Grumpy Koala with Coffee Cross Stitch Pattern

About this koala cross stitch pattern

This koala is not dozing peacefully in a tree. It sits slumped with narrowed eyes and a downturned mouth, holding its mug like the only thing standing between it and the morning. The body is all soft grays, and the yellow mug is the one bright spot of color.

It’s a relatable gift for anyone who complains loudly before coffee, sized for a desk, a mug rack or a kitchen wall. For more animals with hot drinks, see Badger with Spiced Cider and the Bear Cub with a Steaming Mug; our funny animal round-up has more.

What you need

• Fabric: 14-count Aida in white, cut to at least 12“ x 12“ (3“ around the design for hooping and framing).
• Thread: 18 DMC colors, about 18 skeins in total, stitched with two strands. The main colors are 415 Pearl Gray (1,644 stitches), 414 Steel Gray – Dark (960), 310 Black (920) and B5200 Snow White (644).
• Needle: a size 24 tapestry needle.
• Stitches: full cross stitches only, with no backstitch.

Difficulty and stitching time

It’s rated Intermediate, but the color logic is simple: Pearl Gray, Steel Gray – Dark and black cover 3,524 of the 4,718 stitches. Most of your time goes into filling large gray areas rather than tracking small color changes. Expect roughly 50 to 80 hours at a steady 60 to 100 stitches an hour.

Tips for stitching this pattern

• Work from light to dark. Block in 415 Pearl Gray across the body and ears first, then 414 Steel Gray – Dark for the shading and 310 Black for the outline and nose on top, so the dark lines stay crisp.
• Save the mug for last. Its yellows (973 Canary – Bright, 3820 Straw – Dark, 3078 and 307) sit in one small area, and it’s a quick, cheerful section to finish on.
• Check the one-off colors. 413 Pewter Gray – Dark, 677 Old Gold – Very Light and 733 Olive Green – Medium are used once each. Look them up on the chart rather than assuming they belong to a nearby block.

Size, fabric and framing

On 14-count Aida the finished design measures 5.4“ x 5.9“ (13.7 x 15.0 cm). On 16-count it comes out at 4.7“ x 5.1“, and on 18-count at 4.2“ x 4.6“. For the 14-count version, an 8“ x 10“ frame leaves room for a mat.

A yellow mat picks up the mug, or hang it in a 7-inch hoop by the coffee machine.

What’s in the free PDF

• A cover page and a one-page overview with a preview of the design
• The chart, split across as many printable pages as you choose, in color or black and white, with a symbol for every DMC color, center lines, a mini-map showing which part of the design each page covers and a color key on every page
• The thread list: DMC number, color name, number of stitches and skeins to buy for each color
• The finished size on 11-, 14-, 16-, 18- and 28-count Aida