Birthday needlepoint patterns

Birthday designs, among them a cake with candles, a slice of cake, a party hat, a bunch of balloons, a piñata and two strings of bunting.

Also here: a balloon dog, a party blower, a confetti popper and a gift bag. Most are drawn in more than one style. All are four inches square on 18 mesh, and many can be made round. A birthday has a date, and finishing takes time on top of the stitching, so count back from the day before you begin.