How to Cross Stitch
Many people have needlework hobbies. Cross stitching is one of them and it is an enjoyable past time. Cross stitching in it most elementary terms is a pattern of "X's" that you cover with colored embroidery thread. Read on to learn how to cross stitch.
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Things You'll Need
- Fabric/material
- Pattern
- Embroidery floss
- Hoop
- Needle
- Pre packaged kit (optional)
Instructions
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1
Find a craft store. AC Moore and Michaels' are two where you can get everything you need to cross stitch. Look in their needlework aisles and you will find hundreds of patterns that can be cross stitched. You can also get patterns off the Internet. There are some sites listed in the Resource section (below) where you can download them.
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Search the patterns for the one you want to buy. There are plenty of choices from baby announcements to wedding announcements, to witty sayings you can display in your home--no matter what you are looking for you can find a cross stitch for it.
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Make your own pattern. If by some slight chance you can't find the exact pattern you are looking for, design it yourself. There is software you can get to assist you in creating your own cross stitch designs.
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Select the material you will cross stitch on--it should be large enough to make into an 8-by-11 inch framed picture.
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Look for the embroidery floss you need to make the pattern. Most samplers--patterns--come with instructions which will tell you the colors and number of strands of floss you will need to complete the sampler. These can be found at the craft store also.
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Buy a needle and hoop. You need a hoop to put the sampler on to keep it taunt while you work. Keeping the sampler taunt makes your stitches look better when you have completed the picture. The needle should be large enough so you can thread it--put the embroidery strands through the hole.
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Follow the design as you work the cross stitch. You should do all the stitches one way across the row and then back the other way. This will give your work a more professional look. As you work the design, change the embroidery floss as it tells you to.
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Try to knot the end of the threads by working it between stitches you have already made on the back of the sampler. This will show your sampler better rather than tying knots.
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Locate a sampler kit. Alternatively, you can buy a sampler kit that will include the sampler, needle, embroidery floss and instructions. When you get a kit it will also give you instructions on how to frame your cross stitch.
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Tips & Warnings
You can always add your initials to any cross stitch you do.
Resources
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Comments
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HeleneCanuck
Sep 14, 2008
My only comment is that, as you have said, cross stitch really is addictive. Once you start you can end up spending a lot of money. As Ang... says, start small until you are sure you are hooked. What's so bad about being a cross stitch addict - besides the cost? It is relaxing and soothing and friendships are formed and made solid and secure and giving to the community is so easy through cross stitch. Teach children, the next generation. Teach the elderly in their retirement homes. Create altar fronts, priests stoles, kneelers, Torah covers, and so much more. ...Helene... -
Susanh
Aug 31, 2008
I've always wanted to try this, but haven't yet. This is encouraging. :)
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Kathleen Wagner
Sep 25, 2007
Don't use a knot to secure the thread. Leave an inch of floss on the wrong side when you pull it through for the first stitch, hold it against the back of the fabric with your finger, and catch it in place with the first few stitches. Knots are lumpy and frequently work through to the right side after the project is finished. When that happens, there's really no way to fix it, because there's no spare thread to push back to the wrong side and weave under the stitches. - Kathleen Wagner
