Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

Christianity Oasis has provided you with this This is a free 'Now I lay me down to sleep' cross stitch pattern and tutorial. Easy to follow instructions and a cute addition to any nursery. This Now I lay me down to sleep cross stitch pattern is a fun project for every age seamstress.



A woman busy crafting

Proverbs 31:13
She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

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Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

This is our absolutely free Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep pattern download with a step by step Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep tutorial which has easy to follow instructions on how to make a Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep cross stitiching.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

This Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep stitching is easily adaptable to any child's room. Simply choose a main color to use for the border fishes, the rug, the dark squares of the quilt and the outline of the child's pajamas. The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep prayer could also easily be done in any color you wish. Use a lighter hue of that same color for the light squares of the quilt, the sheet stripes and the pillow. The pajamas could be any color you choose.

The child's hair can be stitched in any color you wish also. The black lines (on the chart) around the child's head, and the dog's collar are stitched in bullion knots. The bullion knots around the child's head are worked in the same color as the hair, and you can make them as long as you wish, omit them, or cover the entire head with them, depending on the effect you want. The dog's collar can also be stitched in any color you wish. An illustration of how to make a Bullion Knot is below the chart. Be sure to read through all instructions thoroughly before beginning your project.

Detail of Toddler's Hair

The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep stitching pictured above was worked on Charles Craft 14 count Background Aida. The horizontal blue stitches were woven into the fabric by the manufacturer, however, Charles Craft doesn't offer this fabric on their website. If you like the overall effect this has on the piece, you could always pre-stitch your fabric in any color you like to achieve the same outcome. The child's hair was worked with two different colors of floss (one strand of light gold and one darker gold) threaded together in the same needle to get a highlight effect.

You will find the cross stitch chart for the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep picture below the instructions.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Color Palette

Color chart with symbols and codes for thread colors

Using the color palette:

The color in the left column (Col or Color) is the approximate color of the thread used.

Each color has a corresponding symbol (Mark). This is because when two colors (like 825 and 798 on this chart) are very similar, you can tell the difference by the mark.

The number in the third column (Code) is the number of the floss manufactured by DMC.

The number(s) in the fourth column (Ct or Count) are the amount of cross stitches of that particular color on the chart. If there are any back stitches of that color, that is the number after the +.

The center of the piece is marked with a square (□) on the chart. Stitch all cross stitches first. Next, back stitch all the solid lines in the colors indicated. Next, the bottom of the bedposts and the snaps on the child's pajamas are done with French Knots. Last, the black lines in the child's hair is done with Bullion Knots (illustrated below).

How much embroidery floss you will need for the Free Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Cross Stitch picture:

A skein of floss contains approximately 8½ yards, and most people stitch with an 18" length.

If using 3 strands of floss on 14 count fabric, you'll get approximately 35 stitches from an 18" length of floss. One skein will provide approximately thirty-four 18" lengths containing 3 strands of floss.

Using 2 strands of floss on 18 count fabric, you'll get approximately 45 stitches from an 18" length of floss. There are approximately fifty-one 18" lengths containing 2 strands of floss per skein.

Diagram of How to Make a Bullion Knot with your needle and thread

How to do a Bullion Knot:

The Bullion Knot is very similar to the French Knot, but you loop the thread around the needle more times, producing a worm of a knot that is inserted a slight distance from the needle's original entry point.

  • Make a back stitch, the length of the bullion knot required, but do not bring the needle out all the way.
  • Twist the thread around the needle point, as many times as is necessary to equal the length of the back stitch.
  • Holding the left thumb on the coils, gently pull the needle through the coiled thread, then insert the needle into the fabric and pull through just until the coils touch the fabric and the bullion knot lies flat.

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God Bless.

Free Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Cross Stitch Chart

If you like this Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep project, you will also like our baby Dew Rag pattern and tutorial. Click the link below to create a custom baby do-rag for yourself or a loved one:

Another one of our most popular craft patterns and tutorials is our Peanut Pillow. Click on the link below to begin stitching this fun and easy project.

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