Heather Martin

Hummingbirds are fascinating little creatures because of their vivid colors and quick-as-lightning movements. This might be the reason why free hummingbird cross stitch patterns are popular. They allow us a chance to enjoy our love of needlework while stitching this elusive bird.

Anyone designing free hummingbird cross stitch patterns has over 328 species to choose from. These birds are native to North, South, and Central America; they can also be found in the Caribbean Island. The Ruby Throated hummingbird is probably the most well-known of these tiny birds that migrate around the western hemisphere.

A native of the Eastern USA, this bird weighs around one-eighth of an ounce and is a mere 3.5 inches long. Both sexes can be recognized for their emerald green backs, but it is the male that has the characteristic iridescent "ruby" read thread. The female's throat is white; both have forked tails.

With flight speeds around 25 miles per hour, the hummingbird needs to find food often, sometimes up to five times per hour. Their natural food source is the nectar of Beebalm, Columbine, Foxglove, and Red Hot Poker flowers. They may also eat insects and spiders in order to get much-needed protein into their systems. The smallest known hummingbird, the Cuban Bee Hummingbird, is less than 2.5 inches long.

Hummingbirds are drawn to red, long-throated flowers; however, if you don't have these in your garden, attracting hummingbirds isn't that difficult. Hummingbird feeders can be purchased which resemble their favorite flower and can hold a mixture of a 4 to 1 mixture of water and sugar. They may also be attracted to the bugs that visit fruit such as banana skins. Set the feeders up in shaded areas and change out the mixture often.

It's easy to see why cross stitch designers enjoy creating patterns of these beautiful birds. Free hummingbird cross stitch patterns are designed to include blending filaments or metallic threads in order to simulate the bright, iridescent colors of the hummingbird.

These free hummingbird cross stitch patterns won't take you long to complete, however, because the life sized bird isn't that large. To be able to migrate long distances, though, the hummingbird does need to have staying power. There have long been stories of the hummingbird hitching a ride on the back of other migrating birds as they cross the Gulf of Mexico; however, these stories have long been proven to be false.