A while back, I designed a crochet sword bookmark. I thought I’d move on after that, but I kept coming back to it. Every time I saw it sitting on my desk, I caught myself wondering whether the same idea could work for a cross stitch bookmark pattern.
I didn’t want to recreate my crochet design in cross stitch. The idea stayed, but the design went in a completely different direction, inspired by two of my favorite childhood anime. You can probably guess which ones, haha!
That turned out to be much harder than I expected. Curves that looked perfectly fine in crochet suddenly became awkward on a grid. Some details disappeared completely. Others had to be redrawn over and over until they finally looked right. The shading, though… that nearly drove me crazy. Especially the ribbon. I already wrestle with light and shadows when I’m drawing or painting, so translating that into cross stitch felt like a whole different level of difficult. Every tiny change affected the illusion of depth, and I must have adjusted those stitches a hundred times before I finally felt a little less disappointed with how it turned out.
There wasn’t really a big “aha” moment. One day I looked at it and realized I had finally stopped changing things.
This cross stitch bookmark pattern is the result. It has the long fantasy blade, the ribbons wrapped around it, the tiny gemstones, and the soft pastel palette I had in mind from the very beginning.
The crochet bookmark sparked the idea, but this design quickly found its own direction, and that’s probably my favorite part about it.
I always love the idea of handmade bookmarks because they don’t stay on a shelf. They get used. They travel from book to book, quietly collecting memories along the way. If this fantasy sword cross stitch pattern ends up becoming your next cross stitch sword bookmark, I hope it follows you through plenty of great stories.
Materials Needed – Cross Stitch Sword Bookmark
14 count Aida cloth (or your preferred fabric count)
DMC embroidery floss (colors listed in the pattern)
Cross stitch needle
Embroidery hoop or Q-Snap frame
Small embroidery scissors
Needle threader
Water soluble fabric marker (optional, for gridding your fabric)
Good lighting and, if needed, a magnifier for extra comfort
A piece of felt for the backing
Optional 3D Printable Stitching Grid
If you have access to a 3D printer, I’ve included an optional printable stitching grid designed specifically for this project.
I created it because I wanted a more rigid surface to stitch on instead of traditional Aida cloth. It keeps its shape while you work, doesn’t stretch or shift, and gives the finished bookmark a sturdy feel without needing additional support.
Of course, this pattern can be stitched on regular Aida cloth just like any other cross stitch bookmark pattern, but if you enjoy combining crafts, this is a fun alternative to try. Simply print the grid, stitch directly onto it, then finish the back with a piece of felt.
Stitch This Cross Stitch Bookmark Pattern for Free
The complete pattern is available to stitch for free right here on Atelier Delilah using the interactive Pattern Reader below.
You can move through the chart one row at a time, type in a specific row number, change the reading direction, adjust the highlight opacity and zoom in when you need a closer look. Your progress is also saved automatically on your device, so the reader will remember where you stopped.
If you prefer working from a printable PDF, or you would like the optional 3D printable stitching grid in STL format, the complete downloadable bundle is available in my Ko-fi shop.
Purchasing the bundle is also a way to support my work and helps me keep sharing free patterns on the site.
What’s Included in the Downloadable Bundle
A4 PDF pattern — formatted for standard A4 paper
US Letter PDF pattern — formatted for US Letter paper
Read Me First PDF — includes the pattern details, copyright notice and recommended 3D print settings
3MF file — the 3D printable stitching grid in Bambu Studio project format
STL file — the 3D printable stitching grid in a standard 3D model format
The A4 and US Letter PDFs contain the same cross stitch pattern. You can simply use the version that matches your printer paper size.
Download it here: Atelier Delilah Ko-Fi Shop
Pattern Details – Sword Cross Stitch Pattern
This sword cross stitch pattern measures:
Stitch count: 33 × 138 stitches
Finished size on 14 count Aida: approximately 25,8 × 6,8 cm (including the border)
Finished size in inches: approximately 10,2 × 2,7 in
Skill level: confident beginner to intermediate
Number of DMC colors: 13 (D155 Blue Violet MD DK, D162 Blue Water, D210 Lavender MD, D600 Cranberry VY DK, D603 Cranberry, D605 Cranberry VY LT, D744 Pale Yellow, D745 Pale Yellow LT, D3325 Baby Blue LT, D3746 Blue Violet DK, D3805 Cyclamen Pink, D3829 Old Gold VY DK, DBLANC White.)
Stitch type: full cross stitch
Recommended thread count: I stitched mine using 3 strands of floss. If that feels too tight on your fabric or printed grid, use 2 strands instead.
The finished size will change if you use another fabric count, but the stitch count will stay exactly the same.
Interactive Cross Stitch Pattern Reader
To make this fantasy sword cross stitch pattern easier to follow, I added an interactive chart reader below. It highlights one row at a time, so you can focus on the section you are currently stitching without losing your place on the full chart. Use the Previous Row and Next Row buttons to move through the pattern, or type a row number directly into the box to jump back to where you stopped. You can also change the reading direction, adjust the highlight opacity, and zoom in for a closer look. Your progress is saved automatically on your device, so the reader will remember your current row when you return (the thread keys is below the pattern reader).
Cross Stitch Pattern Reader
Follow the chart one row at a time and keep track of your progress.
Your current row, reading direction, zoom and highlight opacity are saved automatically on this device.
Thread Key
Finishing the Bookmark With a Felt Backing
Trim the Aida evenly around the design leaving an even border on all sides. Then cut a piece of felt slightly smaller than the bookmark.
Attach it to the back with a thin layer of fabric glue, or sew it in place with small stitches around the edges. If using glue, leave the bookmark flat under a heavy book until completely dry, then trim any uneven felt.
To Conclude – Cross Stitch Bookmark Pattern
This design took much longer than I expected, mostly because I kept noticing tiny details I wanted to change. The ribbon alone almost became a personal enemy.
Still, I’m glad I kept working on it.
The final bookmark feels nostalgic, with exactly the kind of colorful, girly fantasy sword design I would have loved as a child.
If you make this fantasy sword cross stitch pattern, I would genuinely love to see how yours turns out. You can tag Atelier Delilah on Instagram or Tiktok when you share it, especially if you try the 3D printed grid version. I hope this little sword ends up tucked inside a book you love and follows you through plenty of good stories.
Happy stitching!
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