Cross Stitch Guide

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Cross Stitch Guide

Source: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cross-stitch-guide

CROSS STITCH GUIDE

What Is Cross-Stitch?
What Materials Do You Need for Cross-Stitch?
3 Cross-Stitch Tips for Beginners
How to Cross-Stitch
What Is the Difference Between Cross-Stitch and Embroidery?
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What Is Cross-Stitch?

Cross-stitch is a type of embroidery in which x-shaped stitches are embroidered onto a grid-like woven fabric, resulting in uniform stitches that come together to form a larger pattern or image. The final product of cross-stitched work varies among stitchers—some leave their finished project in the embroidery hoop and hang it on a wall as a framed work of art, while others cross-stitch directly onto blankets, pillowcases, or clothing items.

Related hobbies include hand embroidery (in which you embroider without a grid), needlepoint (in which you use repetitive stitches but not necessarily x-shaped stitches), crochet (in which you use a hook to weave yarn together), and knitting (in which you use two needles to weave yarn together).

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What Materials Do You Need for Cross-Stitch?

Embroidery is a simple and inexpensive hobby that only requires a few materials:

Needle: While you can technically cross-stitch with any type of needle, you can achieve the best results with a tapestry needle. This type of needle has a blunt point and a long, thin eye for easier threading. (The needle doesn’t need to be sharp enough to pierce since cross-stitch fabric already has holes.) Tapestry needles come in a range of sizes, from 18 to 24 (the latter number is the smallest). The fabric that you select for your project will determine the ideal needle size for your project. Generally, larger materials require larger needles and vice versa.
Fabric: Cross-stitching requires a particular kind of fabric, called “evenweave”—or woven fabric with equal-sized warp and weft, resulting in a balanced grid of squares that stitchers can count as they work toward creating the final image. Standard evenweave fabrics for cross-stitching include linen or Aida cloth.
Embroidery floss: Embroidery floss (also called embroidery thread) is a soft cotton or polyester thread available in many different colors. It’s thicker than sewing thread so that it’s more visible when stitched onto fabric.
Scissors: You can use any type of scissors to trim your fabric and cut your floss. For more precise cuts, purchase a pair of embroidery scissors, which have a smaller, sharper set of blades.
Pattern: Cross-stitching, like knitting, is a mathematical process in which you count each of your stitches in predetermined rows to form a larger whole. Most cross-stitchers follow a pattern as they stitch, which is different from a traceable embroidery pattern—cross-stitch patterns are slightly more technical, set up on a grid with different colors and shapes to indicate the placement of the color stitches.
Embroidery hoop (optional): An embroidery hoop can help keep your project even and straight, especially for very small cross-stitching. A hoop is composed of two rings: a solid inner ring and an outer ring with a screw to twist to tighten or loosen the fit. This hoop, which can be made out of wood or plastic, is available in a range of sizes, from 3 to 12 inches. A mid-sized or larger hoop is ideal for a beginning cross-stitcher since it can be difficult to stitch in a small hoop.
Masking tape, sewing machine, or serger (optional): Masking tape or a quick stitch along the outside of your fabric can help prevent it from fraying.

3 Cross-Stitch Tips for Beginners

Whether you’re running into a snag or looking for ways to vary your stitching, here are some tips for beginner crafters:

Keep your stitches consistent. The key to creating a clean look in your cross-stitch is maintaining a uniform size, shape, and tension in your stitches. To do this, start with the same arm of the x every time, rather than using different arms. Also, try to pull each stitch to the same tautness level instead of creating a mix of extra-tight and loose stitches which can make the design look slapdash.
Experiment with other stitches. While cross-stitching has fewer stitch variations than general hand embroidery, there are still a few different kinds of stitches you can try to achieve a particular effect. Backstitch is a great stitch for beginners because it results in thin, tidy lines that can add definition to your shapes; French knots are slightly more complex but a great way to add decorative spheres to your patterns.
Follow the rules for resizing. In counted cross-stitch, where stitchers count threads from the center of the fabric to create a neat appearance, most patterns will include an image that can be resized depending on how large you want the finished product. At the smallest, you can stitch a cross-stitch project with one strand of thread over an area of just one square of your grid (called “one over one”). To make a project larger, you can increase the thread count for your stitches and stitch over multiple squares in the grid (for instance, “two over two”).