Little Acorns – MFE SAL 2026 – PDF Pattern

This is “Little Acorns” – a pattern designed after asking my Patrons (over at my Patreon page) a series of questions to decide the style, theme, and technique for the 2026 Modern Folk Embroidery Stitch-A-Long (SAL). My patrons chose for a folklore design with cross-stitch, backstitch and some eyelets, and with ‘nature’ as the theme.

With those pointers in place I sat down and created the design that you see here. The lines were taken from a 1797 poem by David Everett (1770-1813), originally published in Caleb Bingham’s “The Columbian Orator”.

We might be small, but the actions we take in our lives have a ripple effect that reaches other people. I hope that whilst working on this pattern, it might bring you some comfort and solace from all the going ons in the world, and that it might inspire you in one way or another, and nurture other proverbial little acorns in this world.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Little Acorns can be stitched vertically (as seen on the cover art) or horizontally (see illustration below). When worked vertically, it has a stitched surface that measures 181 crosses in width and 389 crosses in height. Horizontally it measures 361 crosses in width and 195 crosses in height.

The vertical version has a total of 26336 full crosses and 4078 backstitches – the horizontal version has a few crosses more due to the outer border becoming slightly larger.

Please see the graphs below for size and floss estimates for both vertical and horizontal versions. Floss estimates are based on working with two pulled strands (14 – 18-count Aida or 28 – 36-count linen) or one strand (20-count Aida / 40-count linen and higher). Though it is a matter of taste, I would recommend stitching your backstitches and eyelets with a single strand of floss.

As this is a monochrome design, you may stitch it with whatever colour (or colours) you wish.  If you want to approach the look of the cover, I recommend the following Roxy Floss Co. flosses and linens (all exclusively available through www.evertote.ca in Canada). “Falu Red” is my favourite red – it has a subtle variegation. “Porcelain”, “Speculaas”, or “Buttercup” are great options for linen. As Roxy Floss Co. offers a wide range of colours, I recommend browsing the Evertote website to see what truly speaks to you.

11-MONTH SAL

Each month, you will stitch between 2000 and 3000 stitches, with November being the lightest at just 1687. Remember that this plan is only a suggestion: if you feel you want to stitch more or less, you are welcome to do so. The most important thing is that you enjoy the process of stitching this design, however long that might take.

I planned the 11 months from the top down to the bottom: you may, of course, start at the bottom and work your way up instead, or even start at the centre and work outwards. The coloured segments on page 2 of this booklet will still help you set your monthly stitching goals.

When you share your stitching on social media, please use the hashtags #MFESAL2026 and #ModernFolkEmbroidery so you can share your work with the stitching community and we can find your work as well!