Last year, I made a cross-stitch of the Edmonton skyline from a kit, and I mentioned that I wanted to make one for each city I lived in. I’m so excited to share that I’ve finally done it! It took me a second to think about what I would want in the skyline of Dawson Creek since there aren’t any skyscrapers or tall office buildings, but I hope and think that I’ve managed to catch the essence of the city.

• 6” x 6” square of 14 count Aida Cloth
• 5” Embroidery hoop
• Embroidery floss
• Needle

Pattern by tick-tock hobbies

The first step for me was to sketch out my design on graph paper so that I could get a sense of how the stitches would need to look. It took some trial and error, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I did end up Googling “grain elevator cross stitch” to help me figure out the best perspective to use. I also ended up splitting the embroidery floss from six strands down to three so that it would match the Edmonton skyline. I think having the thinner thread makes the whole piece look more streamlined.

My three elements were chosen with love, but I’m hoping that they also make sense to the people who were born and raised in Dawson Creek. First, I picked the wind turbines. I still remember asking on my first week if it was always so windy, only to have my coworkers point out the very visible wind towers just outside of town. Even though it was a bit of an ‘oh’ moment, I ended up having some good memories exploring the trails under the turbines and enjoying nature there. My second choice was a no-brainer for me, and it was the Mile Zero post at the center of town. It marks the first mile of the Alaska Highway, and we often get a lot of tourists taking pictures there. There is a Canadian flag, the British Columbian flag, and the Dawson Creek flag on the marker. Finally, my last element was the grain elevator in the center of town. It’s not as uniquely Dawson since almost all small towns in Western Canada have a grain elevator, but it felt significant to me, a city slicker, to have a piece of that rural farm life in my skyline. If anyone is interested, I do have the stitch pattern saved still, but I wasn’t sure if there would be any interest for it. Feel free to comment or reach out, and I would be happy to share it with you!

I don’t know if I will be living in any new towns in the future, but if I do, I definitely want to keep up this tradition! I think it’s fun to think about which landmarks define a city, and also provides a chance for reflection and gratitude for the times spent with good company in good places. If you were to do this for the city where you live, what elements would you pick?

Until next time, happy crafting.