I developed this cross stitch pattern for Bird Days of Summer 2026, a series of free birding outings organized by Camelia Zollars at the Bird Alliance of Oregon.

pattern use guidelines

This means you can distribute the pattern and/or adapt it to fit your needs so long as you provide proper credit! You can copy and paste the sentence above, or write something like: I used the Male Mallard Cross Stitch Pattern by Aliya Hoff-Vanoni of extradisciplinary. Depending on how you are sharing your work, you might provide a link to this webpage and/or tag @extradisciplinary and use the hashtag #MallardCrossStitch on Instagram.

You may not sell products made using this pattern for profit. However, you may sell, auction, raffle, or donate products made using this pattern if the proceeds are donated to nature or wildlife conservation fundraisers/non-profits. You may use this pattern during a class or event if a portion of any class fees you charge are donated to nature or wildlife conservation and/or help support a birding club or non-profit.

Feel free to contact me with any questions about these guidelines or if you’d like me to teach a workshop using this tutorial. This pattern was created in FlossCross.

what is cross stitch?

Embroidery (also called needlework) is the art of decorating fabric and other materials with stitches made of thread or yarn. There are few main types of embroidery:

Surface or free embroidery: designs are stitched independently of the fabric structure.
Counted-thread embroidery: designs are created with uniformly-sized stitches that go over a specific number of threads of the underlying fabric.

Cross stitch: uses X-shaped stitches to create a design (similar to pixel art); may not cover the entire fabric surface.
Needlepoint/canvas work: uses a variety of stitch types; usually covers the entire fabric surface in dense stitches.

It’s best to cross stitch on an even-weave fabric like linen or aida cloth. Aida cloth has a grid pattern that makes it easy to count your stitches. Aida cloth comes in different “counts,” which refer to the number of threads per inch. The higher the number, the smaller your stitches will be. You will want to match the thickness of your thread and needle to your cloth count. A good place to start is 14-count aida cloth.

understanding the pattern

Each square on the pattern represents one large square on the aida cloth. Note that an aida cloth square has small holes in each corner for the stitches to pass through. In this pattern, all of the stitches are full stitches (they form a complete X).

The key below the pattern lists the corresponding ID number for DMC floss colors, but you can use any brand—just pick the closest color match you can find.

prepare to stitch

Find the center of the aida cloth. Fold the cloth in half twice and crease the material to mark the center.
Secure the aida in the embroidery hoop. Loosen the screw at the top of the embroidery hoop until you can remove the inner ring. Lay the aida on top of the inner ring, then press the outer ring over both so the aida is held between both rings. Begin to tighten the screw. As you tighten, pull the edges of the aida taut and try to keep it centered (it doesn’t need to be perfect) until the surface is smooth with a bit of bounce. If your aida cloth is stiff enough, you can stitch without a hoop, but I’ve found that the hand holding the fabric tires out much more quickly.
Choose a color near the top or middle of the pattern to start with. Hold a skein of embroidery floss in one hand and pull a loose end from the side with the color number (it will only pull freely in one direction). Cut the floss when it reaches your elbow. The longer your floss, the more likely it will tangle, so err on the shorter side. As you become more comfortable, you can increase the floss length so you don’t run out of floss as quickly.
Separate the floss strands. Embroidery floss is made up of 6 individual strands loosely wrapped together. For this pattern, we will only be stitching with 3 strands (you are welcome to use a different number of strands if you would like stitches that are more delicate or full). I find it easiest to separate strands one at a time, but you can also try dividing the floss in half or pulling out two strands at a time.
Thread the needle. Gather the 3 strands of floss together so the ends line up, then press the eye of the needle over the thread. Pull just a few inches of floss through so the tail won’t easily pull out of the needle. If you are struggling to thread the needle, try wetting the ends, cutting the ends to the same length, and/or using a needle threader.

