FREE Cross Stitch Pattern - Set Your Mind On Things Above

I LOVE hot air balloons. Absolutely LOVE! 

I grew up in a small town in Ohio not too far from Canton and the Football Hall of Fame. Starting in 1985, they introduced a BalloonFest as part of their week long festivities celebrating the new inductees to the HOF. 

It began at a small baseball field with just a few balloons. My mom took me (a shy, awkward, nerdy kid) and we watched them unroll the balloons, inflate them, launch them, and then we jumped in our car to chase them. What magic! Sometimes they came down in neighborhoods, sometimes farm fields. We'd see their spotter cars ahead and their crews would ask the residents to come out and help guide the balloons down and roll them up. Just sheer magic for my shy, introverted soul. 

My Mom and me. 1993.

My Mom and my sister. 1993.

I believe now they have over 70 balloons and it is combined with a huge food fest. Click HERE if you are in the area and want to see it this summer!

So I've wanted to stitch up some hot air balloons for years and I sketched and stitched up the first version of these in 2019. My daughter was almost 3 at the time and helped my draw one too!

I finally made a full pattern this year and have it ready to release today on my mom's birthday. I'm sure she would be so proud.

When I was finalizing this (yesterday! lol), I just knew I had to add a cat. 

My mom loved dogs and horses, but cats seemed to always find their way to her! At one point when I was little, we had adopted and rescued 9! NINE! So I added an orange tabby as a teeny stow-away in honor of Jonah, one of my favorites. (We also had Noah and Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego!)

Me reading Little House on the Prairie with Jonah. 1985.

Here is a close-up of that part of the pattern. Just 2 half stitches for the ears and 2 french knots for the eyes. Too cute! 

Balloon Cat detail

So enjoy and may we keep our eyes looking up in these crazy times!

*** Click here for the COLOR chart. ***

*** Click here for the Black & White chart. ***

If you have any issues with viewing/printing the chart, message me on Instagram.

I have been so blessed by all of the free patterns that designers have offered over the years and I enjoy sharing mine for free (though still under copyright!!!), but if you would like to send a tip or "buy me a coffee," you can do that here... www.buymeacoffee.com/annmakesthings 

Tag me on Instagram if you stitch this up @AnnMakesThings and use the hashtag #SetYourMindxstitch

The balloons are also cute stitched individually for a little bunting banner or for a greeting card or small pillow!

Supervisor fell asleep on the job! Again!

Thanks so much!

Have a blessed day,

:) Ann

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

Colossians 3:1-4 ESV