Woodland Badger Wizard Cross Stitch Pattern

About this badger cross stitch pattern

The badger stands upright in layered patchwork earth tones, its pointed hat trimmed with twigs, dried berries and autumn leaves, with a satchel at its side. The black-and-white face stripes stay crisp against the earthy cloak, so the character reads clearly at a glance. The design is tall and narrow, almost twice as high as it is wide.

It’s a fantasy-forest character for a study, a reading nook or a fantasy-themed wall. With the Fawn Shaman with Staff and The Wee Celtic Druid it makes a trio of woodland spellcasters. It is also one of the free large cross stitch patterns we compare side by side.

What you need

• Fabric: 14-count Aida in white, cut to at least 16“ x 22“ (3“ around the design for hooping and framing).
• Thread: 19 DMC colors, about 21 skeins in total, stitched with two strands. The main colors are 310 Black (3,996 stitches), 839 Beige Brown – Dark (1,986), 3032 Mocha Brown – Medium (1,920) and 3862 Mocha Beige – Dark (1,564).
• Needle: a size 24 tapestry needle.
• Stitches: full cross stitches only, with no backstitch.

Difficulty and stitching time

It’s rated Intermediate. Black covers 3,996 of the 17,851 stitches, much of it in the face stripes and outlines, and the cloak shades through several browns. Viewers look at the face first, so that’s where accuracy matters most.

Expect roughly 180 to 300 hours at a steady 60 to 100 stitches an hour.

Tips for stitching this pattern

• Start with the face stripes. Even though they’re not at the top of the chart, they’re the anchor of the design and give you a fixed point for keeping the tall grid aligned as you work down the cloak.
• Card the cloak’s browns in order. 839, 3032, 3862, 838, 840, 3772 and 437 shade the patchwork; a labeled strip from dark to light keeps the gradient smooth.
• Add the hat’s berries last. The small accents, such as 3830 Terra Cotta and 3721 Shell Pink – Dark, sit on the finished hat and are easier to place at the end.

Size, fabric and framing

On 14-count Aida the finished design measures 9.2“ x 16.0“ (23.4 x 40.6 cm). On 16-count it comes out at 8.1“ x 14.0“, and on 18-count at 7.2“ x 12.4“. For the 14-count version, a 14“ x 18“ frame leaves room for a mat.

Its tall shape suits a narrow wall or the side of a bookshelf; our framing guide has tips for mounting a tall, narrow piece.

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