock up looks good so I think they're fine... colors may be off a bit so you might need to change them... but I thought I would share the patterns here.  They're free as I don't own rights to the images so selling these would be rather wrong.
The patterns do work in Pattern Keeper.  The mock-up looks a bit odd on both of them and doesn't match what PC Stitch shows me but I have read that the PK mock-up isn't entirely accurate.
 Exploding Tardis PDF
Van Gogh Tardis PDF

Enjoy and post your finished photo in the comment! I want to see how they turn out!

Shy Guy, Link, and Joe Doctor

 My brother and sister-in-law were expecting a son so my brain went into gear on what Mario themed quilt to make for him.  His family receives Mario themed quilts and has already received a Bowser quilt and a Princess Peach quilt... and, I think, a Mario pillow... I think that's where that ended up... I don't remember...
For some reason Shy Guy kept screaming at me (does he talk?  I guess he does in Super Mario RPG)... and I thought, "Ooh, he looks easy. Fast... and I have the perfect scraps for the background and some leftover green minky. Sounds like a winner to me!
Also made earlier this year as a custom order was a Zelda quilt with Zelda, Link, and Shiek.  It was a lot of fun to design, especially Link.  That's a new pixel image for me (inspiration found on-line) and I would love to make him larger some day as a center piece of a quilt.

If you're interested in a custom order, contact me! :) 

Christmas Time Is Here

Well, not it is not really here at the moment... but I have yet to come up with a pattern title for this quilt and I guess that would do nicely... sounds all Charlie Brown-ish.
This quilt was designed with a friend's husband in mind.  He lost his mother two years ago after a battle with cancer.   He and his wife have three small children and to keep his mother's memory alive for them he has continued the Christmas tradition of decorating the house at Christmastime with Snoopy items.   His mother loved Peanuts, especially Snoopy, and he loved to rib her about all her Snoopy junk but he secretly loved it when she would get it out every year.   
I decided to add to his Snoopy junk by creating a lap quilt for the family to share as they gaze at the Peanuts Christmas tree and remember all the fun his mother had collecting the ornaments and decorating her tree with them. 
I picked up the cloud fabric at a garage sale and thought it was absolutely perfect for the background!   I also had fun with the binding and fussy cut the strips to make the binding match the quilt pattern.  So fun to do!
I couldn't decide if I wanted to use a cozy minky fabric for the back or a licensed Peanuts print.  I went to JoAnn's armed with coupons and decided if I didn't see a licensed print that would work then I would go with a minky.   As I scoured the Peanuts prints I saw this and it was perfect- and not on sale either so I could use a 50% coupon! Awesome!  But apparently Christmas prints were on sale for 60% off and this rang up as a Christmas print- even better!    I have some extra fabric too so I may make some bow-ties for the boys and some scrunchies for the girls... and may have enough for a little skirt too... we'll see! 
Again, due to copyright reasons I cannot sell this pattern but I do take custom orders!

Unicorn Dreams - Crib Quilt

Now that I've finished up making masks for the needy I have begun to whittle down my other project lists, one of which was the crib/lap size Unicorn Dreams quilt!   The pattern comes together very quickly and is absolutely adorable!   If you'd like to make it you can purchase the pattern here or if you would like to do a custom order contact me; I'd love to make you one!
Once I finish a dress for my daughter I'm planning to make the twin size. We'll see how long I can keep that a secret from her- probably not long at all!
Earlier this year I made a dog quilt.  Anyone who knows me will be amazed by that fact! hahaha Not a dog person... buuut, I have a friend who loves dogs and was expecting her first long-awaited child.  All these patterns came from Burlap Blossom!  Be sure to check her patterns out as she has soooo many adorable patterns!
Also finished a month or two ago was Bucky Badger!   This was the redesigned pattern and boy, was it much nicer!   He still takes a bit of time to piece together, but switching the direction the strips go on his W and his feet really shaved off some time and frustration!  Next time though I will be sure to cut the directional fabric the proper way. ~head hits desk~ Unfortunately I didn't have enough Badger print to recut those pieces and the fabric is not locally available so I just used what I had and called it good... just don't look too closely.
Because of copyright reasons I cannot offer this pattern for sale but I can do a custom order so if you're interested, let me know!

The Tardis

The Tardis received a post many moons ago, but not its own post!   My niece loves Doctor Who and for her birthday her mother asked me if I thought I could make her a Tardis quilt.   I said, "Sure!" to her and "What have I gotten myself into?" to myself!    I couldn't find a pattern I liked.   I had no experience designing a pattern (at that point).  I hate math.  Math hates me.  What on earth could possibly go wrong?

After many headaches and frustration I designed the Tardis.  It's seen a few changes here and there... I think I have made it four times or so!     I do wish I were better at operating my quilt program as I'd love to play around with  the size of the Tardis so I could easily make it smaller, but whatever, it's bigger on the inside anyway, so why does it need to be large?
If you want to sew your own that pattern is for sale here or if you want to custom order one send me an e-mail.

The lettering has been tweaked a few times.  I used to piece it together... then I appliqued it together and then stitched the "Public Call" in the center...  the words on the door are printed via my printer.  I liked to stitch a wood grain onto the Tardis...

Caticorn Glee

With my being a cat lover I couldn't stop with just a unicorn quilt.  The only thing better than a unicorn is a caticorn, right!    And look at her happy, little face! 
Once again, designed as a pixel quilt, this pattern too will come together quickly, even more quickly than the unicorn because the design is so much more simple!   This pattern is also for sale on etsy.   It features both a lap quilt pattern as well as a twin quilt pattern.  The twin quilt is in the same style as the unicorn twin quilt featuring a ribbon border. 
Of course now my creative gears are spinning and I'm wondering what other unicorn animals to design... I'm thinking a llamacorn or a pugacorn sound kind of fun... but if I keep designed then I'll never have a chance to catch up on the quilt list.   Catch up, funny stuff, that.

