Hi! I’m Alina, a cross-stitch pattern designer from the Republic of Moldova.
I grew up surrounded by traditional carpets, embroidered textiles, and folk motifs. Since childhood, embroidery has fascinated me, and for years I dreamed of creating something on a larger scale.
That dream took a new direction when I discovered giant cross stitch. I instantly fell in love with its bold, graphic look and realized it could become a new way to celebrate the traditional motifs I had grown up with.
But over time, I realized this project had become about something much bigger than creating beautiful patterns.
I’m trying to preserve small pieces of our cultural heritage before they disappear.
Many of the motifs I recreate come from old Moldovan and Romanian carpets, embroidered textiles, museum collections, and sometimes from family heirlooms shared with me by my community. They were created decades ago by women who never had pattern books, Pinterest, or Instagram. They learned from one another, adapted motifs from neighboring villages, and often designed from their own imagination.
To me, these embroideries are more than decoration. They are stories, memories, and a record of the people who came before us.
My goal is to carefully recreate these historic motifs as digital cross-stitch patterns so they can continue to live on in a new form and be stitched by people all over the world.
I believe embroidery is a universal language. A stitch made in Moldova can be understood by someone in Canada, Australia, Japan, or Brazil.
If my patterns inspire someone thousands of miles away to stitch a small piece of our heritage, then these traditions continue to live on - and that means everything to me.
Thank you for being part of this journey. 🤍