Day of the Dead Catrina sugar skull in a purple hat cross stitch pattern

61 × 63 stitches 8 colors 4.4 × 4.5 in on 14-count

A PDF for 14-count on US Letter paper: overview, symbol charts and thread list. Change the count or paper

You will need

Fabric: 14-count Aida, cut 11 × 11 in (the design is 4.4 × 4.5 in; 14-count has 14 squares to the inch)
Needle: Tapestry, size 24
Thread: 8 DMC colors, 2 strands at a time (DMC is the thread maker whose color numbers charts use)

Your thread palette: 8 threads ↓

DMC 553 Violet
DMC 3865 Winter White
DMC 310 Black
DMC 3853 Dark Autumn Gold
DMC 3346 Hunter Green
DMC 3822 Light Straw
DMC 3810 Dark Turquoise
DMC 321 Red

Want to make it yours? opens this chart in the pattern maker, where every stitch can be changed too. Or download it just as it is.

Fabric count and finished sizeCount is the number of squares per inch. Higher count makes the same design smaller; the stitches and thread colors stay the same. Sizes shown are the stitched area; allow extra fabric for finishing.

Download free PDF

About this pattern

The hatted skull lady of the Day of the Dead, La Catrina, looking straight at you. Her white skull sits under a very wide purple hat with an orange and yellow marigold pinned to its crown, a red center to the flower and a green leaf on each side. Each eye is a black socket in a ring of orange and teal petals, the nose is a small black hole and two rows of teeth run across the jaw. Black outline. The left half mirrors the right exactly. The skull is stitched in white, so it shows best on a natural or colored fabric. Full crosses only. It is 61 by 63 stitches and uses eight thread colors.

61 stitches wide by 63 high: 2,065 full cross stitches in 8 DMC colors (Violet 553, Winter White 3865, Black 310 and 5 more).

Finished size by fabric count
Fabric	Inches	Centimeters
11-count Aida	5.5 × 5.7	14.1 × 14.5
14-count Aida, or 28-count over two	4.4 × 4.5	11.1 × 11.4
16-count Aida, or 32-count over two	3.8 × 3.9	9.7 × 10.0
18-count Aida	3.4 × 3.5	8.6 × 8.9
22-count Hardanger	2.8 × 2.9	7.0 × 7.3

Sizes are the stitched area. Add about 3 inches (7.5 cm) on every side when you cut your fabric.

The fabric color changes the preview only: every cross matches your chart.

Thread list & pattern notes

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Symbol	Thread	Stitches	Buy
●	DMC 553 Violet	602	Find it
X	DMC 3865 Winter White	565	Find it
▲	DMC 310 Black	441	Find it
+	DMC 3853 Dark Autumn Gold	204	Find it
■	DMC 3346 Hunter Green	76	Find it
O	DMC 3822 Light Straw	76	Find it
◆	DMC 3810 Dark Turquoise	64	Find it
=	DMC 321 Red	37	Find it

Suggested DMC colors. Screen colors are approximate. Previews show the exact chart.

Print the chart (opens the PDF in a new tab)

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New to cross stitch? How to cross stitch

Count is the number of squares to the inch: 14-count fabric has 14, and a higher count makes the same design smaller. DMC is the thread maker whose color numbers most charts use.