Unicorn Dreams

As many people around world have, I too have a unicorn lover in the house.  She has been asking and asking for a unicorn quilt and I keep telling her that she already has a quilt, she doesn't need another... and on the sly I began to design a pattern.  Unfortunately, I did not realize that she can see my monitor from the reflection off a cabinet in the room so she as seen the design and is now begging for me to make it.    Unfortunately for her, I have a list of other quilts to make first... so she still has to wait.  That being said, I did finish the pattern.   I designed it as a small lap/crib quilt as well as a twin quilt.    I've always wanted to make a ribbon border and decided it was the perfect edge to turn the quilt into ultra sweet. 
I have this pattern for sale on etsy and if you'd like to make it for your favorite unicorn lover, check it out!
The unicorn is a pixel unicorn (what else would I design) and will come together very quickly!   The ribbon border is also very simple to do (I made one trial square), despite the complex look. 

Strawberry Shortcake

This quilt was on my bucket list for quite a while.   I had found a vintage Strawberry Shortcake print at Hobby Lobby and purchased half a yard with the intent of making a SSC quilt for a friend.
Fast forward ten months and I sat down and began to draw the quilt in a graph.   It took quite a while to get the design to look enough like SSC that she would be recognizable.   I showed my husband the first few renditions and after hearing who it was supposed to be he would reply, "If you say so."  Discouraging, that's what.
Finally, I finished the pattern and then loaded it in the Sprite Quilter program my husband wrote and learned that I needed a yard of background fabric.  I went to Hobby Lobby to purchase another half yard of the SSC fabric but alas they were out. :(   I couldn't even find the fabric online.
I ended up finding a true vintage print on eBay and used that for the background and then created a strawberry block for the back. I had juuuuuust enough fabric for that!
You can purchase the pattern here or if you would like to custom order it contact me on etsy.

Eggggs! Egggs! Exterminate!

Back in the day of the classic Doctor Who Daleks weren't too scary.   I mean, all one had to do was go up a few flights of steps and hide around the corner and one was safe.   Daleks couldn't climb stairs.    Apparently the writers realized this and the new generation of Daleks can now fly.   Look out, you're about to be exterminated!

  Growing up my mother and older brothers would talk about Doctor Who and the Daleks.   By the time I came around and was old enough to watch it it was no longer on tv- or at least not available via bunny ears.   One day we discovered the library had a few vhs tapes (I feel as though I'm dating myself a bit...) and we checked them out.    I remember giggling when I saw the first episode with a Dalek in it and wondered how on earth it could be sooooooo terrifying!  That being said, the new and improved Daleks are definitely terrifying.
  I'd already made a bed quilt for my mother but also really wanted to make her a lap quilt for when she watched movies.     I wanted to create something unique and after seeing the large amount of Doctor Who fabric that was available I decided to create a Dalek.    That meant opening paint and drawing away... and a lot of erasing... and reworking, and "WHOA!  Jump back Loretta! That is *way* too large for a lap quilt!"   Finally I arrived upon this and it turned out really well- except for the one pixel I apparently grabbed the wrong 1.5" square and didn't realize it until I had the quilt pinned and ready for free motion quilting.   I left it there.  It made it even more unique.
 This pattern is available for sale at here.   The finished size is 50x50.   The pattern is mostly 1.5 strips with quite a number 1.5x1.5 blocks.    The pattern works left to right so if there are 10 black pixels in a row that means one will use a 10.5x1.5 strip instead of using ten 1.5x1.5 squares.  One would want a sonic screwdriver for that!     The background has a few large chunks to save on time, fabric, and thread.  It also really helps the the background pattern to stand out.

I'mma number one!

About a year and a half ago whilst walking through the clearance aisle at Wally World I stumbled across some Mario sheets and blankets.  I used one of the sheets for the Bowser quilt but still had the microfiber blanket.   I had something special in mind for that blanket and it took some thinking to work it out.     I wanted the quilt to tell a story from Mario Kart, but how?  There's only so much room and I had a specific size the quilt absolutely had to be.    I opened paint and got to work... and worked... and worked...  finally I came up with this pattern.    The top portion is worked with 1.5" strips and the bottom portion (Mario) is worked with 2.5" strips.   It was amazing how much more quickly the quilt went once I started working with the 2.5" strips.
For this quilt I also did a few large background chunks instead of doing strips the width of the quilt.  Doing so saves a lot of time, fabric, and thread which is all pretty important to me.
  I was pretty nervous about quilting this.  I was tempted to not use batting since the backing was already heavy but my husband talked me into doing it and I agreed it probably was best, especially since there was such a stark difference in the thickness of the top and bottom.    The blanket was very stretchy and having already worked before with snuggle bubble I was kind dreading quilting this.   I took a lot of time with the pinning and it definitely paid off as the back ended up very smooth!
I got a little creative too and stitched in some Koopa shells as well as a star... which didn't turn out quite as well... I think I got a little cocky with the success of the shell.   Mario and Lakitu were stippled and the background along the words was stitched with a racetrack... that didn't turn out quite how I envisioned it, but it turned out, I guess.
I add the words to the top left as I felt the corner was black.   I kind of wish I would have done the letters in multiple colors similar to how the main screen is but I decided to use the awesome houndstooth that I picked up for the binding.
Pardon that cute lil' girl walking on the back of the quilt.  She loves it when quilts are spread on the floor and loves to snuggle them.   In a few years she'll be big enough to hold them up for me when I take photos.  Payback!  =)
This pattern is available on Craftsy!