How to Embroider a Celtic Cross

Celtic crosses are often decorated with intricate endless knots.

A Celtic cross consists of an ornate stylized cross with a ring that surrounds the intersecting points of the cross. Celtic crosses are often intricately decorated with artistic knotwork such as the Celtic patterns of endless interlacing decorative and ornamental knots. Many Celtic cross embroidery patterns are embroidered with the chain stitch and at least two coordinating colors of thread, such as green and gold. Embroider a Celtic cross with a chain stitch and colored embroidery floss of your choice.

Things You'll Need

• Embroidery fabric with transferred Celtic cross pattern
• 2 different colored embroidery floss/thread
• Embroidery crewel needle, size #7
• Tweezers
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Thread the needle with the color of embroidery floss that you wish to use for the outline of the Celtic cross. Tie a knot at the end of the thread. Insert the needle from the front of the embroidery fabric at the starting point of the cross pattern and pull it to the back to make the knot sit at the front of the fabric.

2. Insert the needle from the back to the front, 1/8 inch away to the right of the knot on the pattern line. Pull the thread through. Make a back stitch by inserting the needle from the front on the pattern line, 1/8 inch away to the right of the needle insertion point (where you have just pulled the thread through the fabric to the front) with the needle point facing the left, back towards the emerging thread. Pass the needle back under the fabric, behind the thread and insert it up to the front, 1/8 inch away, on the left of the thread. Pull the thread through to finish the back stitch.

3. Insert the needle from the back of the fabric on the other side of the back stitch you just made. Insert the needle into the middle of the stitch from the front of the fabric to split the thread in half with the needle. Pull the needle and thread through, applying tension so that the stitch sinks into the fabric. Make another stitch in this manner. Pick up the thread tail with tweezers and cut off the knot, just above the fabric to make the thread slip down to the back of the fabric.

4. Chain stitch the outline of the Celtic cross with the thread. Begin the chain stitch by inserting the needle from the back of the fabric on the pattern line and pull the thread through. Insert the needle back through the fabric at the same insertion point (where you first pulled the needle through from the back). Don't pull the thread all the way through, leave a short loop remaining about 1/2 inch long on the front of the fabric and hold it down with your left thumb.

5. Continue making the chain stitch by inserting the needle through the fabric, starting at the insertion point. Move the needle under the fabric about 1/16 inch and then insert it back through to the front of the fabric. Angle the needle so that it goes over the loop you are holding down with your thumb. Pull the needle and thread through to finish your first chain stitch. Stitch the rest of the outline in this manner. Sink the thread as before to end it.

6. Chain stitch the interior of the cross with a different colored thread. Finish the chain stitch by sinking the stitch through the top of the loop of the last chain stitch.

References

• Needle 'n Thread: Free Hand Embroidery Pattern Celtic Cross
• Needle 'n Thread: Starting Your Thread: Anchor Stitches on a Line
• Purl Bee: Chain Stitch
• Your Choice Needlework: Chain Stitch Variations
• Stitch School: Back Stitch