How to Make an Alphabet Tapestry

Tapestries often have lettering, images, logos and background stitches.

An alphabet tapestry is a wall hanging made of cross stitches over a base cloth featuring the letters of the alphabet. Often each letter is designed in a different type style, but usually all the letters are the same size. A tapestry differs from a sampler in that the entire background of the fabric is worked in a tapestry. For a sampler, embroidery stitches may be more prominent and the field cloth is used to show off the stitches. Making an alphabet tapestry begins with a pattern.

Things You'll Need

• Evenweave fabric
• Tapestry pattern
• Cross stitch needle
• Embroidery floss
• Embroidery hoop
• Embroidery scissors

Instructions

1. Lay out your fabric and mark the fabric with tailor's chalk to indicate the finished size of the alphabet on the fabric. Your pattern will give you measurements and stitch counts for both the alphabet and borders.

2. Mark the location of your first stitch on the fabric. Place your fabric in a hoop so that the fabric is taut. If you are using a plastic canvas you can stitch without a hoop. Softer fabrics are easier to work using a hoop to stretch the fabric.

3. Thread your cross stitch needle. Do not knot the ends. Use two floss threads. Floss is sold with six threads twisted together. Separate two of the threads and slowly pull the sections of threads to opposite sides. The floss will spin and unravel.

4. Bring your needle through the fabric from back to front on the starting spot. Allow 1 inch of thread to remain loose on the back of the fabric. Take your needle diagonally up to your right at a 45-degree angle. Cross over the weave of the fabric. Poke the needle through the fabric from front to back through the hole. Pull the stitch snug. Bring your needle down vertically over one weave of the fabric. Poke the needle through the hole from back to front. Your needle should be horizontally even with where your first stitch started.

5. Pull the stitch snug. Take your needle diagonally upward and to your left at a 45-degree angle. Cross over the weave of the fabric in the opposite direction of the first stitch and draw the needle through the hole. The top of your current stitch should be horizontally even with the top of your first stitch. This completes one cross stitch. Continue the same needlework pattern for each stitch. Typically your pattern will show how many stitches are in each row.

6. Make your cross stitch a tapestry by using cross stitches in a field color over your fabric. Field color is the background color that surrounds your letters. Use contrasting color to show off the foreground items such as the alphabet against background color.

Tips & Warnings

• Select an evenweave fabric of the size to fit your pattern. Evenweave fabrics are available where needlework projects are sold. Patterns for alphabets are available for free online and in kits. If you are designing your own letters, space the letters apart with at least three blocks or cross stitch spaces between the letters. Count out your letters before starting the pattern. Look for a pattern that uses whole cross stitches if this is your first needlework project.

• Your needlework needle should have a larger eye than a regular sewing needle.

• Mount tapestries inside frames or hang from dowels. Finish the edges on pieces that will hang by themselves.

References

• John Lewis: The Historical Sampler Company Alphabet Tapestry Kit
• Better Cross Stitch Patterns: Free Cross Stitch Alphabet Patterns