Owl on a Monogram Letter M Cross Stitch Pattern

About this owl cross stitch pattern

A small brown owl with tufted ears, big green eyes and a cream, speckled chest sits on top of a letter M made of dark wood, gripping it with its claws. Its wings are drawn in layers of brown and tan feathers, and the M below has lighter streaks like wood grain.

It’s a monogram for anyone whose name starts with M, small enough to finish for a birthday or a new baby. Put it next to the Hedgehog with an Alphabet Block for a pair of letters in a nursery. Our bird round-up has more owls.

What you need

• Fabric: 14-count Aida in white, cut to at least 10“ x 12“ (3“ around the design for hooping and framing).
• Thread: 17 DMC colors, about 17 skeins in total, stitched with two strands. The main colors are 938 Coffee Brown – Ultra Dark (803 stitches), 3863 Mocha Beige – Medium (458) and 839 Beige Brown – Dark (336).
• Needle: a size 24 tapestry needle.
• Stitches: full cross stitches only, with no backstitch.

Difficulty and stitching time

It’s rated Beginner: it’s small, mostly browns, and the letter is a simple solid shape. At 2,489 stitches it takes roughly 25 to 41 hours at a steady 60 to 100 stitches an hour. The owl’s speckled chest is the only part that needs slow counting.

Tips for stitching this pattern

• Start with the letter. 938 Coffee Brown – Ultra Dark (803 stitches) makes the M and the outline. It’s the base of the design, and stitching it first gives the owl something to sit on.
• Stitch the chest speckles last. The chest is 951 Tawny – Light (168 stitches) and 950 Desert Sand – Light (176), dotted with darker browns. Fill the light color first, leaving the speckle squares empty, then add the dots.
• Keep the eyes bright. The green eyes are only a few stitches. Stitch them with a fresh length of thread after the brown face around them.

Size, fabric and framing

On 14-count Aida the finished design measures 3.3“ x 5.3“ (8.4 x 13.5 cm). On 16-count it comes out at 2.9“ x 4.6“, and on 18-count at 2.6“ x 4.1“. An 8“ x 10“ frame leaves room for a mat.

Its tall, narrow shape also fits a bookmark or a small door sign.

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