start stitching

Find your starting point. To keep the piece consistent, try to work from left to right and from top to bottom. Count the number of squares up and over between your starting point and the center of the pattern. Using your needle, count the same number of squares from the center of your Aida cloth. I like to push my needle through the starting point to widen the hole so it’s easier to see.
Insert your needle into the starting point from the back of the work. Pull the thread through slowly. Keep at least 1” of the tail on the back and position it horizontally in the direction you’ll be stitching. Pinch the thread in place with your non-dominant hand.
Imagine your thread is coming up from the bottom left corner of the square (1). Insert your needle down into the top right corner of the square (2) and pull taut to create a diagonal stitch on the front of the work. On the back side of the work, insert your needle into the hole directly below (3) to create a vertical stitch. These vertical stitches will eventually secure the thread tail.
From the front of the work, insert the needle down into the top right corner of the next square (4). You should now have 2 diagonal half stitches on the front of the work. Continue this stitching pattern until you have as many diagonal half stitches as the row in the pattern calls for.
Once you reach the end of the row, you will work back over the stitches you just made to create an X shape. Now imagine that your thread is coming up from the bottom right corner of the square (5) and insert your needle down into the top left corner of the square (6). You will make a diagonal half stitch slanting the opposite direction. On the back side of the work, insert your needle into the hole directly beneath to create a vertical stitch (7). Continue this stitching pattern until you have completed all stitches (8).

Now move down to the next row, moving right or left as needed to follow the pattern. If the next block of the same color is more than a few (~4) squares away, you may need to finish your thread and start again (see next step). Long expanses of floss on the back of the work can get caught and tangled; sometimes they can also show through light colored cloth.
If you begin to run out of floss, need to move more than a few squares away, or need to change colors, slide your needle under several of the vertical stitches on the back of the work and pull the floss through (mirroring how you began your stitches). Ensure that the floss doesn’t show through on the front of the work. Cut the excess thread, leaving at least 1” of tail. If your floss is too short to maneuver, take the needle off the floss, position the needle under the vertical stitches, then rethread the needle and pull the floss through.
Repeat the steps above to complete the pattern. I like to fill in larger blocks of color first, then add smaller details at the end so they end up on top of the other stitches. In general, try to do sections close to each other so it’s easier to count (and notice errors sooner); you can also work from dark to light colors. If your piece has a background, it’s often easier to fill it in after you’ve finished the focal point.

finishing the piece

When you are done stitching, it’s best to wash and dry your work before finishing the piece for display. Washing the piece helps the threads expand, makes holes less noticeable, and also softens the aida cloth.

Remove the aida from the hoop and handwash the fabric in a bowl of lukewarm water with a splash of mild soap or detergent. Gently work the soap into the fabric then rinse it with clean water. Roll up the aida in a towel and press down to remove as much moisture as possible. Depending on how you will use/display your piece (see below), you can either dry your piece flat or in the embroidery hoop. If you are drying it flat, carefully arrange the aida so that the weave is evenly distributed; you can pin the edges down into a towel or piece of foam/cardboard to keep it from warping as it dries. If you are going to display the piece in an embroidery hoop, position it in the hoop exactly as you would like it to look and ensure the fabric is stretched taut. Allow to dry completely before following the tutorials linked below.

A classic way to display your finished piece is in an embroidery hoop: here is a tutorial for adding a clean, finished back. Add a ribbon to hang it on the wall or buy a frame or stand specifically made to hold embroidery hoops at Modern Hoopla. There are many other options for finishing your work: you can turn your piece into a bookmark, ornament, pillow, panel, or display it in a picture frame. See this page for ideas and YouTube tutorials. This post also has a lot of information and finishing recommendations.

keep stitching

Want to keep stitching? Buy a pattern from a local designer like Junebug & Darlin and Michaela Coffield. Cross stitch patterns, supplies, and kits are available at local craft shops (e.g., Collage, Artist & Craftsman), fabric stores (Modern Domestic, Bolt), yarn shops (Starlight Knitting Society, Weird Sisters), and on Etsy. There are also a bunch of cross stitch pattern books available at the library and free patterns on DMC’s website.

I also recommend experimenting with adding cross stitch to clothing, hats, and any fabric without an obvious grid using waste canvas or water soluble canvas. (You will need to use a sharp embroidery or sashiko needle instead of a blunt tapestry needle).

keep in touch

Thanks very much for reading! If you have any questions, feedback, or corrections regarding this post, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

bird & stitch: ducks!